Month: December 2006

Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration

by Celtic Woman

Celtic Woman is the creation of composer and director David Downes and producer Sharon Browne. They pulled together four young Irish female vocalists (Chloe, Lisa, Meav and Órla) and a fiddle player (Mairéad) to create the production. And this is very much a production entitled Celtic Woman, rather than a group of Celtic women, which may confuse unaware listeners.

In addition to their eponymous release in 2005, each member of the group is featured on a solo album. Just in time for the holidays, they have released their second collective album, A Christmas Celebration.

Aside from the members and composer being Celtic themselves, there is very little about this album that sounds Celtic to this American ear. If you are looking for an album of Christmas or winter songs sung in Gaelic, or even with a noticeable brogue, this is not the album for you. However, if you are looking for an album with dramatic orchestration and dulcet vocals, then you have found it.

A Christmas Celebration is a collection of traditional Christmas hymns and carols. It begins with the quiet and reflective songs "O Holy Night" and "Away In A Manger," but the excitement picks up spectacularly on "Ding Dong Merrily On High." The choir singing a "ding dong" descant behind the vocals of the women sends shivers of joy down my spine every time I hear it. This effect is replicated on "Carol of the Bells," which is generally guaranteed to make me tingly when I hear it. The percussive element in the vocals on the chorus "Christmas Pipes" makes that song stand out, as well.

"Silent Night" is a song destined to be translated and sung every spoken language. Meav sings it sweet and clear in both Gaelic and English.

The a cappella arrangement of "The Wexford Carol" is another spine tingling track from A Christmas Celebration. The blend and tone of the vocals are so perfect that at times it seems almost supernatural. When the last note is sung, one is left sighing in pleasure.

Then all hell breaks loose with the first crash of the cymbals on the jazzy arrangement of "Let It Snow!" that closes out the album. This is the only track that feels out of place, although it is understandable that the producers would want to emphasize that Celtic Woman has a broader range of styles than what one might think. However, it still feels wrong to me, and is likely to be regularly skipped on shuffle, or removed entirely from rotation, depending on the mood of the listener.

On the whole, A Christmas Celebration is a fine addition to the assortment of seasonal music. I highly recommend it to anyone who is weary of hearing tired pop/rock renditions of carols and is looking for something fresh yet reverent.

Winter Carols

by Blackmore’s Night

In the late 1990s, British rocker Ritchie Blackmore decided he wanted to create a Renaissance rock band. Along with his fiancée, vocalist and songwriter Candice Night, he recruited a band of talented musicians from around the world. The end result is the creatively named Blackmore's Night, and they have recently released their eighth album, Winter Carols.

The album is a mix of traditional Christmas hymns and carols, with a few other seasonal tunes thrown in. For example, the Hanukkah song "Ma-O-Tzur" makes an appearance, as well as the non-seasonal but still appropriate "Lord of the Dance/Simple Gifts." I think the instrumental "Winter (Basse Dance)" is a Blackmore's Night original, along with "Wish You Were Here" and "Christmas Eve."

"Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Come All Ye Faithful" opens the album with a fairly traditional orchestral production of the first tune and features Night's dulcet vocals. Blackmore comes in after the first verse and chorus with a classic rock electric guitar solo that leads into the second tune. The rendition of "Come All Ye Faithful" is given more of a classic rock treatment than "Hark," including plenty of keyboard flourishes and a driving rhythm.

"I Saw Three Ships" drops the classic rock element entirely and is presented in a Renaissance style. Following this is the "Winter (Basse Dance)" instrumental, which is performed on an acoustic guitar with a hint of orchestral strings and flute in the background. The next few songs are given much the same treatment, and it is not until the last few songs that the wailing of an electric guitar is heard again, and even then it's only there to add a bit of texture to "Wish You Were Here" and lead the song out.

I highly recommend adding Winter Carols to your Christmas music collection. It is a pleasant change from the cheesy grocery store checkout lane selections and mall muzak that consumers are subjected to every year, and it will fit in nicely with your more traditional Christmas albums. I know my copy is going into the five disc shuffle along side albums from Kim Robertson, Kathy Mattea, Amy Grant, Anonymous 4, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Pretty Little Stranger

by Joan Osborne

As one of the icons of the late 90's Lilith Fair cadre of female singer-songwriters, Joan Osborne came to national attention through her soulful vocals and contemplative lyrics. Pretty Little Stranger is her first album of original music in six years, and this time around she is exploring her roots with a collection of country songs.

Born and raised in a small town outside of Louisville, Kentucky, Osborne had not really explored country music until she moved to New York City for film school. While her songwriting in the past has drawn on country and soul music, she says it was far more challenging to focus on the direct simplicity of country and not get sidetracked by abstract imagery.

The album is a collection of original tunes, either written by Osborne alone or with co-writers, and classic songs written by renowned songwriters such as Jerry Garcia, and Roy Orbison. Osborne is able to pull them all together and build a cohesive album that retains an intimate connection with each song, whether they are her own or not.

Taken out of context, Pretty Little Stranger can be a bit of a shock to listeners who are expecting an album like 1995's Relish. The country emphasis of the album finally sinks in about half-way through with Osborne's interpretation of Kris Kristoferson's "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends." Dan Tyminski's vocals add just the right amount of high lonesome to the song.

On the whole, the album points in a different direction from Osborne's 1990s hits, but there are occasional hints of the style that set her apart from the flood of solo female vocalists of the time. For example, "Shake the Devil" is reminiscent of "St. Teresa" or "Pensacola," but the banjo skirting around the edges ties it back into the country/roots/Americana theme of the album.

Along with Tyminski, Pretty Little Stranger gets quite a bit of help from accomplished Americana musicians. Bluegrass chanteuse Alison Krauss provides a hint of backing vocals on "Holy Waters," and Vince Gill gives his vocal blessing to "Time Won't Tell." With Eddie Bayers on drums, Michael Rhodes on bass, and Steve Gibson on electric guitar, the core rhythm section of the album provides an appropriately balanced stage to showcase Osborne's vocals. Kudos to producer Steve Buckingham for making sure the background stays there and does not overwhelm the focus of each song.

There is not a single dud among the twelve tracks of this album, making it well worth the sticker price for Americana fans and others who appreciate good music of any genre.