Vladimir Sterzer: Christmas in minor - Weihnachten in Moll

After my first listen to Vladimir Sterzer's Christmas in Minor - Weihnachten in Moll, about all I thought was that the songs were really short (the 16 songs clock in at just under 19 minutes) and that the album may not have been worth posting about.  During my second listen, things clicked when "Santa's Coming Tomorrow" came on and I started thinking that it sounded like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" done in a minor key - at that point, the full meaning of the "minor" in the title hit me like a ton of bricks and the entire album suddenly became much more interesting.  Yes, this is a collection of German Christmas carols arranged in a minor key!  I don't know if knowledge of music theory is required to really appreciate something like this - I am by no means an expert on it, with just a couple of high school and university courses under my belt - but I'm pretty sure that most people would pick up on the fact that there is something different about these versions of "Silent Night" and "O Christmas Tree", to cherry pick a couple of familiar songs.

I still think that the album is too short, but at this point it's because I feel like it has barely whet an appetite I never knew I had - I'd love to hear more Christmas songs done like this!  What do you think?  Do you like the sound of Christmas carols done in a minor key?  I'm sure it's not for everyone, but for those like hearing Christmas carols done a little differently, this is definitely worth a listen.  Happy listening!

URL:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/102525

Album Spotlight: Phil Vassar - An Acoustic Christmas

I tend to write about a lot of rather unusual Christmas music, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy more traditional and straightforward renditions of Christmas songs as well.  I guess I just think it's easier to find that sort of music - at this time of year, it's as simple as turning on the radio or walking into a store.  However, I'm sure that not everyone feels the same way, so I think it's time to write about some more familiar-sounding Christmas music.

 

Phil Vassar's An Acoustic Christmas fits that bill nicely, I think.  There are no surprises in the arrangements of its five songs, but I really love the way that Vassar's voice and piano playing complement each other (to be honest, though, I was surprised at just how strong his voice is - especially during the high note in "O Holy Night".  I know a few of his older songs, but I never really would have thought that his voice is this good).  His young daughter Haley joins him on "Away in a Manger", which is a really nice touch, but other than that, it's just Phil and his piano.  If you like being able to hear all the words clearly in your Christmas music, An Acoustic Christmas would make a very nice addition to your collection.

 

You need to give your name, zip code, and email address to get the album, but the site assures us that nothing naughty will be done with that information, as they "don't want coal and sticks in [their] stockings!!!"  The download link will be sent to the email address you provide.  Happy listening!

 

URL: 

http://philvassar.com/christmas/fillsurvey.php?sid=2

Album Spotlight: Frozen Silence - Christmas Carols

Back in October, I was searching Jamendo for more albums by a band called Silence is Sexy, as I was planning to write a blog posr about them for Totally Free Music (I still haven't gotten around to that post, though - perhaps early next year, though).  On the first page of the search results was an album called Christmas Carols by Frozen Silence.  I can't resist Christmas music, so I downloaded the album and gave it a listen, even though it wasn't even Thanksgiving at the time (and by that I mean Canadian Thanksgiving, which occurs on the second Monday in October).  

 

Christmas Carols has 10 songs clocking in at only 15 and a half minutes, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in its beautiful presentation.  Some of the songs, like "First Noel" and "Silent Night", are very familiar; others, like "Vom Himmel hoch", are less so, but they all sound great.  There is also an original song called "Frozen Christmas" that is very beautiful and actually fits with these older songs very well.  All of the songs are instrumental, and most of them are done on piano, but three songs are also repeated on acoustic guitar at the end of the album.

 

I think Christmas Carols would make a great soundtrack for any relaxing moments you may be able to find at this time of year.  I've actually had it in my lullabye playlist for my 2 year old since I downloaded it.  However you choose to listen to it, I hope you enjoy it.  Happy listening!

 

URL:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/53382

Album Spotlight: Sebastian Wolff - "Keys and Lights"

So, I just had an entire post typed up and ready to go when I ran into a little problem: the music I was writing about, which I had downloaded just last month, was no longer free to download.  Rather annoying, but luckily I always have at least a few posts in varying stages of completeness.  This one, for example, was actually started way back in April when I downloaded Sebastian Wolff's "World of Goo" piano medley.  While browsing the artist's website, I noticed that he had a Christmas album available for download, so I made a little note of that.  I finally downloaded the album just a few weeks ago, and now I'll finish writing about it nearly seven months after I first started.

 

After hearing the "World of Goo" medley, my expectations for Keys and Lights were pretty high, and I'm happy to say that it really lives up to those expectations.  I've really developed a liking for solo piano works this year, so to hear these songs performed in this way is a real treat.  There is a really nice variety in the song selection, ranging all the way from traditional songs like "Silent Night" and "Carol of the Bells", to standards like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", to modern soundtrack material in "Believe" (from The Polar Express) and "Where Are You Christmas?" (from the 2000 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas).  The songs are mellow enough to be listened to as lullabyes (which I've been doing for the last few weeks while putting my youngest son to sleep), yet full of such interesting and beautiful playing that you could give your entire attention to them and still hear new things each time.

 

All 18 songs on Keys and Lights can be downloaded directly from Sebastian Wolff's website.  However you decide to listen to them, I hope you enjoy them.  Happy listening!

 

URL:

http://sebastianwolff.info/music.php#christmas

Album Spotlight: Sarah Brown - Emmanuel

I have a beautiful album for you today. Sarah Brown's Emmanuel is a collection of traditional Christmas carols performed on piano, with Sarah's vocals ringing clearly on top of the often upbeat and lively piano arrangements. The end result is a truly uplifting collection of music, which may be very refreshing if you have found some of my recent featured albums to be a little too eclectic for your taste. Emmanuel is definitely an album for the whole family to enjoy at this time of year.

Highlights? There are a lot on this album, but if I had to narrow it down to a few I would say "What Child is This?", which is done in an arrangement I have never heard before, with a completely different vocal melody than I am used to; "Hail the King", which features percussion and soaring vocals; and "Good King Wenceslas", which is done instrumentally. The real standout for me is "Christmas Medley", a piano tour de force which winds its way through songs like "The First Noel", "I Saw Three Ships", and "Away in a Manger". The transitions between the individual sections are very well done, and at over 9 minutes in length, the medley is something that really needs to be heard to be believed.

If you end up listening to the album, I would, as always, love to know what you think about it. Also, with only 4 days left before Christmas, we're really running out of time for featuring more music here. I still have a few things I would like to post about, but if there is something you would like to see featured here - a song, an artist, anything at all - please let me know either via email or in the comments, and I will do my best to find something that matches what you are looking for. Merry Christmas, everyone!

New Content: A-M Classical

There's not really much information on the site about what exactly A-M Classical is, but the Christmas Carols page there has a wonderful collection of, well, Christmas carols. Like the last couple of features on this blog, most of the A-M Classical songs are all very mellow and relaxing and performed on a solo instrument; with a single exception, the instrument this time around is an organ.

There is a total of 20 songs currently available from the site. Almost all of them are traditional Christmas carols, and the sound of the organ gives them a stateliness that few other instruments could match. The lone exception is a lively, ornate version of "Jingle Bells" played on piano; it is one of the highlights of this collection, and it is also different enough that I hope a collection of piano music is in this site's future. A message on the site does say that more will be uploaded throughout the Christmas season.

For the time being, though, this is a very nice collection of relaxing Christmas music. Head over to A-M Classical and check it out for yourself.

Album Spotlight: Barbara Gallagher - Love Came Down at Christmas

I have some relaxing music for you tonight. Barbara Gallagher's Love Came Down at Christmas CD features beautiful solo piano performances of 12 Christmas songs. I believe that this album would sound lovely if listened to while a storm rages outside as you relax by the Christmas tree, with a cup of your favourite hot beverage in one hand, a roaring fire in the fireplace, and your loved ones next to you. There are a few upbeat songs, such as "People Look East", but for the most part the entire album is very soothing and relaxing. My favourite song is the last song, which is a beautiful medley of "Away in a Manger" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear".

So if you want some Christmas music that will help put you in a relaxing mood (and, let's face it, I think relaxation is something that many of us could use more of at this time of year, despite out best intentions), please give Love Came Down at Christmas a try and let me know what you think of it.

Thanks for reading, and I'll be back soon with some more music along the same lines.

Album Spotlight: Allison Crowe - Tidings

[Note: as of October 2009, Tidings is no longer available for free from Allison Crowe's site.  This issue is currently being looked into.  In the meantime, the traditional half of the album can still be downloaded for free from Jamendo.]

Oh, have I got a treat for you tonight. As you may or may not have noticed in the comments for my last post, Allison Crowe's manager, Adrian, mentioned that there is more free Christmas music to be found on Allison's Tidings page. I checked that site out before heading to work today and was amazed to find that the entire album is available for download. I downloaded the songs onto my flash drive so that I could listen to them at work today, and I was simply amazed by what I heard.

The first thing that struck me, even before I had heard a single note, was the song selection. There are the traditional Christmas carols that one almost expects to hear on a Christmas album; songs like "Silent Night", "O Holy Night", "The First Noel". Joni Mitchell's "River" also makes an appearance; as this has become one of my favourite Christmas songs (even though it's not really "about" Christmas per se - but more on that in a later post), I was happy to have another version of it. Then there are some songs that have even less to do with Christmas, but more about "spirituality and redemption" (as the album's Wikipedia article states); among these songs are Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", Sarah McLachlan's "Angel", and a pair of Beatles songs, "Let It Be" and "In My Life". An intriguing lineup of songs, to say the very least - it looks like this is an album that can be enjoyed at any time of year.

After listening to the album, I am practically speechless. Just hearing this music has made me feel like I received an early Christmas present. I don't think my words could possibly do it justice, but I'll try to describe it as best I can; after all, if you've read this far it likely means that you want a little more information before heading over to her site and listening for yourself. Allison is clearly a very gifted performer. Her voice is so powerful that it sometimes seems to overpower the recording equipment; I can only imagine that seeing her perform live would be an unforgettable experience. She also accompanies her vocals with her own accomplished piano playing; most of the songs actually consist only of vocals and piano. It's nice to hear such refreshing arrangements of many of these songs. I think the real standout of the album is "Hallelujah", which she performs with a passion and intensity that is rarely heard in a cover version; she really manages to make the song her own. Some other highlights include "Angel", which features another powerhouse of a vocal performance; "O Holy Night", which is given an upbeat, jazzy treatment unlike any I've ever heard; and the a capella album opener, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear".

Now, please go and check the album out for yourself. I'd love to know what my readers think about it, so please leave a comment here if you listen to it. Enjoy!