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Music CD - Philip Aaaberg, Billy Oskay & Michael O Domhnail, Darol Anger & Mike Marshall: A Winter's Solstice: Windham Hill Artists
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Music CD: A Winter's Solstice: Windham Hill Artists
Artist: Philip Aaaberg, Billy Oskay & Michael O Domhnail, Darol Anger & Mike Marshall
List Price: $13.98
Our Price: $48.99
Your Save: $ ( % )
Availability:
Manufacturer: Windham Hill Records
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Tracks:
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1. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Bach, Johann Sebast
2. Engravings II - Stein, Ira
3. New England Morning - Ackerman, William
4. High Plains - Aaberg, Philip
5. Nollaig - ODomhnaill, Michael
6. Greensleeves - Traditional
7. Bach Bourée - Bach, Johann Sebast
8. Northumbrian Lullaby - Dalglish, Malcolm
9. Petite Aubade - Greenberg, Chuck
10. A Tale of Two Cities - Isham, Mark
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0019341104520
Label: Windham Hill Records
Manufacturer: Windham Hill Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Windham Hill Records
Release Date: 1990-10-25
Studio: Windham Hill Records
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Best Solstice
Comment: I believe this is the best of the Solstice series. The "Greensleeves" interpretation is very unique. I like it. What makes this a great CD is the overall quality of the music.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent CD
Comment: This beautiful acoustic CD by Windham Hill is one of my favorites. Several musicians (William Ackerman and Mark Isham among them) take the solstice and midwinter as a theme for its pieces. It's very moody and relaxing, and it suggests, to those of us living in the Southern Hemisphere, the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. There are two pieces which have a "Christian" theme in it (a retelling of Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's desiring by David Quadley and a theme called Christmas on the High Line), but it mostly suggests to me the ancient pagan past in Northern Europe, the fresh snow over the beech forests as the pale sunlight of the midwinter gives way to the starry night, and the local folk erect a bonfire.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Music and Memory
Comment: Windham Hill has certainly milked this series for a very long time based on the success of this album in the 1980s. Many of its successors are really very good, but this is the seminal Windham Hill artists' statement about music, memory, and seasonal sentiment. Most of the cuts on this album are so well crafted that they may seem simplistic, but what is so telling for me is that the pieces hold up year after year and they possess a magical quality that allows the music to become a part of one's Solstice/Christmas experience. Will Ackerman's "New England Morning" is especially moving in this sense, and certainly seems to capture something elemental about New England in winter. This quality of the music is a tribute to the pure artistry of the performers/composers. Winter's Solstice II also works well on this level of grace and harmony. While the albums that follow the first two are good in many ways, and certainly contain high quality performances, the series sets a high standard with the first two attempts that is very tough to match. Highly recommended at any price.
Customer Rating:
Summary: a soundtrack to a vanished past
Comment: In the early months and years of my first marriage, this music was the bridge between two people who were not accustomed to building bridges. The emotional resonances that it triggers in me even now make me wonder whether music should be trusted as a reliable means of communication. The answer is, of course, yes; I just have to learn to remember without regret. Five stars, and more. The first, and probably the best, of the Solstice records.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Refreshing Instrumentals for Christmas, or Any Time
Comment: The Windham Hill "Winter's Solstice" series is a great way to experience Christmas in a musical way. This series goes well with Regency Music's "Winterlude" series (which I have reviewed here).
I thoroughly enjoy acoustic instruments in the making of Christmas music. While keyboards have their place, acoustic instruments have a unique quality and character that brings out the best in Christmas music, something that synthesized sounds lack. "A Winter's Solstice" accomplishes this while presenting a cornucopia of music ranging from classical pieces and traditional carols to folk melodies. Especially important here is the inclusion of non-traditional music that, although not necessarily seasonal, still blends well in the mix.
I have found that the best way to listen to this CD, for me at least, is in a darkened room with only the lights on the Christmas tree for illumination, and perhaps a scented candle for added emphasis. This permits the melodies to flow through me freely, allowing me to deeply experience the music. The CD is especially helpful for those who are stressed out and in need of relaxation.
Windham Hill excels at spotlighting independent musicians without the pomp and vanity forced upon them by the major record labels. Volume 1 is a good starting point, certainly, and is an excellent addition to anyone's Christmas music collection. This volume stands well either alone or with the rest of the series.
If you are looking for a CD that offers something other than the usual "manufactured" commercial, low-quality, over-hyped, cookie-cutter-type Christmas fare, then "A Winter's Solstice" is for you.
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