A Christmas Celtic Sojourn
OnA Christmas Celtic Sojourn, Brian O'Donovan, the host of the  Celtic Sojourn radio show, compiles a collection of songs that mixes the  contemplative with more raucous fare, ancient melodies with modern, and the  earthy with the ethereal. The musicians come from all corners of the Celtic  world, and include the Breton choir Ensemble Choral du Bout du Monde, who blend  medieval vocal harmonies with modern instruments such as the tin whistle and the  guitar; Dordan, the masters of Irish baroque music; and the pan-Celtic band the  Boys of the Lough. Also included are English performers Maddy Prior (the lead  singer of Steeleye Span) and the family group Waterson:Carthy, who deliver a  hearty version of the "The Ditchling Carol." The majority of the tracks feature  vocals, but the instrumental selections--particularly fiddler Bonnie Rideout's  haunting "Gloomy Winter" and the lovely "Midwinter Waltz" from the Boys of the  Lough--do a beautiful job of wordlessly evoking the season. By passing over  too-familiar Christmas songs in favor of less-well-known melodies, O'Donovan has  come up with that rarest of all holiday treats--a gift that that both surprises  and delights.--Michael Simmons