The Spirit of Christmas

A more conventional look at the holiday season.

Traditional carols fused with Celtic favorites.  

See also "To Warm the Winter's Night" album.

Away In A Manger/Southwind 3:45

Calon Lan 2:58

Praises of Christmas 3:35

I Saw Three Ships/Philih An Cheoil 3:27

Greensleeves (The Olde Year Now Away is Fled) 3:16

Ding Dong Merrily On High/St. Anne's Reel 2:28

O Come All Ye Faithful/Nut Brown Maiden 4:17

Noel Nouvelet 2:47

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring/Jigs 4:16

Silent Night 3:06

Lo, How A Rose 'Ere Blooming/My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose 3:17

Christmas Capers 3:40

Auld Lang Syne 3:31

Calon Lan - Reprise 2:58

Áine Minogue: vocals, Irish harp, percussion, descant
Seamus Connolly: fiddle
Tim Archibald: bass
Johnny Cunningham: fiddles
Sheldon Mirowitz: guitars
Randy Roos: soundscape
Alasdair Halliday: harmony vocals
John Arimond: harmony vocals
Joannie Madden: whistle
Billy Novick: clarinet
Claudio Regazzi: guitars
Gerry Leeke: percussion, tabla
Divine DruidStone Dancers: Tim Archibald, Johnny Cunningham, Matt Hennessey, Áine Minogue, Mark Wessel
Lindsay O'Donovan: piano
Abby Newton: cello
Brian P. Meyers: bodhran
Matthew Sean Glazer: fiddles

HOLIDAY READING LIST

Berg, Elizabeth. Family Traditions, Celebrations for the Holidays and Everyday. Pleasantville, N.Y., Reader's Digest, 1994.

Charlton, Jim and Robbins, Maria. A Christmas Companion: Recipes, Traditions and Customs from Around the World. New York: Perigee Books, 1989.

Child, F. J. English and Scottish Ballads. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1904

Count, Earl W. 4000 Years of Christmas. New York: Henry Schuman, 1948.

Del Re, Gerard & Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1979.

Flynn, Tom. The Trouble with Christmas. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1993.

Hadfield, John, ed. The Christmas Companion. New York: E. P. Dutton & Company, 1941.

Hole, Christina. Christmas and Its Customs. New York: M. Barrows and Company, 1958.

Hottes, Alfred Carl. 1001 Christmas Facts and Fancies. New York: A.T. De La Mare Company, 1954.

McKibben, Bill. Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a Joyful Christmas. Simon & Schuster, 1998.

Robinson, Jo and Coppock Staeheli, Jean. Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season. Quill, 1991.

Santino, Jack. All Around the Year, Holidays and Celebrations in American Life. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1995.

St. James, Elaine. Simplify Your Christmas : 100 Ways to Reduce the Stress and Recapture the Joy of the Holidays. Andrews & McMeel, 1998.

Van Renterghem, Tony. When Santa Was a Shaman: The Ancient Origins of Santa Claus & the Christmas Tree. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995.

Noel Nouvelet

Noel nouvelet, Noel chantons ici,
Devotes gens, crions a Dieu merci!

Refrain:

Chantons Noel pour le Roi nouvelet, Noel!
Chantons Noel pour le Roi nouvelet,
Noel nouvelet, Noel chantons ici!

L'Ange disait! pasteurs partez d'ici!
En Bethleem trouverez l'agnelet.

Refrain

En Bethleem, etant tous reunis,
Trouverent l'enfant, Joseph, Marie aussi.

Refrain

Biento, les Rois, par l'etoile eclaircis,
A Bethleem vinrent un matinee.

Refrain

ENGLISH TRANSLATIONn
Breton Carol; Noel Nouvelet

Christmas comes anew, O let us sing Noel!
Glory to God! Now let your praises swell!

Refrain:

Sing we Noel for Christ, the new-born King, Noel!
Sing we Noel for Christ, the new-born King.
Christmas comes anew, O, let us sing Noel!

Angels did say, "O shepherds, come and see,
Born in Bethlehem, a blessed Lamb for thee."

Refrain

In the manger bed, the shepherds found the Child;
Joseph was there, and Morther Mary mild.

Refrain

Soon came the kings from following the star,
Bearing costly gifts from Eastern lands afar.

Refrain

I Saw Three Ships/Philib An Cheoil

Poirtín Sheáin a tSíoda
As rince Philib a'Cheoil
Déansa domhsa rince
Is seinnfidh mise an ceol

Refrain

Ó sé bhean nach deas í
Ó sé bhean nach seoigh
Ó sé bhean nach deas í
Rince Philib a'Cheoil

Poirtín Sheáin a tSíoda
As rince Philib a'Cheoil
Sin mar bhí go dú seo
'S amhlaidh bhéas go deo

Refrain

Poirtín Sheáin a tSíoda
As rince Philib a'Cheoil
Greas do choróin phíoba
Meidhreach agus go beo

Refrain

Poirtín Sheáin a tSíoda
As rince Philib a'Cheoil
Aoibhinn linn an rince
An siamsa agus an ceol.

TRANSLATION/SUMMARYy

A simple dance tune with a simple message - every man to his own instrument. I'll play my pipes and you can dance.

O come All Ye Faithful/Nut Brown Maiden

Refrain

Ho ro, mo nigh'n donn bhoidheach,
Hi ri, mo nigh'n donn bhoidhech
Mo chaileag laghach, bhoidheach,
Cha phos mi ach tu

A Pheigi dhonn nam bla h-shul
Gur trom a thug mi gradh dhuit
Tha d'iomhaigh ghaoil a's d'ailleachd
A ghna h tigh'n fo m'uidh

Refrain

Ach 'n uair a thig an Samradh
Bheir mise sgriob do 'n ghleann ud
'S gun tog mi leam do 'n Ghaildachd
Gu h-annsail am flur

Refrain

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Nut Brown Medley

Refrain:

Ho ro my nut-brown maiden,
Hee ree my nut-brown maiden,
Ho ro ro maiden,
For she's the maid for me.

Her eye so mildly beaming,
Her look so frank and free,
In waking or in dreaming,
Is evermore with me.

And since from thee I parted,
A long and weary while,
I wander heavy hearted
With longing for thy smile.

And when the blossoms laden,
Bright summer comes again,
I'll fetch my nut-brown maiden
Down from the bonnie glen

AULD LANG SYNE

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And days of o’ Lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my Jo
For auld lang syne
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet
(we’ll take a cup of kindness yet)
For auld lang syne

And there’s a hand, my trustly fiere
(my trusted friend)
And gie’s a hand o’thine
(and give me your hand)
And we’ll tak a right gid-willie Waugh
(and we’ll take a drop)
For auld land syne

CELTIC BEAT 
by Art Ketchum 
This is probably the Celtic Christmas CD of this year. Áine Minogue has assembled the best and the brightest in Celtic Music and other genres withhere and brought forth a gem. 

My favorites are Áine's "Calon Lan" done not with the sharp drama of the Cor Meibion, but in a gorgeous, haunting rendition, which just as strongly conveys this austere powerful piece. And "Praises of Christmas("Drive the Cold Winter Away")," where Billy Novick on clarinet and Áine make a great combination . 

Two of the best cuts on this album are are #4 "I saw Three Ships"/"Philig An Cheoil," where even at it's most conservative John Whelan's accordion rocks. Combined with Áine's singing and Joanie Madden's whistle this is teriffic. On cut #6 "Ding Dong Merrily On High"/"St. Anne's Reel," Áine also has a winning combination, where she gets together those two pre-eminent Celtic fiddlers (Seamus Connolly and Johnny Cunningham-did we mention Áine must have great managerial skills too!) for a fine and unusual performance. I have always liked John's rendition of "St. Anne's Reel." 

The Breton "Noel Nouvelet" with the subtle drumming of Gerry Leeke is another great piece here, as is Áine's singing with the accompaniment of John Whelan,Johnny Cunningham, and Joanie Madden in "O Come All Ye Faithful"/"Nut Brown Maiden." One particular I love about this album is it's very capable and brilliant combination of works totally unrelated to each other. 

Throughout this CD Sheldon Mirowitz on guitar does great work. One case in point being the combination of "Lo, how a Rose' Ere Blooming"/"My Love is Like a Red Red Rose." where he combines with Johnny Cunningham's fiddle, Abby Newton's cello, and Áine's harp for a beautfiul instrumental. 

Áine's singing of the old-new version of "Auld Lang Syne" is also great and it serves a nice combination at the end with the reprise of "Calon Lan." 

The jacket of this CD reads "When bona fide Celtic stars collaborate with the brightest lights of the new Acoustic scene, it's a cause for celebration." That's not hype or spin, no brag, just fact! -AK