Customer Reviews

A Winter Solstice Reunion

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

 

 

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.

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!

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.

The fine artists & music on this recording have been done a great disservice: the packaging is terrible. Originally released in 1998, this recording is part of Sony/BMG's "Legacy" reissue line; the booklet is maddeningly generic. NO artist information at all -- meaning, you have absolutely no idea who performs which piece & why, or even the track times. (You do, however, get two self-congratulatory paragraphs of Legacy praising themselves.)

So then, here are the tracks & performers (according to Discogs), approximately 61 minutes total:

1. Keiki's Dream (Child's Dream) - Keola Beamer / 3:15 (solo slack-key guitar)
2. I Saw Three Ships - Darol Anger / 3:43 (fiddle, piano, double bass, guitar, mandolin)
3. Babe Is Born/Enter The Stable Gently - Liz Story / 3:29 (solo piano)
4. Snowfall Lullaby - Barbara Higbie / 3:48 (piano, harp, violin, accordion)
5. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - Alex DeGrassi / 3:40 (guitar, cello, Uilleann pipes, whistle)
6. Impending Death Of The Virgin Spirit - Will Ackerman / 6:11 (solo guitar)
7. La Nit De Nadal (Christmas Night)/El Noi De La Mare (Son Of Mary) - Mike Marshall / 5:38 (mandolins, winds)
8. Dreamtime - Nightnoise / 3:27 (Celtic ensemble)
9. Year's End - Michael Manring / 4:04 (bass, piano, cello)
10. Song Before Spring - Benjamin Verdery with Ufonia / 5:56 (guitar & acoustic ensemble)
11. What Are The Signs - George Winston / 5:22 (solo piano)
12. Rain into Snow - William Coulter / 3:51 (guitar & acoustic ensemble)
13. 20° Below - Paul McCandless / 3:56 (English horn, guitar, flute)
14. Christmas Wish - Tuck & Patti / 4:26 (vocals, electric guitar, keyboards, strings)

[Incidentally, don't count on Itunes -- they list every performer for each track as "Various Artists".]

There's only an echo of the tasteful, understated album art that was as much a part of the golden era of Windham Hill as was the fine music and fine musicians. And this is a CD-R! Shameful. This is not a reunion, it's a rehash. If you have the other Winter's Solstice recordings, you can create a more satisfying homemade equivalent of this. Save your $12.

I have been a fan of the Windham Hill label for many years...almost since its beginning. I prefer some collections to others, but,the Winter's Solstice series continues as a favorite. For sentimental reasons, I've always been fond of the original realase in the set and when I saw this one I thought that perhaps through some miracle or some heavy lifting on the label's part, it would be comprised of new pieces from the artists on AWS. But after a quick look I have to ask, In what way is this a "reunion?" OK, Liz Story and label founder Will Ackerman are present, but where's the rest of the class? Granted, one would be hard pressed to hear new material from Shadowfax, whose offering for AWS came from their work while on another label(pre-WH), but certainly others beside Story and Ackerman survive to this day. Not to worry, the material that is here is enjoyable as always, but, if you were nostalgic for the artists of the first release, a reunion this is not.

A Winter Solstice Reunion is classic Windham Hill Winter Solstice material from the most popular Windham Hill artists. This is for the quiet times the Advent season was meant to evoke. This music that won't add to the over-saturation of Christmas music you hear in December. This is music you could play in January on those quiet nights while the blizzard is piling up snow and you're inside with a warm beverage. Some of the cuts are simply "winter music."

My favorite cuts from this album include the cover of "I Saw Three Ships," a carol introduced to my by Nat King Cole; "Year's End" from Michael Manring; and what Winter Solstice album would be complete without George Winston with "What Are The Signs."

The one cut I don't care for is the contribution of Tuck and Patti with "Christmas Wish." I don't hate the song, but it ruins the mood for me.

In short, if you like Windham Hill artists, you will like this seasonal contribution.

This is very much in the genre of the "Winter Solstice" series. It is still very enjoyable, however, if you long for a more meditative offering. Perfect Holiday music choice.

Having not heard the "Soltice"s' in years, my husband loved this CD.