Our Review
Celtic Christmas picked up momentum as it went along. Early on, I was surprised and pleased to hear The Holly Bears A Berry, a song infrequently included on holiday recordings. Yes, Rose and Thistle Band pick up speed as they go, and they also grow on you, as I enjoyed this CD more on second listen. Between the Celtic multi-instrumentalism of Rob Barrick (bass, bagpipes, and more) and Eddie Parente (various strings, whistles, and brass) and the authentically Celtic vocal stylings of Elizabeth Nicholson, this is Renaissance music through and through. I particularly enjoyed Ms. Nicholson's vocal performance on The Wexford Carol and (my favorite on the recording) New Years Day/New Christmas/Christmas Carousing, the closing medley.
While this offering will be of particular interest to Celtic fans, its accessible authenticity makes it an easy call to recommend this for general audiences as well.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2008)
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From the liner notes:
Elizabeth Nicholson - Harp, Guitar, Vocals
Rob Barrick - Bass, Bagpipes, Percussion, Bells
Eddie Parente - Violin, Viola, Guitar, Citern, Piano, Whistles, Cornet, Vocals
Recorded at BarBarrick Studios, Portland OR
Rob Barrick: engineer
Layout: Ken Larson
Rose and Thistle Band
Celtic Christmas
Artist link
Label: BarBarrick Music
Length: 42 minutes
Genre: Celtic
Release: 2008
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Christ Child Lullaby |
| The Holly Bears A Berry |
| O Come O Come Emmanuel |
| The Wexford Carol |
| The Cherry Tree Carol |
| Bring A Torch Jeanette, Isabella |
| Christmas Day In The Morning/Christmas Eve |
| Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence/The Strayaway Child |
| What Child Is This |
| New Years Day/New Christmas/Christmas Carousing |