Sounds of the Season

Maggie Sansone | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 5, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Maggie's Music
• ASIN: B000003JLD
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,738 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #40 in Music > Indie Music > New Age > Celtic
  • #60 in Music > Indie Music > New Age > International
  • #93 in Music > Indie Music > Folk > International Folk

Editorial Reviews

CD REVIEW

"Goes perfectly with the mood of Christmaswell worth looking for!"

Maggie's Music: they've pioneered what they call "chamber folk", a mix of constrasting styles and instruments that works beautifully together."

Product Description

Timeless carols are reborn with a Celtic spirit in chamber folk arrangements performed on hammered dulcimer with Celtic harp, recorders, cittern, violin, mandolin, guitar, concertina, viola da gamba and hand drums. Contains 20 additional bonus tracks of Celtic music from the tape Hammer Dulcimer Traditions.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Appropriate Title, October 4, 2003

By 

Ken Roberts "social historian" (Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sounds of the Season (Audio CD)

Unfortunately, many people - especially those who are employed in the record stores - would probably consider this 'New Age' or E/Z Listening Christmas music. That's because most of those record store people do not know their musical history. Nor do they probably care to as long as they have the so called holiday music of Mariah Carey and the like to dilute their senses.
This collection by Ms. Sansone is just one in a long line of Old World style Christmas Music (see my other reviews for more of this type of music) that is pretty much only available at Amazon. It's a great introduction to this type of instrumental Christmas music for those who want to get their feet wet, mainly because many of the wonderful well-known tunes are here: Deck The Halls, Joy To The World, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, etc. But it's the not-so-well-known tunes that really jump out at you, such as Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance, Wexford Carol, Gower Wassail, and Baloo Lammy. After a few listens you'll begin to recognize and anticipate these lesser known songs every bit as much as the popular ones. By the end of the Season you'll be scouring Amazon for more of this style of music - it becomes an addiction. Just ask anyone who collects it! Next thing you know you'll be playing it for your friends, who of course, will want copies of THEIR own. Then you realize something: you've been spending your Holiday Season listening almost exclusively to this Old World Christmas Music and you're not sick of it! And you don't even miss Santa Claus Is Coming To Town or Feliz Navidad or so many of the other over-played carols! Because you now have fresh Christmas music to give you the spirit.
A fine collection to brighten the Holidays.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My all-time favorite Christmas music., December 14, 2001

By 

N. S. McCauley (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sounds of the Season (Audio CD)

Hammered dulcimer lends a magical, peaceful quality to the holiday spirit in the air. Throw on the Christmas tree lights, mull some cider and kick up your heels (either in a jig or on an ottoman!)to these uplifting, instrumental versions of traditional carols. Mixed in are wonderful medleys of melodies that round out the cast of regulars perfectly: #9 ("Il Est Ne/Jeannette Isabella) brightens my mood every time I hear it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love the sound of hammered dulicimers..., December 4, 1999

By 

Wendy (Port St. Lucie, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sounds of the Season (Audio CD)

The sounds of the season truly come alive with this most beautiful album (as well as the successor album, Sounds of the Season II). The hammered dulcimer and celtic harp are prominent in the instrumental arrangements and are wonderful to listen to; I've been in love with hammered dulcimers ever since I bought this album.