Track Listing

1. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Maddy Prior
2. Gloomy Winter - Bonnie Rideout
3. Christ Child's Lullaby - Sheena Wellington
4. Sou Gan - Steve Schuch
5. Oiche Mhaith Leibh/Good Night to You - �ine Minogue
6. Wexford Lullaby - Maighread N� Dhomnaill, John Renbourn
7. Drao�cht Na Ho�che [The Magic of the Night] - Dord�n
8. Cradle Song - Maddy Prior
9. Spered Hollvedel - The Revels
10. Misteriou Joaius - L'Ensemble Choral du Bout du Monde
11. Leanbh Ghil Mhilis [Bright Sweet Child] - Dord�n
12. Midwinter Waltz - The Boys of the Lough
13. I Saw a Maiden - Nowell Sing We Clear
14. Ditchling Carol - Waterson:Carthy
15. Personent Hodie/Cantus - Connie Dover
16. O Na Kaerra Burzud - L'Ensemble Choral du Bout du Monde
17. Silent Night - �ine Minogue

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #51675 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
On A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, Brian O'Donovan, the host of the Celtic Sojourn radio show, compiles a collection of songs that mixes the contemplative with more raucous fare, ancient melodies with modern, and the earthy with the ethereal. The musicians come from all corners of the Celtic world, and include the Breton choir Ensemble Choral du Bout du Monde, who blend medieval vocal harmonies with modern instruments such as the tin whistle and the guitar; Dordan, the masters of Irish baroque music; and the pan-Celtic band the Boys of the Lough. Also included are English performers Maddy Prior (the lead singer of Steeleye Span) and the family group Waterson:Carthy, who deliver a hearty version of the "The Ditchling Carol." The majority of the tracks feature vocals, but the instrumental selections--particularly fiddler Bonnie Rideout's haunting "Gloomy Winter" and the lovely "Midwinter Waltz" from the Boys of the Lough--do a beautiful job of wordlessly evoking the season. By passing over too-familiar Christmas songs in favor of less-well-known melodies, O'Donovan has come up with that rarest of all holiday treats--a gift that that both surprises and delights. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews

"Christmas Yuletide Traditional Folk & Contemporary Celtic"
Celtic music encompasses the folk music of Ireland and Scotland, featuring string instruments, fiddles and pipes...performed by some of today's recording artists known and unknown to many of us, but one thing is for sure...this album of beautiful Christmas songs and carols from the past hundred years, will be played around the Holiday Season with heartfelt joy.

Tracks include ~ "GLOOMY WINTER" (Bonnie Rideout), "WEXFORD LULLABY" (John Renbourn with Mairead Ni Dhomhnaill and the Voice Squad), "CRADLE SONG" (Maddy Prior), "A MIDWINTER WALTZ" (Boys of the Lough), "PERSONENT HODIE/CANTUS" (Connie Dover), and if the closing track of "SILENT NIGHT" (Aine Minogue), doesn't bring a tear to your eye, then you've missed the entire meaning of CHRISTMASTIDE!

Total Time: 67:07 on 17 Tracks ~ WGBH/Rounder 116-617-042-2 ~ (2001)

Love it over and over again
This is by far one of my favorite Christmas CDs, one of my favorite Celtic CDs, one of my favorite CDs period. I can listen to it for hours while driving through the farmlands in the US. It has a dreamy quality and my daughter day dreams out the window on our long cross country jaunts. If you enjoy the music in Rob Roy, Braveheart, or Lord of the Rings, you'll enjoy this. My favorite selections are #3 Christ's Child Lullaby, #4 Sou Gan, #9 Spered Hollvedel, and #12 A Midwinter Waltz.

A Christmas CD set apart from the rest
I purchased this CD because of some of the musicians listed on the CD and after listening to some of the excerpts. This is one CD that I have repeatedly listened to this Christmas season. Not only can it be listened to during the holiday season, but throughout the year. Much of the music is not the traditional Christmas music and has an earthy, folk sound to it. Every time I have played this with company here, someone has wanted a copy of it!! If you are looking for Christmas music that doesn't have the commercial sound to it, this is the CD for you!!