Celtic Christmas [Windham Hill] (1995)

About this title: As one might expect, any Windham Hill collection of Christmas music expresses the peaceful, mellower side of the season. These are the same kind of instrumentals that play overhead creating pleasant background music as shoppers bustle to finish holiday gift buying. And while anything labeled "background music" may be seen as musical Milquetoast, it is nearly impossible to sip eggnog and talk to Uncle Dave and Aunt Suzie over a backdrop of Alvin & the Chipmunks. Selections by Luka Bloom, Solus, Loreena McKennitt, and others blend a number of Celtic new age styles into a seamless mix that flows ... read more

Tracks:

1. When the Snow Melts [McKennitt/Lampman]
2. Solus (Light) [NiDhomhnaill]
3. On a Cold Winter's Day/Christmas Eve [Traditional]
4. The Winter's End [Davey]
5. Ciara [Bloom]
6. Nollaig Ma Mban (Women's Christmas, 6th January) [Breatnach]
7. Third Carol for Christmas Day [Traditional]
8. Snow on High Ground [NiDhomhnaill]
9. Galacian Carol [Traditional]
10. Soillse Na Nollag (The Lights of Christmas) [Dhomhnaill/Maonaigh]
11. King Holly, King Oak [Cunningham]
12. Snow [McKennitt/Lampman]
13. We Follow a Star [Johnson/Dunning]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.