Celtic Christmas IV

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
With contributions from Uillean piper Liam O'Flynn, Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, former Skara Brea singer Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, harpist Patrick Cassidy, and country singer Ricky Skaggs, the fourth in Windham Hill's Celtic Christmas sampler series is a varied and somewhat austere collection of winter ballads and yuletide airs. Guitarist William Coulter turns in a lovely arrangement of J. Scott Skinner's "Cradle Song," while harp and mandolin player Lisa Lynne, backed with bouzouki and double-bass, performs the two-beat "Morning Star." W.G. Snuffy Walden's lyrical "St. Stephen's Green," with added guitar by Dean Parks, sums up the album's moody yuletide sentiment. A Christmas to reflect and relax. --James Rotondi

Celtic Christmas IV, Music, Various Artists, Adult Alternative, Ambient, Bluegrass, Bluegrass-Gospel, CCM, Celtic Folk, Celtic Fusion, Christmas, Christmas / Chanukkah, Christmas Music, Contemporary Celtic, Contemporary Instrumental, Ireland, Irish Folk, New Acoustic, New Traditionalist, Orchestral, Pop, Progressive Bluegrass, Progressive Country, TV Soundtracks, Traditional Bluegrass, Traditional Celtic, Traditional Irish Folk, Traditional Scottish Folk, Worldbeat, Xmas Vocal Collections

Celtic Christmas IV
Average customer rating:

Scaggs is fine, get over it!

Soul-lifting, but not your average Christmas album

Down with "Kitty" and "Ricky"!

Skagged!

My wedding music

Celtic Christmas IV
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Windham Hill Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Celtic Christmas: A Windham Hill Sampler

A Celtic Christmas: Peace on Earth

Celtic Christmas (Silver Anniversary Edt)

ASIN: B000007O8B
Release Date: 1998-08-11

An Droichead (The Bridge) - Liam O'Flynn
Sior-Uaine (Evergreen) - Phil Cunningham
Derdriu - Maire Breathnach
Airdi Cuan - Triona Ni Dhomhnaill
Sweeney's Buttermilk - Paddy Glackin
Cradle Song - William Coulter
Morning Star - Lisa Lynne
Ar Droim Na Gaothe - John Fitzpatrick
Whiter Than Snow - Nightnoise
St. Stephen's Green - W.G. Snuffy Walden
December Rain - Brian Dunning
Kitty Magennis - Patrick Cassidy
Christmas Time's A Comin' - Ricky Scaggs

Amazon.com

With contributions from Uillean piper Liam O'Flynn, Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, former Skara Brea singer Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill, harpist Patrick Cassidy, and country singer Ricky Skaggs, the fourth in Windham Hill's Celtic Christmas sampler series is a varied and somewhat austere collection of winter ballads and yuletide airs. Guitarist William Coulter turns in a lovely arrangement of J. Scott Skinner's "Cradle Song," while harp and mandolin player Lisa Lynne, backed with bouzouki and double-bass, performs the two-beat "Morning Star." W.G. Snuffy Walden's lyrical "St. Stephen's Green," with added guitar by Dean Parks, sums up the album's moody yuletide sentiment. A Christmas to reflect and relax. --James Rotondi

Customer Reviews:

Scaggs is fine, get over it!.......2006-12-12

Vol 4 is great and covers the DIVERSITY of celtic tunes. There's an obvious link to these tunes and the last track and, admittedly Windham Hills didn't do it as gracefully as the majority of folks would wish but plz folks, get over it. I enjoy reading the feedback of others because I generally learn much - I agree and thank the reviewer who pointed out 'Derdriu' - great piece of music. Glad I got 'Light of the Stable' (by Emmylou Harris) in the same shipment with this one; perfect bookend piece.

If anyone out there hasn't heard Vol I, II and III you really should but you might OD on traisping through the highlands, that's why I like Ricky.

Soul-lifting, but not your average Christmas album.......2005-12-18

This is Nightnoise at its best, although but one track bears the group's name. However it has nothing to do with standard Yuletide albums- if by that you mean the umpteenth rendition of "God Rest Ye" or "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing".

It is pervaded by a Northern Christmas atmosphere that is unmistakeable, and brings to mind the snow-covered flatlands kindled with the small distant lights that go with the image.

(Although to a Mediterranean Roman Catholic as myself, it is quite obvious that Jesus Christ was born on a cool but definitely not snow-ridden night in Palestine)

I totally disagree with previous reviews on the last two tracks. "Kitty Magennis" is a tune by Turlough O'Carolan that has nothing to do with Christmas but in this setting by Patrick Cassidy acquires a certain spirit that makes it fit for the context. And "Christmas Time's A-Comin'" is a beautifully humorous contrast with the rest of the album.

Thoroughly enjoyable, in our family it is one of the two pillars of our Christmas season, together with another album which I highly recommend: Tuck Andress's "Hymns, Carols and Songs about Snow".

Down with "Kitty" and "Ricky"!.......2005-12-12

I am in accord with most of the previous reviewers in that I also feel that "Kitty Magennis" and "Christmas Time's a' Comin'"
are the "wild cards" popping out of the pack and do NOT belong on this CD! I greatly enjoy Maire Breatnach's "Derdriu," which is almost Appalachian-sounding in my opinion. My favorite cut is the poignant "December Rain" by Brian Dunning and Jeff Johnson.

Skagged!.......2002-09-13

I greatly enjoyed this CD except for the last two cuts, "Kitty Magennis" and "Christmas Time's A'Comin'."
"Kitty Magennis" seemed too bland and didn't have anything to recommend it. The presence of the Ricky Skaggs song felt like an attempt to make the CD more "Christmassy." Its inclusion in the collection felt like an afterthought or a "throwaway" cut.

My wedding music.......2001-03-05

I, like so may others, picked this CD up at Christmas time 3 years ago. I love it so much, that I am using it for my wedding ceremony to be held outside in July if that tells you anything. PS- All brides looking for Celtic renditions of "Here Comes the Bride", forget it... it is not out there!

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