A Christmas Celebration



One of the more impressive things about A Christmas Celebration is its glowing immediacy. The record's rich vocals and colorful instrumentals create a concert-like setting, reprising the season's most loved hymns, carols, and pop standards, along with a Gaelic version of "That Night in Bethlehem." Unexpected numbers such as "Christmas Pipes" and "Carol of the Bells" (here led by the spirited fiddling of Mariread Nesbitt) only enhance an already engaging disc that finely weaves between the piety of classical music and the playfulness of pop. Chloe Agnew, Orla Fallon, Lisa Kelly, and Meav Ni Mhaolchatha combine their Celtic voices against orchestral arrangements and sparser settings--spiked with the traditional Irish fare of uilleann pipes, harp, and ancient choral harmony--to deliver an assortment of reverent but lively arrangements that wouldn't be out of place at a church, concert hall, or good Irish celli. --Martin Keller

Irish producer/arranger David Downes, the creative mastermind behind Celtic Woman's chart breakthrough and burgeoning international success, here conjures up an inviting holiday showcase for his neo-superstar crossover quartet. He pushes the group's crowd-pleasing formula into more expansive arrangements with the Irish Film Orchestra, supplemented by a strong core of featured instrumentalists, including Downes himself. If the ethnic folk influences that gave the group its name are sometimes less pronounced, the result is a collection whose dignified, pop elegance often transcends national boundaries. The vocal performances are expectedly polished, with the quintet breaking off into smaller units and solo showcases such as Lisa Kelly's Broadway-lullaby take on "The Christmas Song," a neo-classical "Panis Angelicus" by Chloe Agnew, and the muscular orchestral/choral setting for Mariead Nesbitt's earthy fiddle on "Carol of the Bells." The quintet (backed only by Nesbitt's spare strings) harmonize richly on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and bring their trademark neo-Celtic charms more fully to bear on intimate translations of "Silent Night" and "The Wexford Carol" as well as a glorious take on the Gaelic traditional "That Night in Bethlehem." Perhaps to remind fans of their true range, the swinging, big-band bonus track "Let It Snow" closes the collection with upbeat flair. --Jerry McCul