Customer Reviews

Majesty & Wonder: An Instrumental Christmas

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album was a wonderful addition to my small collection of Christmas music. More than any other compilation of seasonal music, this set of musical endeavors coaxed me to sit down, listen and contemplate the meaning of Christmas.

While many may know Phil for his skillful guitar playing, the thing that stood out most for me with this album was the beautiful way in which the music was arranged and presented. In many of the works, I found myself floating among the various instrumental colors as they painted the canvas of the soul.

I would strongly recommend this album for anyone looking for something that will carry them beyond the commercialism that has infiltrated the season. If there is a cure of the sense of frantic, hectic rush that so often descends on each of us at the end of the year, this album is certainly a part of it.

I bought this album to see how Phil Keaggy would sound with an orchestra behind him. To say the least it is beautiful. He takes known christmas tunes and gives them new perspectives that are surprising and moving. The best thing I can say about this album is I listen to it when its not December.

What a nice surprise! Phil Keaggy comes through again. This is easily my favorite Christmas CD I've got. The arrangements are beautiful and really show a masterful touch. The guitar is wonderful of course--what else can we expect from the greatest guitar player in the world? The album definitely isn't centered around the guitar, although it plays a large part. The whole CD has a Celtic feel to it, actually. I guess that's not a surprise since Phil's Irish, after all. The arrangements of some of the moodier songs, such as Coventry Carol and O Come Emmanuel, are the most beautiful I've ever heard. I'm a writer, and poetry just keeps popping out of me while I'm listening to this CD. It really puts me in a nice holiday mood. Music that truly lets you feel the Spirit of Christmas.

Oh, BTW, this isn't "background music" at all. It really comes at you, moreso than most vocal music, in my opinion.

Highly, highly recommended. I'm here buying it for my aunt, in fact. (Hopefully she won't see this here!)

Another brilliant release from the guitar of Phil Keaggy. Hearing Phil's guitar in this orchestral setting is a real joy. The arrangements are very inventive and often quite suprising - especially the arrangements of "Silent Night" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?". Besides the more familiar carols, Phil contributes his own "For Hearth and Home" (with bell choir) and a suite of three songs "Nativity Suite" - "Flight to Egypt" is a real standout - similar to his work on "Master and Musician" and "The Wind and the Wheat". This is a must for Keaggy fans and stands alone as simply a great Christmas CD.

The only reason Phil Keaggy is not as common a name as Eddie Van Halen or Eric Clapton is because he chooses to write and record Christian music. The man combines amazing technical command of the instrument with sublime taste no matter what style he plays. This is an excellent Christmas album and mainly shows the fingerpicking side of Phil, although there are more than enough burning picked runs here to satisfy any guitarist. My favorite cuts are the majestic Do You Hear What I Hear? (my all-time favorite Christmas song), and the somber, jazzy arrangement of Silent Night. Rest assured, however, because every single cut here is truly excellent. An album you'll cherish year after year.

Got it, like it.
The Christmas songs chosen here may be more familiar to an American ear but are seasonal and plesant all the same. I am a guitarist myself so would have liked the guitar raised a bit in the largely orchestral mix but this is a Christmas album not a Keaggymas album. In spite of his talent Phil is mature enough to share the sound with other musisians and that is one reason we like him so.
Get it to play in the background to put you in the right mood as you cook the Turkey this Christmas.

If you've ever thought Keaggy's mastery of the guitar exceeded the usual music forms, this album will scratch that itch! The album is wonderfully arranged and is a delight to the ears. Like much classical music, I found this album best enjoyed with headphones to take it all in.

I've been trying for some time now to add Phil Keaggy's instrumental Christmas CD, Majesty & Wonder (An Instrumental Christmas) to my collection of traditional and slightly unusual Christmas music, for some time now. I've followed Keaggy since he first began recording with rock music trio Glass Harp in 1968, through his professional friendship with Paul McCartney of The Beatles, to his solo career after his conversion to Christianity in 1970. As with many, and maybe even most musicians, Keaggy's career has produced some tremendously high quality and innovative music (7 GMA Dove Awards; nominated for 2 Grammy Awards), as well as some average, and even disappointing music. His first solo album, "Your Love Broke Through," was listed as #64 in the 2001 book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian music.

That being said, Keaggy's Christmas album, Majesty & Wonder (An Instrumental Christmas) was very much worth the wait. This marvelous album of traditional and some less well known Christmas music was recorded with the London Festival Orchestra. The collaboration has truly created a wonderfully soothing and yet inspiring CD. As one of the other reviewers on Amazon.com stated, "This is no background music." It has all of the heart and soul Keaggy has put into his best albums and deserves the attention one would give to any outstanding musical arrangement.

Though I'm not a musician myself, I do appreciate quality music, and have been known to pull a few riffs on my own "air guitar" now and then. Keaggy's brilliant guitar work, backed by an outstanding orchestra, is simply a delight for the ears. Known for his outstanding finger-picking style on both acoustic and electric guitars (Even though he lost the tip of one of his fingers in a childhood accident), Keaggy adds a smooth,polished and a powerful performance to this album.

I will not review the individual tracks on Keaggy's CD. Primarily because, to some degree, the quality of an artist's music is in the ear of the listener. And I neither desire to tell the reader which tracks are excellent, average, or possibly below average, nor do I feel musically qualified to do so. I will leave that part to you to determine. If you can preview the CD, I think it is best done so with a good set of headphones to experience all of the intricate subtleties of each of the 13 selections. A number of stores provide listening centers to do just this.

I have enjoyed Keaggy's Majesty & Wonder immensely during the short period of time I have owned it. It has been an excellent addition to the other Christmas music my family and I have enjoyed this Christmas season. It should come as no surprise that Phil Keaggy's CD receives "Two Thumbs Up" and a "Five-Star" rating from this Reviewer. Definitely a must-have CD for Christmas!

Have not yet played the CD yet as it is a Christmas CD that I bought after Christmas; however I was very disappointed that I paid $14.99 for the CD and the CD came with a sticker on it for $6.99. I felt ripped off.

This is an amazing Christmas album. Nice mix of Phil's awesome guitar playing along with the London Festival Orchestra. Mostly traditional Christmas songs with a couple of nice originals from Phil. One incredible Christmas album.