Best of North Star: A Bowl of Merry

North Star Jazz Ensemble | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 15, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: North Star
• ASIN: B00005YAYR
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #713,349 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Est Ne le Divin Enfant

2. I Saw Three Ships/Deck the Halls

3. Angels We Have Heard on High

4. Joy to the World/Ding Dong Merrily on High

5. Silent Night

6. Good King Wenseslas

7. I'll Be Home for Christmas

8. Bring a Torch Jeannette Isabella

9. Jingle Bells

10. The First Noel

11. Here We Come a Wassailing

12. Jolly Old St. Nick

13. In Dolce Jubilo/The Holly and the Ivy

14. Auld Lang Syne

15. White Christmas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars from Solo Piano Publications, November 8, 2002

By 

Kathy Parsons (Florence, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Best of North Star: A Bowl of Merry (Audio CD)

"A Bowl of Merry" is light-hearted collection of holiday music from North Star Music's various instrumental artists. The instrumentation is diverse, and the styles range from Celtic to smooth jazz, with a lot of easy-listening in between. As always, pianist Robin Spielberg shines with "Jingle Bells" (with Luna Moon) and "Jolly Old St. Nick". Pianist David Tolk is joined by an ensemble on the opening "Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant" and "Angels We Have Heard On High" - both exceptionally nice arrangements. "Silent Night" is a guitar and cello piece (Chris Caswell and Friends) that is exquisite in its simple elegance and beauty. "The First Noel" is a jazzy, sax-driven ensemble piece. This song is usually played slower and more seriously, so this is an interesting approach. I also like the medley of "In Dulce Jubilo" and "The Holly and the Ivy" (Steve Schuch and the Night Heron Consort), which has a laid-back mood on the first song, and a lively dance-like tempo on the second. "A Bowl of Merry" is a very nice collection designed to accompany holiday festivities and gatherings. There aren't many surprises, but that's okay in a collection such as this.