Product Description

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Track Listing

1. O Holy Night
2. Away in a Manger
3. Ding Dong Merrily on High
4. White Christmas
5. Silent Night
6. Christmas Pipes
7. Christmas Song
8. Carol of the Bells
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
10. Panis Angelicus
11. Don Oíche Úd I mBeithil (That Night in Bethlehem)
12. O Come All Ye Faithful
13. Little Drummer Boy
14. Wexford Carol
15. Let It Snow!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #250 in Music
• Brand: Celtic
• Released on: 2006-10-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
One of the more impressive things about A Christmas Celebration is its glowing immediacy. The record's rich vocals and colorful instrumentals create a concert-like setting, reprising the season's most loved hymns, carols, and pop standards, along with a Gaelic version of "That Night in Bethlehem." Unexpected numbers such as "Christmas Pipes" and "Carol of the Bells" (here led by the spirited fiddling of Mariread Nesbitt) only enhance an already engaging disc that finely weaves between the piety of classical music and the playfulness of pop. Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, and Meav Ni Mhaolchatha combine their Celtic voices against orchestral arrangements and sparser settings--spiked with the traditional Irish fare of uilleann pipes, harp, and ancient choral harmony--to deliver an assortment of reverent but lively arrangements that wouldn't be out of place at a church, concert hall, or good Irish celli. --Martin Keller

Amazon.com
Irish producer/arranger David Downes, the creative mastermind behind Celtic Woman's chart breakthrough and burgeoning international success, here conjures up an inviting holiday showcase for his neo-superstar crossover quartet. He pushes the group's crowd-pleasing formula into more expansive arrangements with the Irish Film Orchestra, supplemented by a strong core of featured instrumentalists, including Downes himself. If the ethnic folk influences that gave the group its name are sometimes less pronounced, the result is a collection whose dignified, pop elegance often transcends national boundaries. The vocal performances are expectedly polished, with the quintet breaking off into smaller units and solo showcases such as Lisa Kelly's Broadway-lullaby take on "The Christmas Song," a neo-classical "Panis Angelicus" by Chloe Agnew, and the muscular orchestral/choral setting for Mariead Nesbitt's earthy fiddle on "Carol of the Bells." The quintet (backed only by Nesbitt's spare strings) harmonize richly on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and bring their trademark neo-Celtic charms more fully to bear on intimate translations of "Silent Night" and "The Wexford Carol" as well as a glorious take on the Gaelic traditional "That Night in Bethlehem." Perhaps to remind fans of their true range, the swinging, big-band bonus track "Let It Snow" closes the collection with upbeat flair. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Sure To Be A Holiday Favorite
Thanks to Public Broadcasting, the musical quintet CELTIC WOMAN has quite a fan base. It's easy to see why. They are pleasing performers who perform beautiful music together. They have their own sound which has a broad appeal. This makes the group natural candidates for a Christmas collection that will be loved not just by fans but anyone who loves holiday music. This collection does not disappoint.

Most of the tracks in this collection are traditional Christmas titles both religious to the secular. The temptation of many performers is to just sing some Christmas songs and hope for the best. CELTIC WOMAN does the opposite. There is a true ensemble approach to the music and we never get a sense of competition or jealousy. The carols are performed with reverence and the contemporary songs are pleasant. The authentic Celtic music and selections from the British Isles are perhaps the strongest in the collection. There is a distinct Celtic sound where appropriate including the beautiful violin (fiddle) playing of group member Mairead Nesbitt, but numbers where a Celtic flair would be out of place are performed traditionally with wonderful arrangements. The selections are varied, so it should be enjoyed by just about anyone who loves holiday music.

My guess is that fans of CELTIC WOMAN will not need a review to convince them to purchase this CD. For those who may not be familiar with this ensemble, if you're looking for a varied Christmas CD with beautiful music and wonderful arrangements that will both entertain and sooth, then CELTIC WOMAN: A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION fits the bill. I'm sure it will be a popular holiday release this year and in many years to come.

Love It!
I have over 40 Christmas CDs and around a dozen Christmas cassettes (remember those?), and every year, I buy a few more to add to my collection.

I was in the store debating on which Christmas CD to get, and I kept going back to Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration. I saw a TV advertisement for it, but I wasn't all that familiar with this group of women.

I finally decided to buy it, and I'm very glad I did! We've been in the throes of the "holiday season" since before Thanksgiving (my son and I are such kids!), and I find myself reaching for this Christmas CD more than any other! In fact, I just got done listening to it as I was typing up some reviews.

It's a very calming CD, but not saccharine or forced. The singing is at times lilting and playful, but not obnoxiously operatic in the least. There's a subtle Irish flavor to the music, but it's NOT like listening to a Riverdance soundtrack.

Carol of the Bells is one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs and, to tell you the truth, seeing that it was on this CD cinched my purchase. Lovely soft violin and ethereal choral singing that swell to a rousing (but, again, not obnoxious) culmination--beautiful! This is testament to GREAT sound mixing, not just wonderful performances by the ladies. (I use to run/mix sound for recording, so I have an hear for that kind of thing. Some mixes have one instrument too loud and insistent or perhaps the voices are overpowering--not this CD. Everything is a perfect mix.) Other songs, like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, are vocally driven, with beautiful harmonies that don't sound sappy or artificial like some CD's out there.

I can't see how anyone would be disappointed with this lovely CD. I enjoy hearing traditional favorites, as well as holiday songs unfamiliar to me. I play it while reading, relaxing, cooking, writing--well, you get the picture!

Let Christmas Come Early This Year
This is by far one of the most enchanting and magical Christmas CDs I've listened to in a long time! If you were impressed with Celtic Woman, I promise that this CD will not disappoint! Every track is most worthy of its own private review. The vocals are stunning, Mairead's violin performances are magical, and the accompanying instruments are so beautiful that I guarantee that you will be carried away to another time and place.

The CD itself is filled with traditional carols (O Holy Night, Silent Night, Ding Dong Merrily on High, Carol of the Bells, O Come All Ye Faithful), contemporary carols (White Christmas, The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy, Let it Snow) and a couple of carols I was not familiar with (Christmas Pipes, Panis Angelicus, Don Oiche Ud I Mbeithil and the Wexford Carol).

Christmas Pipes is a fun, more energetic song that brings to mind gatherings with friends, kissing under the mistletoe and sharing hot cocoa. Panis Angelicus is a gentle, soothing song, while Don Oiche Ud I Mbeithil (That Night in Bethlehem) is so tender and contemplative that it brought tears to my eyes. The Wexford Carol brings to mind carolers in Victorian England.

Both the traditional carols and the more contemporary carols are so beautifully done that I can't imagine that anyone could ever do a more beautiful version.

I would have to say I love the entire CD, and find that I want to listen to the whole thing over and over rather than skipping from song to song. I would highly recommend "Celtic Woman A Christmas Celebration" to anyone wishing to make this season more magical and inspired for themselves and their loved ones.