Comfort & Joy: A Christmas Celtic Sojourn
Traditional Celtic music has a peculiar way of turning the simplest musical phrase or familiar carol into a timeless reverie. At 17-tracks deep,Comfort and Joyis indeed a joy and a comfort. There's a distinctive dramatic sweep in many of these pieces, especially inCherish The Ladies' elegiac medley of "The Distressed Soldier/Angels We Have Heard on High,"Maddy Priorwith The Carnival Band's "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and theWatersons' stirring and powerful "Shepherd's Arise." Among the traditional Irish, Scottish, and French Celtic favorites (Group Vocal Jef Le Penven's "Noelenn Brehed" is a discovery!) are Robbie O'Connell, harpistAine Minogue, andDordan. O'Connell's own "Three Kings" is a smart seasonal sing-along, whileBoys of the Lough's splendid vocal realization of "The Wexford Carol" will stay with you for days. Lovely instrumental pieces such as Minogue's "Horn Dance" and her original "Christmas Capers," plus other delights like Cherish The Ladies' pop-styled arrangement of "The Little Drummer Boy" make this yet another treasure of fine Celtic Christmas music. --Martin Keller