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Cynthia Lynn Douglass is a Celtic harper, and her Angelic Noël will put heaven at your door. Her playing is magnificent, and her music demands your attention. Some instrumental harp albums weave soft, sleepy webs of background fluff; Angelic Noël has a higher energy level with glorious sounds that are bright and precise.

Douglass presents 16 tracks on this ample release (almost an hour of music!). The opening number is Douglass' own "Around the Tree," a pleasing romp of small children around the tree complete with cool percussion accents. The remaining pieces are largely ancient carols, including many wonderful favorites, including the always lovely "Lo, How a Rose Is Blooming" and "Carol of the Bells." The playing is consistently crisp and alive, with gorgeous phrasing throughout.

Angelic Noël is a wonderful new age Celtic treat. Let Douglass bring some heavenly delight into your home this holiday season!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the liner notes:

Cynthia Lynn Douglass: Celtic harper
Harp used: 36-string maple-wood Thormahlen
Steve Briglevich: percussionist

My warmest wishes for a beautiful Christmas celebration for all my listerners; may the spirit of Jesus' life fill your souls to the core and rekindle your desire to live in peace, love and harmony.

Producer: Cynthia Lynn Douglass

From the Web site:

Raised in the Middle East, I retreated from my turbulent surroundings through music. After twenty years of classical training on violin, clarinet and renaissance recorders, I feel my most important musical lesson (from my grandfather) was learning to play "from the heart." The Celtic harp is my favorite instrument because of the rich harmonies it creates, the musical way it links the divine and the earthly realms, and the serenity and peace it brings to many of my listeners.

While I studied for a brief time at Oberlin Conservatory, music became a hobby for me while pursuing other interesting subjects in college. I completed my undergraduate studies at Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, with degrees in International Economics and Arabic Studies. Due to an unfortunate accident while at Oberlin College, I was forced to give up the clarinet, and took up the renaissance recorders during my later college years. While performing on recorders years later, I stumbled upon the Celtic harp and at last found my calling. While I am predominately self-taught, I considered Kim Robertson to be my mentor until I developed my own style.

Cynthia Lynn Douglass

Angelic Noël: Christmas Favorites for Solo Harp

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Track List