Customer Reviews

Winter in Scotland: A Highland Christmas

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nothing matches the feeling you get from holding a cup of Hot Cider in hand, sitting by a warm fire on a Cold Winter's Night and listening to beautiful renditions of Christmas Songs you've known since you can remember...

Steven McDonald brings his passion for the Scottish Highlands, in blissful pipes & drums, to such classic Christmas carols as "Angels We Have Heard On High," "The Little Drummer Boy," and "O Come All Ye Faithful." His voice blends perfectly harmonious with Holly Smith's soulful, soothing vocals.

Sixteen-year-old Holly Smith is an absolutely wonderful discovery - her smooth and lovely voice with its ageless depth, can indeed only be a gift from Heaven! My favorite songs from this collection are her solo of "O Holy Night" and a duet with McDonald of "Silent Night." These songs conjure exquisite feelings of peace, tranquility, and glowing warmth.

My only reason for giving this CD 4 stars instead of 5 is a personal one, and therefore may or may not be an actual criticism of the album itself. I felt that two of the songs didn't quite belong here: "Amazing Grace," which, although a wonderful song, didn't quite fit in so well with this particular collection of holiday music, and "Happy Christmas," which, though beautifully rendered seemed too modern to flow very eloquently with the otherwise timeless Christmas classics.

Yet, all wrapped up, I hold this album dear to my heart. I listen to it often, and it warms my Spirit to the Season.

I really like the music of Steve McDonald and was very happy when I was able to get some Christmas music from him. I really liked the beat and I liked Holly Smith's singing in the C.D. I recommend this product to anyone that like's Celtic music. In fact I'm giving this C.D. to several people for Christmas. It was awesome. The music had a good fun feeling to it and also kept it's promise of being as good as all of Steve McDonald's other C.D.'s. I really like his style.

Steve McDonald certainly has a beautiful way of singing Christmas music. He has a clean and touching voice. I really love this CD and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone! Buy it ... You'll get your moneys worth! By the way, Hollie Smith's rendition of "O Holy Night" is absolutely touching and beautiful as well.

Steve McDonald's work is wonderful, whether he's doing traditional ballads or original pieces. But this... this is a pretty generic christmas album that happens to have Steve McDonald (and Holly Smith, who I'm not a huge fan of) singing on it. With a title like "a Highland Christmas," I was expecting to hear some stuff that I haven't heard a million times before, or at least a little pipe and drum. I certainly wasn't expecting to hear a pretty mediocre cover of a John Lennon song, which sort of stuck out badly.

It's a pretty album, and if you have to have generic christmas carols everyone will reliably know playing in the background, it's better than a lot of other ones... but it's not something I'd go out of my way to listen to, even during the proper season.

I could actually listen to this all year lomg. Beautiful blending of voices and instruments!

We have most of Steve MacDonald.
Like them all.

I love Scotch/Irish music and Steven McDonald's in paticular. Not glitzy -a nice mix of tempo and mood. The man can do no wrong in my book. I'm happy to add it to my Christmas music collection.

What a refreshingly different Christmas Holiday edition!!! I had reservations about purchasing another Holiday CD - but these selections (some familiar and some new) are really done in a great Celtic manner!!!

If you like the Celtic sound, you will love this CD.

I have owned this CD for several years. I find myself singing along constantly, especially in the car, on several tracks. The originality of the arrangements of some classic pieces makes you really listen and appreciate them all over again. Auld Lang Syne is one of those, as is Silent Night, with a haunting descant. "It's Christmastime" is a new song for me and it rings in my head all through December. This is one of my favorite Christmas CD's and I gave several as early gifts this year. Both friends feel the same way as I do about this little known treasure. You won't go wrong in purchasing it.

THIS CD HAS SUCH A CHRISTMAS FEELING TO IT. IT HAS JUST ENOUGH CELTIC BACKGROUND INSTRUMENTS TO BRING THE INCREDIBLE VOICES OF STEVE MACDONALD AND HOLLIE SMITH TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE ALBUM. STEVE'S ORIGINAL SONG "CHRISTMAS TIME AGAIN" WILL BE A CLASSIC WITH MY FAMILY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE HOLLIE'S INCREDIBLE VERSION OF "O HOLY NIGHT" AND JOHN LENNON'S "HAPPY CHRISTMAS". TO CLOSE OUT THE CD IS THE BEST VERSION OF "AULD LANG SYNE" I HAVE EVER HEARD. BUY IT YOU WON'T BE SORRY.

I just reviewed "A Highland Christmas" by Eric Rigler, and saw this and hoped it would be what I expected of the other one; so I screened it. It's the same schlock as the other one. That keyboard is really cheesey and permeates the CD. I have heard that the old Scotland is all but dead, but when I see the pipers at Bethlehem Pennsylvania's Celtic Festival, it is hard to believe. But this music tells me to call the coroner. Some-one please produce a Christmas CD with either solo piper, or pipe and drum corps. Throw in indigenous instruments as needed, and lose that keyboard. You may have to get the Scottish artists from the land of Ellis Island.