A Winter Solstice Reunion

Various Artists - Miscellaneous - Holiday, Various Artists - New Age | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2011)
• Original Release Date: August 11, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Windham Hill Records
• ASIN: B000007O8F
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,766 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #6 in Music > Indie Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday

Track Listings

1. Keiki's Dream (Child's Dream)

2. I Saw Three Ships

3. Babe Is Born/Enter The Stable Gently

4. Snowfall Lullaby

5. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

6. Impending Death Of The Virgin Spirit

7. La Nit De Nadal (Christmas Night)/El Noi De La Mare (Son Of Mary)

8. Dreamtime

9. Year's End

10. Song Before Spring

11. What Are The Signs

12. Rain Into Snow

13. 20\xB0 Below

14. Christmas Wish

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of the Rest of the Solstice (s), November 29, 1999

By 

Guardian of the Zen Sea "Indigo" (Looking after the sun and surf) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Winter Solstice Reunion (Audio CD)

This is the best of the Winter Solstice series. It contains music for the Christmas holidays, as well as tunes for the winter season. The mood is introspective, yet celebratory throughout. This disc has one of my favorite contempory Christmas songs, A Christmas Wish by Tuck and Patty. (My other favorite is Christmas Bells by John Gorka on Winter Solstice III and a Putamayo Christmas). If you can only get one of the Solstice CDs, I recommend this one. Otherwise buy this one with numbers III V and VI.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SUPERB, and ALMOST the best of the series, February 21, 2006

By 

Christian Ellithorpe "ellithorpeillustrations" (Streamwood, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Winter Solstice Reunion (Audio CD)

Probably 4.5 stars; A SUPERB release, and an attempt to get back to as many of the original groundbreaking artists which made the Winter's Solstice series so endearing. Highlights: As ALWAYS, I look forward most to Ackerman and especially, Barbara Higbee's contributions to any of the Winter's Solstice CDs. Higbee in particular, always has the most surprising arrangments or original compositions, and this release is a perfect example. "Snowfall Lullaby" is one of the most touching lullaby melodies. (though it is by no means sleepy; simply comforting in a sort of "neo-celtic" way). There are Harps, violin & piano; you simply must hear it to know how fine it is, and to experience what I'm trying to describe in words. Ackermann normally tries to write something original, or which is not a traditionally well-known Christmas song, which was the overall attempt in the groundbreaking first two Winter's Solstice releases. Here he does a pensive remake of one of his classics "Impending Death Of The Virgin Spirit". Perhaps one might see it as a deep-reflection on Mary's depth of charcter and her impending suffering which will one day lead to the loss of her child. Darol Anger's "I saw Three Ships" is an quite original, if more familiar melody. It's an arrangement that is peaceful & lilting & not the usual "jig" we hear so often. There are so many others: "What are the Signs" by Winston is a perfect "10", "Year's End" by Manring, Paul McCandless's "20 Degrees Below" and Liz Story's "Babe Is Born/Enter The Stable Gently". While there are a couple uneven spots, by some less familiar artists, this is one of the essential releases of the series. My final recommendation is to buy the SECOND Winter's Solstice release first, which to me, has always been the pinnacle of originality & creative spirit, even exceeding the fine first release, and then also buy this release to see how original these collections can be, before venturing into some of the later ones, most of which are good, but which often feature traditional Christmas melodies rather than the more obscure carols & original compositions featured here. Overall, nearly a perfect release!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So good, March 21, 2002

By 

AE (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Winter Solstice Reunion (Audio CD)

This is the best of the Winter solstice albums. I'm not one for a real new age sound. I like classic, celtic, instruments. This CD shines... contemporary with olde sounds. The second track is by far the best track to me.. it has a holiday flavor, but I don't just listen to this during the holidays. In fact, all of the Solstice albums are like this really. Its not Christmassy.. its beautiful, serene, music. My other favorites are I, II, and VI.