The Very Best of Celtic Christmas (2004)

About this title: Culled from Windham Hill's five best-selling Celtic Christmas collections, this 19-track Best Of features atmospheric yuletide classics and originals from some of contemporary Celtic music's most celebrated performers. Highlights include Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill and Donal Lunny's lush "Third Carol for a Christmas Day," Altan's "Soillse Na Nollag (The Lights of Christmas)" and former Silly Wizard fiddler Johnny Cunningham's "King Holly, King Oak." These are reverently performed and arranged tunes that despite their occasional nose-dive into new age, factory-preset keyboard-land, manage to ... read more

Tracks:

1. The Wexford Carol [Traditional]
2. Cornphíopa Ciorcalach [Breatnach]
3. On a Cold Winter's Day/Christmas Eve [Traditional]
4. Third Carol for Christmas Day [Traditional]
5. Circle of Joy [Lynne/Barton]
6. Sìor-Uaine (Evergreen) [Cunningham]
7. Lully Lullay [Traditional]
8. Galician Carol [Traditional]
9. King Holly, King Oak [Cunningham]
10. A Raven in the Snow [Dunning/Johnson]
11. Soillse Na Nollag (The Lights of Christmas) [Ní Mhaonaigh/Ó Maon]
12. I'll Rock You to Rest [Traditional]
13. Sails of Galway [Walden]
14. On a Winter's Day [Casey]
15. Ga Gréine (Dart of Light) [Fitzpatrick]
16. The Dove's Return [Minogue/Meyers]
17. Angels in the Snow [Arkenstone]
18. An Droichead (The Bridge) [OFlynn/McGlynn/Coon]
19. Flow Gently Sweet Afton [Traditional]

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