Track Listing

1. Greensleeves - Steve Erquiaga
2. When Earth's Last Picture Is Painted - Richard Schönerz
3. Gathering - Tracy Silverman, Thea Suits-Silverman
4. Silver Swans - Paul McCandless
5. Shades of White - Jim Brickman
6. Col Partir la Bella Clori - Steve Erquiaga, Joan Jeanrenaud
7. Moon Lake - W.G. Snuffy Walden
8. Come, All Ye Shepherds - Barbara Higbie
9. Beneath the Trees - Philip Aaberg, Will Ackerman
10. Down in Yon Forest - Brian Dunning, Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning
11. Maiden Chant - Liz Story
12. When Comes December - Tim Story
13. Queen's Prayer - Ozzie Kotani

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4613 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.com
Since the Windham Hill imprint's Winter Solstice series was born in 1985, the concept has gone through some changes, bottoming out with 1999's abysmally kitschy Winter Solstice on Ice. With this Silver Anniversary Edition, Dawn Atkinson, who produced the first Winter Solstice disc, has gone back to her original concept of nontraditional seasonal music and novel arrangements of Christmas classics. She's also brought in some old standbys, soliciting works from Paul McCandless, Barbara Higbie, Will Ackerman, Philip Aaberg, and Liz Story.

Much of this new Winter Solstice turns on classical themes. Ex-Kronos Quartet cellist Joan Jeanrenaud teams with guitarist Steve Erquiaga on an airy Handel piece, and McCandless adapts Orlando Gibbons's "The Silver Swan." Others explore traditional carols, including Erquiaga's double-guitar filigree on "Greensleeves." As with past titles in this series, the best compositions are usually the originals.

Keyboardist Tim Story, a Winter Solstice stalwart, unfolds another gorgeously melodic ambient chamber piece called "What Comes December." Tracy Silverman and Thea Suits turn in a wistful duet for electric violin and flute, and TV composer W.G. Snuffy Walden goes soft focus on "Moon Lake." While "Beneath the Trees," by Ackerman and Aaberg, seems born in the snow-covered trees of Ackerman's Vermont home, Hawaiian Ozzie Kotani's "Queen's Prayer" seems to have nothing to do with the season. Yet, it somehow fits the mood. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Beautiful Music for Any Season of the Year
When is a Christmas album NOT a Christmas album? When it's a Windham Hill "Winter Solstice" album. For their silver anniversary edition, Windham hill put together a collection of all new recordings. These are all instrumental and mostly original compositions. The only song you'll recognize with overtly holiday overtones is the opening track, the traditional "Greensleeves," whose tune was used for the hymn "What Child Is This."

These songs all have a haunting beauty to them and are very soothing and peaceful--the perfect kind of background music for the holiday season or any other time of the year.

Among my favorite tracks are the collaboration between William Ackerman and Philip Aaberg on "Beneath the Trees" and multi-instrumentalist Barbara Higbie's "Come All Ye Shepherds" where she alternates on hammered dulcimer, violin, piano and Celtic harp.

Overall, this is 52 minutes and 48 seconds of pure bliss. Enjoy. RECOMMENDED

Bravo Windham Hill!!
The Silver Anniversary Edition of "A Winter's Solstice" is grounded in the very roots of Windham Hill. The series was origionally started as an instrumental alternative to traditional Christmas music, with a focus more on the concept of the winter solstice. That's exactly what you get on this eighth recording of the series. Featuring different compostions from the origional (1985) "A Winter's Soltice," you will not be disappointed! Whether you're a long time fan of the series or just exploring some new music, this cd is full of beautiful instrumentals - i.e. solo piano, guitar, violin, cello, flute, oboe, harp, English horn, synthesizers and percussions. Some of my favorite songs - Shades of White by Jim Brickman, Handel's Col Partie la Bella Clori by Joan Jeanrenaud & Steve Erquiaga, Greensleeves by Steve Eruiaga, Moon Lake by W. G. Snuffy Walden, Beaneth the Trees by Will Ackerman & Philip Aaberg, and Down in Yon Forest by Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning.

Is it Christmas music? Yes. Music for anytime, any season? Yes. Play it all year round! Really the only Christmas song, per say, is Greensleeves which was adapted to What Child Is This. I have most of the Winter Solstice cd's, but this is one of my favorites out of the entire series. Bravo to Windham Hill and Happy Anniversary! It's a perfect companion on cold, snowy winter days, especially since it is a celebration of winter itself. As I write this, it is snowing here. I am listening to this very cd and enjoying a cuppa hot tea. I am celebrating the beauty of winter God has blessed us with. Buy it. Pop it in your cd player and bask in the beauty of "A Winter's Solstice - Silver Anniversary Edition."

A Christmas Gift from Windham Hill
I am listening to this CD on my computer as I write this review. It's getting to the point that you know that Christmas can't be far off when the new "A Winter's Solistice" CD shows up in the stores. Windham Hill has scored again with a beautiful collection of music appropriate to the season. The Winter's Solistice series is most untypical Christmas music. If your tastes run to the ultra traditional, like Perry Como, Bing Crosby or children's choirs, this might not be for you. But if you just got home from a vigorous day of Christmas shopping, tired, frazzled and footsore, make yourself a cup of hot cocoa, slip this baby into the CD player, kick back and let the bliss flow over you like a warm bath! It's the cure to the commonplace Christmas!