A Windham Hill Christmas

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 22, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00006JO4S
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,432 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #13 in Music > Christian > Instrumental

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Holiday Gem: Windham Hill Has Done it Again!, November 2, 2002

By 

E. M. Holderman (Perryville, Kentucky USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Windham Hill Christmas (Audio CD)

Sometimes, you find a cd that speaks to your heart in such a way, that you want everyone to know about it. "A Windham Hill Christmas" is such a cd. Through the years, Windham Hill has provided a peaceful alternative to most traditional-like Christmas music. This is no exception! With this latest Holiday recording (just released this October), various Windham Hill artists have compiled new instrumental arrangements of traditional carols, just for this cd. With a remarkable lineup of talented musicians...George Winston(solo piano), Liz Story(solo piano), Will Ackerman(baritone guitar), David Cullen(guitar), W.G. Snuffy Walden(guitar), Tracy Silverman(violin, electric 6-string violin & keyboards), Thea Suits(flute), Jim Brickman(piano), Steve Erquiaga(nylon-string guitar), Barbara Higbie(Celtic harp, violin, piano & synthesizer), Tim Story(piano & synthesizers), Paul Schwartz(piano), Nightnoise(guitar, piano, flute & violin), Alex de Grassi (solo guitar), Jeff Johnson (keyboards), Brian Dunning(whistles & accordian), John Fitzpatrick(violin) and Paul McCandless(oboe, English horn & keyboards)...how can you go wrong?!? If I had to describe the tone of this recording, it would be: Beautifully Serene! My favorite song is W.G. Snuffy Walden's arrangement of "The First Noel." It is very poignant and moves me tears. It is my favorite Christmas carol. The only flaw, per say, is an error in the sequence of songs. The cd cover list's song #5 as "Chirstmas Is Coming," by George Winston, and song #6 as "The First Noel," by W.G. Snuffy Walden. The actual sequence on the cd is just the opposite, with Walden's song being #5 and Winston's #6. Hey, believe me, it's no biggie. Just a slight mixup. It has no bearing on the quality of the music.

If you're a long time Windham Hill fan, chances are you already have this cd, or are getting ready to purchase it. If this is your first introduction to Windham Hill, you've come to the right place. This will be one of the most peaceful Christmas cd's you could ever own. Makes for wonderful background music while you're wrapping gifts, addressing Christmas cards, or hosting a Holiday get-together. It's especially nice to "cozy up with" by yourself, over a hot cuppa tea or cocoa :-) It sure would make for a nice gift, too. You may also want to check out "The Carol's of Christmas," another instrumental Holiday recording from The Windham Hill Collection, and another favorite of mine.

I predict "A Windham Hill Christmas" will be one of this Season's bigget sellers and become another Windham Hill
"classic." IT IS THAT BEAUTIFUL!! Do yourself a favor and buy it.
Merry Christmas!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Continuation of the Windham Hill Tradition, December 15, 2002

By 

David M. Garrett (San Antonio, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Windham Hill Christmas (Audio CD)

A Windham Hill Christmas is a delightful, calming presentation of seasonal favorites -- perfect for a quiet, cozy eve before the fire. The new or veteran WH listener will find a nice collection of the labels best artists - Brickman, de Grassi, ACkerman (guitar), Winston (piano), Nightnoise (instrumental/vocal) -- as well as the lesser known who lend variety and depth to this collection. A Windham Hill Christmas is a pleasant continuation of the atmosphere created in the label's Winter Solstice and December albums and calming contrast to the pop, rock and new age, electronically synthesized tones for a more hectic pace.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic new release, November 23, 2002

By 

R. Shumskis "highlandbob" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Windham Hill Christmas (Audio CD)

This is my first Windham Hill CD, but I have listened to at least one of their artists (J. Brickman) previously. Every year I shop for new Christmas CDs in November, and this one came out in October, so it's good timing.

For the most part the songs are smooth, mellow, and very relaxing, taking a pretty traditional approach to the songs. The only exceptions are the "Sussex Carol", which is somewhat fast, and "Christmas is Coming", by Vince Guaraldi, which is quite fast.

As one fellow reviewer noted, tracks 5 and 6 are switched from the liner track listing. When I first listened to [the supposed] "First Noel" I thought, "What kind of version is this?!" until I listened to the other track and realized the mix-up.

If you want an easy-listening night by the fire this is a wonderful accompaniment. It should enjoy a long life in my Christmas CD collection.