December Journey

Editorial Reviews
Echoes
"Norland Wind creates a crystalline instrumental landscape that rings out...a joyful and ethereal winter journey."

Product Description
The magic of the Celtic harp is central to the sound of Norland Wind. Haunting harp instrumentals, written by Thomas Loefke and Clannad lead guitarist Ian Melrose, alternate with Gaelic and Anglo-Irish songs composed by singer/guitarist Kerstin Blodig. Thomas's lyrical harp, Blodig's clear expressive voice and Melrose's sensitive guitar work blend to create a uniquely evocative and emotionally powerful sound: Celtic acoustic music that successfully merges the traditional and the modern!

December Journey,Thomas Loefke,Alula,Christmas / Chanukkah,New Age,Pop

December Journey

Tracks:

Gentle Images - Jim Bajor
Rapture - Jim Bajor
Nancita - Stephen Jacob
The Journey - Stephen Jacob
Inner Peace - Tom Barabas
Moon Dust - Tom Barabas
Yasawa Blue - Christine Brown
Silent Tears - Christine Brown
Eykes - Jim Bajor
Friends - Jim Bajor
Magic In December - Tom Barabas
Pure Light - Tom Barabas
Romanza - Stephen Jacob
Your LIght - Stephen Jacob
Hiding Places - Christine Brown
The Secret Garden - Christine Brown

Product Description

Sugo Records is proud to present this collection of sixteen heart warming inpired solo piano works from four of the most gifted pianist in the United States, who have rendered their musical portraits of friends, family, lovers and life's precious moments.

Customer Reviews:

Too Much of a Good Thing?.......2003-10-24

I'm fairly familiar with two of the pianists in this collection - Jim Bajor, who is local, and Tom Barabas, to whom I have listened for several years. Until this album I haven't had the opportunity to listen to Stephen Jacob and Christine Brown. They all do their work in the styling of light jazz and easy listening that is often labeled incorrectly as New Age. Sometimes I feel that that phrase is used as a euphemism for anything that is pleasant, rather than its original definition, which had more to do with the meditative nature of the composition. In any case they are all accomplished at their art and worth listening to.

It is fair to report that all four musicians produce work that is melodic, technically interesting, and, yes, pleasant to here. None of the pieces demonstrate what I would call the technical brilliance of someone like Jordan Rudess, who drifts in and out of this genre but has a tendency towards keyboeard pyrotechnics. But neither is any of their work plodding or monotonic. 'Very listenable' may not be the highest compliment one can pay a musician, but it is way ahead of whatever is in third place.

If I have a complaint to make, it is that, despite different recording studios and instruments, the tonalities are so close that the entire album could have been the product of a single person. Barabas is slightly more adept, Bajor slightly more melodic, Jacob more controlled, etc., but there are no glaring contrasts. I'm not sure if this is a fault or not, since the result is certainly more than acceptable. Given all the overloads that life throws at us, I'm not sure complaining about too much goodness is entirely fair.

Outstanding collection of orginal piano work.......1998-10-22

This collection of original piano pieces is simply excellent. This instrumental is melodic, sweet, romantic, soothing and timeless. I find myself leaving this CD in my car day after day without tiring of the melodies. Beautiful!

Great CD for easy listening.......1998-08-24

I really find this music conducive to relaxation - I use it in my Shiatsu clinic.

Average customer rating:

This trio shines!

December Journey
Norland Wind
Manufacturer: Alula
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Atlantic Driftwood
Valivann

ASIN: B00006JMAE
Release Date: 2002-10-01

Tracks:

When Christ Was Born
Stephen's Day Session
The Promising Light
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Christmas On The Rocks
That Night In Bethlehem
Be Thou My Vision
Shining Christmas
A 'Christmas Without Song' Pols
Christmas Day In The Morning/St Kilda Wedding
Guiding Star
My Heart Is Always Moving
December Journey

Album Description

The magic of the Celtic harp is central to the sound of Norland Wind. Haunting harp instrumentals, written by Thomas Loefke and Clannad lead guitarist Ian Melrose, alternate with Gaelic and Anglo-Irish songs composed by singer/guitarist Kerstin Blodig. Thomas's lyrical harp, Blodig's clear expressive voice and Melrose's sensitive guitar work blend to create a uniquely evocative and emotionally powerful sound: Celtic acoustic music that successfully merges the traditional and the modern!

Customer Reviews:

This trio shines!.......2002-11-30

Creative, neo-Celtic arrangements of Holiday favorites by Norland Wind. Harpist Thomas Loefke and multi-instrumentalists Kerstin Blodig and Ian Melrose take the listener on a transporting December's journey that is both calming and subtly stirring. Elements of Celtic, jazz, folk and traditional holiday music are blended into pleasing ensemble works that will be enjoyed all through the year. On this release, the third that I know of by "Norland Wind" or some semblance thereof, Melrose and Blodig get more of a chance to show off their own compositions, which fit in well with Loefke's. Kerstin Blodig also has a release of Scandinavian ballads out, "Valivann", on which Loefke and Melrose are guest musicians. Other pleasing and inventive adaptations of Christmas music by Celtic harpists that you might enjoy include: "Celtic Christmas I" and "Celtic Christmas II" by Kim Robertson, and Loreena McKennitt's "A Winter Garden: Five Songs for the Season" and "To Drive the Cold Winter Away".

Average customer rating:

Carols of Christmas Past
from Solo Piano Publications
Really Big Shoes
Mystical Christmas Journey
A smooth ride to the holidays with this recording!

Carol: A Christmas Journey

Manufacturer: Really Big Shoes
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Paint the Forest Winter

ASIN: B0000C9ZA8
Release Date: 2003-09-03

Tracks:

A Virgin Most Pure
Coventry Carol: the Holy Innocents
Children's Song of the Nativity
Carol of the Birds
The Wexford Carol
Huron Carol
The Boar's Head Carol
Joyeaux Noel
Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella
The Dutch Carol
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Poverty
Silent Night

Customer Reviews:

Carols of Christmas Past.......2003-12-24

If you're tired of Christmas songs after hearing so many of the same ones over and over and are ready for something new here is the solution.
Zola Van's beautiful melodies give the Christmas spirit a new dimension. Carols from past centuries, seemingly lost in time, are brought to the present and surely must sound more beautiful than ever before.
These selectins are calming and soothing to the nerves. Highlights here are "Huron Carol", "The Boar's Head Carol" and "The Dutch Carol". But every song is played with remarkable excellence. For those longing to hear something more familiar, the timeless carol "Silent Night" completes this magnificent set of piano solos.

from Solo Piano Publications.......2003-11-08

When I slipped "Carol: A Christmas Journey" into my CD player, I expected to hear a collection of the usual Christmas pieces and carols with Zola Van's inspired solo piano interpretation. She had told me that this album was going to be different, and different it is! What sets "Carol" apart from other collections is the darkness and moodiness of the album. At first, it seemed almost bleak, but the more I listen, the more I hear the hope and anticipation in the music. Most of the carols are extremely old, going as far back as the twelfth century, and come from various European countries and traditions (one is Indian/Canadian). Van really did her homework on this album, researching the origins of the music as she collected the songs, and writing a short history of each piece in the liner notes. With all of the Christmas music I listen to and teach, I was amazed that I was familiar with only a small number of the carols, and because the collection is so unusual, I would think it would be easy to listen to it year-round without feeling silly about playing a Christmas album in, say, April while you're preparing your taxes!

The three familiar carols are "Coventry Carol," "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella," and "Silent Night," all played lovingly true to the originals, but with fresh interpretations. "A Virgin Most Pure," is a hauntingly beautiful carol that tells of the prophecy and of three journeys to Bethlehem. Van's use of heavy chords in the deep bass of the piano accentuates the mystery and darkness of many of the pieces, this one included. "Children's Song of the Nativity" is a bit lighter, full of innocence and questions about traveling to Bethlehem - how far is it? what will we do when we get there? - a very sweet vignette. My favorite track is probably the darkest one of all, "Huron Carol". The words come from Huron droning, and were set to an Indian/Canadian tune by a Jesuit missionary who taught the Huron and Wendot in a wilderness outpost in Quebec. Van does an exquisite job with this piece - to the point that you can almost feel the chilling winds blowing through it. "The Boar's Head Carol" is a bit lighter and more festive. "The Dutch Carol" comes from about 1599, and is delicate, melancholy,and very beautiful. "Ding Dong Merrily on High" is probably the most upbeat piece - a dance that servants and peasants would perform for their employers' entertainment.

A very unusual collection of holiday music, "Carol" is certainly an antidote for too much Santa Claus. It makes you realize how far back our holiday traditions go, and the vastly different ways in which Christ's birth has been celebrated over the centuries. Historically, this is a fascinating collection - I learned so much from the liner notes. Musically, it is a spiritual and introspective journey to hear these haunting melodies played with such care and emotion. Zola Van has done an outstanding job with this album. Just be aware that this is not a happy-go-lucky album of "Jingle Bells" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

Really Big Shoes.......2003-11-01

What I liked most was the powerful, suspenseful style of play, swirling with emotion, her embellishing style radiating a natural grandeur. I also liked the way her arrangements seemed to get to the heart of these Christmas melodies without being too precious. Her realization seemed to be much more about integrating Christmas into her musical vision than about trying to be a part of the sweet, tinkling chorus we'll be hearing soon enough. And it should be noted that she applied her style to a relatively unusual selection of carols, so there were significant segments where I could enjoy Christmas music without it being something I've heard over and over.

I found her treatments to be both relaxing and moving. And mind you, this--with the stereo on the fritz and my boombox at Lost Pines with my wife on a training mission--was first heard on the tinkly little computer speakers. I soon had to graduate it to the DVD player in the den to get the full surround, but its power is evident whatever the volume or acoustics.

I like this one a lot.

--Richard Banks, Christmasreviews.com

Mystical Christmas Journey.......2003-10-19

"I am a simple traveler. I am transported adrift a gentle, melodic seduction across hundreds of years to this place. Here in a shroud of feudal protection is common man, with reasoning and conduct conforming to his day, desperately seeking beauty, purity, and gentleness in an otherwise brutal world. Beyond dark stone walls of medieval thought, the allure of the beautiful virgin and the child-king's humble birth is the cherished focus of desire and intrigue." ~Zola Van

I first heard Zola Van's radiant music on a CD titled "The HeartAid Project." Her music captures hope, wonder, kindness and beauty. The fluidity of the fragile notes are balanced by the strength and depth of the message. Crisp, delicate and heart-felt notes mingle with images of Christmas memories and dreams.

There are lesser-known carols you might be hearing for the first time and a few beloved favorites that have survived in the hearts and minds of people across the centuries.

1. A Virgin Most Pure - Poignant and delicate rendition of an Old English carol.

2. Coventry Carol: the Holy Innocents - A 16th Century English carol with familiar strains and has grief and love intertwined.

3. Children's Song of the Nativity - A piece filled with questions and expectation. "How far is it to Bethlehem? Not very far. Shall we find the stable room lit by a star?" Zola plays this piece with precision and deep understanding. It is pure and beautiful.

4. Carol of the Birds is from Bas-Quercy, France. The peasants of the time told legends of enchanted animals who could speak on Christmas Eve. I can see birds swooping and soaring and following the "noel star."

5. The Wexford Carol is an Irish Carol known as the "Enniscorthy Carol."

6. Huron Carol is an Indian/Canadian tune - One of my favorites because it almost foretells sadness. Zola shows the full force of her interpretation as she alternates between spectacular lightness of hand and rich intensity. Zola has truly captured a moment in time with exquisite detail.

7. The Boar's Head Carol - A piece to take your breath away. The notes almost seem to be floating through the air like an invigorating breeze.

8. Joyeaux Noel - A French Carol sung at New Year's in the 1400s. Zola captures mystery and magic. You will recognize this sweet dream of new beginnings and hope for the future. This piece might delve into your memory and remind you of your most beautiful Christmas memories. I love how Zola tantalizes the listener with tiny raindrop notes and then just sends a downpour of notes to refresh your spirit.

9. Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella - A 15th Century French Provincial Carol with a playful twist. In the depth of night I can see little torches swirling in circles as Jeanette playfully dances instead of hurrying with the torches. There is a touch of humor here. It is as if time stops and this song could play forever.

10. The Dutch Carol - The beauty here is a solitary angel flying high above the earth. In the stillness of the night you can here "How sweet is love." The most comforting carol on this CD. It wraps you in warmth and you almost feel protected from all harm. Zola's playing dissolves all stress, this is a piece you could easily fall asleep to. As beautiful as a lullaby with a depth of caring that speaks of love and sweet dreams.

11. Ding Dong Merrily on High - A lighthearted piece. The emphasis here seems to be a joyous celebration.

12. Poverty - Spectacular depth and understanding. Zola shows her sensitivity in this interpretation. I hear a message so subtle it almost begs not to be explained but only to be felt with the heart. Perhaps this piece mostly evokes a sense of awe. We gaze at the tiny gift sleeping in the straw and are amazed at how a small child could be the hope of the world.

13. Silent Night - Instantly recognizable and a combination of all we love at Christmas Time. Zola plays this carol with an intricate beauty befitting this captivating story of heavenly peace.

Truly, I've never heard a collection of piano solos so delicate in magical beauty. Zola Van's music will quickly capture your heart. The universal messages of hope, peace and love have been captured in her interpretations of each carol. I highly recommend "Carol: A Christmas Journey" for the Holiday Season or anytime when you need a musical escape. It is timeless in its appeal and is a much needed escape from the harried pace of the holiday season or everyday life.

You may also enjoy "Paint the Forest Winter," and "River to River Trail: The Hike."

~TheRebeccaReview.com

A smooth ride to the holidays with this recording!.......2003-10-14

I have had the pleasure and priviledge of listening and reviewing Zola Van's 2 previuos releases. I am proud to say the the third release is just a entertaining as the other 2. Zola Van's talent seems with out limits in this release.

There are 13 tracks, totaling over 50 minutes of some of the best piano music out there today. The complete collection of Christamas music has you listening to all time favorites like Silent Night, which is my personal faovrite on this album.

You have some lesser known releases such as Carol of the Birds and the Wexford Carol. Even though the music is lsated for the holiday season, and it would make a perfect holiday gift, this cd could and should be listened to almost any timeof the year.

Having been given the rare oppurtunity to hear music that not only calms the situation but also relaxes you at the same is one of life simple pleasures. This recording is gentle in sound but large in volume as the music will resonante for more that just the Winter season.