Celtic Christmas, Vol. 3

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Bright pennywhistles, lonesome fiddles, mysterious flutes, strumming guitars, the brushed and pounding bodhran sounding like a horse at gallop over snowy roads, and female voices so clear and focused they might be angels calling out through the ether of time. All these elements combine to shape Celtic Christmas III. Among the more sterling tracks are David Agnew and David Downes's "Wexford Carol" and the original compositions by Lisa Lynne ("Circle of Joy," "Home") and Brian Dunning and Jeff Johnson (the vivid "A Raven in the Snow"). --Martin Keller

Tracks:

The Wexford Carol - David Downes
Angels In The Snow - David Arkenstone
Lully Lullay - Nightnoise
Circle Of Joy - Lisa Lynne
Sails Of Galway - Snuffy Walden
The South Wind - Paddy Glackin/Michael O'Domhnaill
A Raven In The Snow - Brian Dunning
The Snows - Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill
Home - Lisa Lynne
Black Is The Colour - James McNally
Coinnle An Linbh Iosa - Seamus Begley
Lament - Patrick Cassidy

Amazon.com

Bright pennywhistles, lonesome fiddles, mysterious flutes, strumming guitars, the brushed and pounding bodhran sounding like a horse at gallop over snowy roads, and female voices so clear and focused they might be angels calling out through the ether of time. All these elements combine to shape Celtic Christmas III. Among the more sterling tracks are David Agnew and David Downes's "Wexford Carol" and the original compositions by Lisa Lynne ("Circle of Joy," "Home") and Brian Dunning and Jeff Johnson (the vivid "A Raven in the Snow"). --Martin Keller

Customer Reviews:

A favorite at Christmas or at any time of the year.......2005-12-19

I never tire of this music. Favorite tracks are the haunting "Lament" and "Sails of Galway". I played this CD for a Muslim coworker who was enchanted and wanted to introduce this music to her children.

Like opening a package full of fascinating little gifts!.......2003-05-25

This remains one of my favorite compilation albums of any genre, despite the fact that it isn't very Christmas-sy in tone or content (at least not in a traditional sense), and really doesn't seem all that Celtic either. Actually, I would consider this more of a Wintery album, with primarily New-Agey and neo-Celtic selections that are gently minor, reflecting the stark beauty of a cold snowy day or, in contrast, the warmth of home and hearth. It is that combination of moods that is most compelling here. Some of the tracks are sweet and soothing, others moody, but all are beautiful and all are moving. Particularly intriguing are the compositions by whistle player James McNally ("Black is the Color"), flute and keyboard duo Brian Dunning and Jeff Johnson ("A Raven in the Snow"), harpist Lisa Lynne ("Circle of Joy" & "Home"), guitarist Snuffy Walden ("Sails of Galway") and multi-instrumentalist David Arkenstone ("Angels in the Snow"). Don't buy "Celtic Christmas 3" if you're looking for yet another batch of tired interpretations of stock Christmas Carols. There are plenty of those out there already. But DO buy it if you like mellow, high-quality compositions that will sooth your soul and transport you to a place of peace, grace, and more than a touch of mystery--rather like the beautiful, haunting ruins of Tintern Abbey that seem to grace the album cover. Sounds like a perfect Christmas present to me! If you enjoy the tone set by "Celtic Christmas 3", you may also like another interesting Windham Hill compilation CD, "The Renaissance Album".

Beautiful Music, Holiday or Otherwise.......2000-09-29

While equally beautiful and broader in its approach than simply presenting holiday songs in a Celtic style, this particular collection does present two distinctly Christmas songs: The Wexford Carol and Lully Lullay. As such this CD is somewhat more specifically holiday oriented. However, one should certainly not be put off by that. The two carols, as well as the other 10 selections, are most beautifully performed, and the light, lilting quality of the music is most enjoyable.

Great!.......2000-03-02

This cd is a favorite of mine. I love it so much, because I can listen to a song in spring and I can see flowers blomming and then when I listen to it at Christmas, I see trees lights and snow. My favorite song is "A Raven in the Snow", but they're all great. I recemend this with a smile, for all times of the year!

My favorite Christmas music!.......1998-12-08

I love this cd! All the music is beautiful, and I never tire of hearing it. I have given this as a gift to friends, and they love it, too! You can listen to this one over and over!

Music:

Music

Music