Help: Christmas Album

Subject: Christmas Fok Album
From: GUEST,Elizabeth
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 07:41 AM

I am looking for good Christmas folk albums. Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From:
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 08:15 AM

How about "A Christmas Tail" by His Worship and the Pig? A series of songs that has Santa getting fed up with it all and heading south to Benidorm and Mary Christmas (his wife) running off with the man from Toys R Us. Available from www.hisworshipandthepig.co.uk .

Scott (no connection with the band, just enjoy their stuff)

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Allan C.
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 08:34 AM

I fell in love with Pint & Dale's "When I See Winter Return" CD. I think it contains a fine cross section of songs and tunes of the season.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: GUEST,Steve Latimer
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 10:47 AM

It might be a bit of a stretch, but my favourite Christmas is Willie Nelson's Pretty Paper.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 11:32 AM

Three that I really enjoy are A Scottish Christmas with Bonnie Rideout, Maggie Sansone, and Al Petteway; Christmas Celtic which believe it or not is REALLY good and I picked it up at one of those kiosks at a discount store where you can push a button and listen to a snippet before you buy; also, Yuletide Guitars put out by NorthSound.

Our own Caroline and Sandy Paton have a wonderful one, 'Twas On a Night Like This A CHRISTMAS LEGACY, which you can sample at Folk Legacy.

Also, there are a couple of Christmas CDs at Green Linnet's LISTEN site where you can listen to the whole CD before buying. I highly recommend the one by Noëls Celtiques from Brittany.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 12:06 PM

Cindy Mangsen, Anne Hills, and Priscilla Herdman have done some wonderful stuff for the holiday season - their "On This Day Earth Shall Ring" is a beautiful collection of traditional carols, and I really like their "Voices of Winter," which has a wider variety fo winter songs. I haven't heard their "Turning of the Year," but I sure wish somebody would give it to me for Christmas...
Loreena McKennitt has two Christmas/winter albums that are hauntingly beautiful, To Drive the Cold Winter Away, and a 5-song CD called A Winter Garden. Heck, even her Website is hauntingly beautiful.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: GUEST,Sledge
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 12:14 PM

The various offering from Maddy Prior and the Carnival band are always well worth a look. My own favorite is carols and capers.

Sledge

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: GUEST,jaze
Date: 14 Dec 01 - 12:23 PM

On the mellow side, John Fahey has two beautiful acoustic guitar Christmas lps. They are worth looking for.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: John P
Date: 15 Dec 01 - 11:15 AM

My band Telynor has a Christmas album called "Off the Beaten Track". You can hear some sound samples on the web site. It's old traditional carols from England, France, Appalachia, along with some medieval stuff. Citterns, hurdy-gurdy, lap dulcimer, fiddle, etc. There's an order form on the web site, or you can get it from CD Baby.

John Peekstok

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Dec 01 - 11:19 AM

Having just heard John's band on the radio, yesterday, I can highly recommend their CD, he mentions. I just ordered it and canna wait. CD Baby says they ship within 24 hours. Great stuff, John!

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 15 Dec 01 - 11:23 AM

You shouldn't overlook John Roberts and Tony Barrand's series of seasonal recordings - Nowell Sing We Clear. There are four volumes listed on the Folk-Legacy website. That's at www.folklegacy.com.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 03 Dec 06 - 03:34 PM

Refreshing for another year...

This closed (why?) thread, BS: What's your favorite Xmas album/CD? Why? has more suggestions, although not exclusively folk.

In addition to adding my support for

Nowell Sing We Clear's series of albums (available through Golden Hind Music or Folk Legacy)

and "Kentucky Christmas Old and New" from the Jean Ritchie family and friends (Greenhays Recordings, GR70717),

I don't see any mention of these that are also in my collection (with an obvious American & English bias):

"American Folk Songs for Christmas," a 2-cd set with songs from the famous Ruth Crawford Seeger book of the same name, performed by Mike, Peggy, and Penny Seeger and members of their families (including Ewan MacColl). It's Rounder Records CD 0268/0269, 1989

"Sing Christmas and the Turn of the Year, the live Christmas Day 1957 broadcast on BBC Radio," put out by Rounder as part of the Alan Lomax Collection, in the Concert and Radio Series in 2000 (Rounder CD1850)

Finest Kind's "Feasts & Spirits, A Christmas Entertainment," intersperses songs with exerpts from Dickens's "A Christmas Carol", read by John D. Huston (Fallen Angle FAM 07)

John Kirkpatrick & Folkwork's "Wassail! A Traditional Celebration of and English Midwinter" is lots of fun - traditionally-based folk with a great contemporary energy. It's Fellside FECD125 from , although I don't find it on their web site. Googling produces lots of sources for a purchase, though.

The New Scorpion Band's Christmas album is "The Carnal and the Crane." A lovely 19th century village feel. (NSB Records)

The Watersons "Frost and Fire, A Calendar of Ritual and Magical Songs", though not strictly Christmas, is a classic. Topic made a CD from the LPs "Frost and Fire" and "Sound, Sound Your Instruments of Joy". (Topic TSCD136)

Also not strictly Christmas is Fellside's has compilation "Seasons, Ceremonies & Rituals, the Calendar in Traditional Song" with various artists (FTSR5)

And, folk (?) in an "early music" interpretation includes Early Music New York's "A Colonial Christmas", with tunes from The Dancing Master, and songs from the Southern Harmony. Ex cathedra Records 70070-29006-2. (Of course, if you go the "not too early" music route, there's plenty more to be found.)

---

In composing the above, I came upon "Songs of Christmas from the Alan Lomax Collection", from Rounder (CDROUN1719, 1998).

The latest issue of EDS (EFDSS's mag) reviewed a couple that looked interesting:

Waterson:Carthy, with The Devil's Interval, "Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man" from Topic (TSCD562), and

John Kirkpatrick, "Carolling & Crumpets" from Fledg'ling Records (FLED3060).


~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Dec 06 - 07:16 PM

Seamus Kennedy has a Christmas album too.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Scrump
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 04:50 AM

I second Becky's recommendation of John Kirkpatrick's latest "Carolling & Crumpets". I rarely buy Christmas records, but I had to buy this as soon as I heard him sing some of the tracks. IMO it's worth buying for the title track alone - I just had to have it!

And there's a great recipe for Christmas pud in one of the songs, too! :-)

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Splott Man
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 07:08 AM

For Christmas gospel: The Blind Boys of Alabama's Christmas CD is wonderful.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 07:14 AM

The new Waterson/Carthy album 'Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man' has some perfectly wonderful stuff on it, I was listening to it on Saturday - regretably I couldn't afford it so if anyone out there wants to buy me a present....?! (You have to try don't you!)

The Coope, Boyes and Simpson latest effort 'Voices at the Door' is also bloody great - they're at Hitchin folk club in 2 weeks time...

I did discover a great one on a 'parnd' stall - £1.99 for 'A Box and Banjo at Christmas' - old favourites played on a banjo and concertina... great for putting on 'shuffle' and scaring your guests!

LTS

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:23 AM

Having listened to both JK's Carolling and Crumpets and W:C's Holy Heathens, I heartily recommend them both.

I also always enjoy Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band's Carols and Capers, and The Scorp's Carnal and the Crane.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Arkie
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 08:23 AM

I second the Paton's & Para's "Twas On A Night Like This"   My favorite Christmas recording, but also really like "Nowell Sing We Clear" and a bunch of others already mentioned.

Can also recommend Mudcatter, Phil Cooper's group Bittersweet Christmas Band's "Dance In The Dark of the Year" and The Christmas Revels recordings.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: GUEST,Wayne
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 01:01 PM

Magpie Lane's wonderful Wassail album on Beautiful Jo is a joy. Their Christmas shows are legendary in Oxford and they've got a new seasonal cd coming out this month.

Jethro Tull's Christmas album is their best for years and Dan Fogelberg's A Christmas Morning is also superb.

Looking forward to Free Reed's Midwinter box set.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 05:02 PM

I was just about to recommend Magpie Lane's Christmas record. They appear to have a new one on the way as well.
Here is a link or two with stuff to listen to:-

The Band on their own web site
A couple of sound clips
On Myspace.


Liz - £1.99 for 'A Box and Banjo at Christmas'. Can I have a listen some time?

Quack!
Geoff the Duck.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 04 Dec 06 - 09:27 PM

Unless my quick scan missed it, nobody's mentioned Bruce Cockburn's 1993 album, simply called "Christmas". It's a good 'un.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Cluin
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 02:53 AM

Yep, Cockburn's album was a ogood one, but my favorite Christmas album is still Robin Williamson's Winter's Turning.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: breezy
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 09:10 AM

Bah humbug

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: ranger1
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 09:22 AM

Two of my favorites are:
Angels We Have Heard by Julia Lane (available through CD Baby)
Home For the Holidays by Schooner Fare

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Wesley S
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 11:13 AM

The Waverly Consort has a nice one out - sorry I don't remember the name.

I'd like to find one by a good brass quintet.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: oldhippie
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 09:37 PM

"Christmas In Fallujah" - Jonathan Pepper
lyrics at americanfallout.com

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: black walnut
Date: 05 Dec 06 - 10:18 PM

David Francey (www.davidfrancey.com) just came out with a new Christmas CD. Simple - just him a pianist friend. I haven't heard it yet but I'm going to get it at the next concert of his I get to.

~b.w.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 09:33 AM

If you want some traditional diddly diddly Christmas music, I've just unearthed a Boys of the Lough CD 'The Day Dawn' which is a collection of traditional music and makes a great change from all those interminable Kings Kollege Kambridge things.

Add to this 'The Bells of Dublin' by the Chieftans and you'll have a fantastic selection of both religious and secular music that doesn't leave that nasty saccharin taste in the mouth.

LTS

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: JedMarum
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 10:16 AM

Seamus Kennedy's Christmas album is my very favorite of all. I have a few favorites, but Seamus's stays in my Disc changer for th entire season.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Ref
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 01:50 PM

In addition to many already noted, The First Gift of Christmas by Robin and Linda Williams, also the Chieftains and many guests on The Bells Of Dublin.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 06 Dec 06 - 02:04 PM

Dave Gunning Christmas

Just released this month. Have a listen to some of the track clips.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Hrothgar
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 03:50 AM

I am surprised that "Noel" by Joan Baez has not received a jersey here. After all, it's less than half a century old.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: robd
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 01:07 PM

Artisan's -- Bygone Christmas and Paper Angels (w/ Big Red, a Santa Claus version of Riders in the Sky)

Golden Bough's -- Winter's Dance (w/ Det Va Den Heilage Jolekvell, an incredible Norwegian Christmas song)

... and my personal favorite, though I have no idea if it is available anywhere now, is

Horslips' -- Drive the Cold Winter Away (w/ a Christmas song in Manx! How cool is that? Ny Kirree Fo Niaghtey , it translates, The Sheep Beneath the Snow)

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Kajikit
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:40 PM

My favourite going-to-sleep music for December is an album called 'Old Fashioned Christmas'... it's got Appalacian dulcimer on it and it's very soothing. I actually found the album on Amazon - Old Fashioned Christmas

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: GUEST,Kenbrock
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 08:47 PM

I recomend the just-released APPLES OF WINTER by The Itinerant Band, from Southeastern Virginia. The first time thru, I listened to it four times:

http://www.itinerantband.com/albums.html

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: moongoddess
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 12:11 AM

How about "A New England Christmastide" one and two by various Rhode Island musicians, like former members of "Wickford Express" and of course Jon Campbell. Truly terrific music.

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Margret RoadKnight
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 09:44 PM

"Black Nativity" featuring Marion Williams & Alex Bradford now available on CD
(African American Xmas spirituals & gospel songs from the Langston Hughes '60s Broadway & West End show)

Subject: RE: Help: Christmas Album
From: Ron Davies
Date: 08 Dec 06 - 10:09 PM

May not be strictly folk--lots of familiar carols- and some unfamiliar----but just   wonderful warm atmosphere----2 CDs by Sylvia Woods: 3 Harps for Christmas (2 volumes). Harps are nylon-strung, metal strung and triple-strung.