Customer Reviews

All On A Wintry Night: A Judy Collins Christmas

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All in all, a superior holiday collection. Judy's lovely voice and beautiful arrangements add to the intelligent choice of tunes, including some Collins compositions and the wonderful, seldom-heard Cherry Tree Carol. This collection was previously released in the mid-90s, minus a couple of the songs, as Come Rejoice: A Judy Collins Christmas. With the new tunes added (including a duet with Tyne Daly) it makes for a nice debut for Judy's own record label. There are a couple of vocal flaws on this one but the album's beauty overwhelms any problems. Also reccomended: Judy's other recent holiday CD and video, Christmas at the Biltmore Estate.

I would have to agree, to an extent, with the first customer reviewer who posted a review on this CD back in 2000. Caveat emptor: this Christmas CD is essentially a modified re-release of the 1994 album COME REJOICE. Completists may feel the need to own both, but many who have the earlier recording may feel cheated if they order this without first checking the playlist or reading reviews.

I own both but felt I could justify that buying decision in that my copy of COME REJOICE is a cassette. The difference in format made all the difference. I'm glad that I did, the new tracks are lovely additions, although I miss some of the songs left out on the new revised version. (Where's "The Little Road to Bethlehem"?) Still the beautiful duet on "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" with actress Tyne Daly (who knew?) alone could almost justify a re-purchase.

And of course, there's Judy's new classic "The Blizzard." which while not quite a holiday song, is certainly "wintry" enough to merit inclusion here. Along with the somber "Christmas In Sarajevo," which Judy wrote for the '94 release, incorporating quotes from children who actually lived through the horror of that war, this Collins composition adds a certain depth to this release, one often lacking in holiday albums. It's very unlikely, for instance, that either of these tracks will be make the holiday playlists of most commercial radio stations.

I notice that at least one reviewer has commented the difficulty Judy seems to have hitting some of the high notes on this CD. It is true that there are moments that her once near perfect soprano seems to falter, something that happens to nearly all singers as they age, but for the most part it's remarkable how pure and crystalline her voice still is at this point in her career. Probably the best description I've ever heard to describe the quality of Judy Collins' vocals in her prime was that they were "silvery." Precisely. And there's still plenty of silver there today. "Cherry Tree Carol," "Silent Night," and the aformentioned "Blizzard" and "Christmas in Sarajevo" serve as proof that her vocals still shimmer.

This is a perfectly lovely Xmas CD, and if you are fond of Judy Collins, by all means, purchase it. However, I am rather annoyed that it is largly a rehash of her 1994 "Come Rejoice -- A Judy Collins Chrsitmas" CD. Only a couple of songs are different... and I was all excited when my Amazon alert for Judy collins appeared in my mailbox!

This collection of Judy's Christmas music (a modified version of her 1994 album) includes a few obvious choices - I'll be home for Christmas, Away in a manger, Joy to the world, Let it snow and Silent night - but also includes many less obvious somgs, some very obscure.

Good King Wenceslas does not appear on too many American Christmas albums, leading me to believe that it is more popular in Europe. Rarer still in America is In the bleak midwinter, one of the most beautiful carols ever written, linking the seasonal weather with the spiritual and religious aspects of Christmas. The original 1994 album did not include this song.

The other new songs not on the 1994 album are The blizzard (a song Judy wrote) and The Wexford Carol - a traditional song that isn't heard very often these days. The cherry tree carol is another lovely song that is heard all too rarely these days.

Judy wrote two other songs here - the uplifting Come rejoice! and the more reflective Song for Sarejevo, written at a time of great troubles in the former Yugoslavia.

This is a lovely Christmas album, to be played in quieter moments or on a car journey.

as I was strawling from my lake side log cabin on a clear spring morning to the car through a small wood, with my ghetto blaster hanging from my shoulder, I pushed the play buttton of the thing and clear crisp sounds of
christmas filled the air with breath taking touch wich anyone within the
hearing distance was welcome to enjoy...

I purchased 'Come Rejoice!' several years ago. I am buying 'All On A Wintry Night' for one reason only: "The Blizzard." I have seen Judy sing this beautiful song in concert a few times. When searching for the recording I found that she recorded it on two albums that are no longer in production. I searched multiple websites and i-tunes. Went on Amazon to purchase her new CD 'Paradise' and just decided on a whim to look at all of the albums available, most of which I have. I was surprised to find another Christmas album I had not known about and absolutely ecstatic see 'The Blizzard' recording! Merry Christmas to me!

Although this is a "re-release" of Judy's "Come Rejoice," there are a few added tracks. Especially nice is the duet on "In the Bleak MidWinter" with Tyne Daly. I was a little surprised at first but then remembered that they both worked on the mid 1990s series CHRISTY. Daly, who also won a Tony as Rose in GYPSY, certainly knows how to sell a song. This is a wonderful album with great arrangements of traditional carols interspersed with original songs by Judy Collins.

I know that many folks think this is simply a "re-hash" of Judy's first holiday release, "Come Rejoice", but, there are 2 reasons why you should purchase this one over the original.

The first reason is for the new additions to the original line up of song selections and the inclusion of the duet w/ Tyne Daly.
The second is that this is a release from Judy's OWN New Label, Wildflower Records, and will directly benefit her, the continuance of her music and any new artists she might sign to the label.

Other than that, I think both this release and "Come Rejoice" are fine examples of Judy's Voice and talent and a wonderful addition to any Christmas Collection and will find a 'regular' slot in rotation on anyone's CD player during the holiday season.

Judy Collins offers up here an absolutely exquisite musical ornament for the holidays. The "Song for Sarajevo" is perhaps the most stirring song in this collection, a holiday story sung from the view point of a young child in a war torn country during the winter season. With war as an "evil bird" all around, when the child closes her eyes, she dreams of peace, of flowers on a hill, of her mother's smile. The song "In the Bleak Mid Winter" sung in the style of a traditional English ballad ushers in a breath taking frosty winter mood, simple and humbly performed. Finally near the end is a wonderful story, "The Blizzard", to encourage all those broken hearted and crushed ones in this season. A light shines in the window "after the storm".

It's true, from your other reviews, that this may be similar to Judy's '94 Christmas Album, I don't know. But when I happened upon this gem years ago, I found it to be the most hauntingly beautiful Christmas music that I've ever heard. Since then, I continue to buy it for others every holiday season. It doesn't get much better than this for meditating on the miracle of Christ.