The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration
| The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration | |
|---|---|
Compilation album by
| |
| Released | October 14, 1997 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 1:50:28 |
| Label | Tommy Boy Records |
| Producer | |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [1] |
The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration is a 1997 compilation album produced by Thomas Moore that features various Celtic musicians, including Susan McKeown, Cathie Ryan, Johnny Cunningham, Mary Fahl, and Kathy Mattea.[2] The 2-disc set includes traditional Christmas carols and Celtic-style arrangements of holiday songs, such as "I Saw Three Ships" and "We Three Kings". The album was released by Tommy Boy Records on October 14, 1997.[1][3]
Upon its release, the album was accompanied by a PBS Pledge Week Christmas Special of the same name. Hosted by Martin Sheen, and featuring the albums primary vocalists, the special aired daily from December 6–14, 1997. The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration was subsequently released for purchase on VHS via GlobalVision.[4][5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" | Traditional | Liam Tiernan | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree" | Richard Hutchins | Susan McKeown & Nikki Matheson | 3:15 |
| 3. | "In dulci jubilo" | Henry Suso | Cathie Ryan & Liam Tiernan | 2:14 |
| 4. | "We Three Kings" | John Henry Hopkins Jr. | Thomas Moore | 4:17 |
| 5. | "Silent Night" | Franz Xaver Gruber | Liam Tiernan | 4:35 |
| 6. | "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" | Edmund Sears | Cathie Ryan | 3:00 |
| 7. | "I Saw Three Ships" | Traditional | Johnny Cunningham | 4:42 |
| 8. | "In the Bleak Midwinter" | Christina Rossetti | Liam Tiernan | 6:02 |
| 9. | "Lo, How A Rose" | Michael Praetorius | Susan McKeown & Nikki Matheson | 3:56 |
| 10. | "The Holly and the Ivy" | Traditional | Liam Tiernan | 3:12 |
| 11. | "Lully, Lullay" | Traditional | Mary Fahl | 2:29 |
| 12. | "Gloria in excelsis Deo" | Johann Sebastian Bach | Thomas Moore | 3:45 |
| 13. | "Remember, O Thou Man" | Thomas Ravenscroft | Liam Tiernan | 5:15 |
| 14. | "Christ Child's Lullaby" | Kathy Mattea | Kathy Mattea | 4:29 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Introduction" | Thomas Moore | Thomas Moore | 2:26 |
| 2. | "Thomas Moore On The Soul Of Christmas" | Thomas Moore | Thomas Moore, Johnny Cunningham | 50:10 |
| Total length: | 1:50:28 | |||
Personnel
Primary artist
- Thomas Moore – vocalist, arranger, piano, liner notes
Featured vocalists
- Cathie Ryan – vocals
- Johnny Cunningham – vocals
- Kathy Mattea – vocals
- Mary Fahl – vocals
- Nikki Matheson – vocals
- Susan McKeown – vocals
Instrumentalists
- Akira Satake – banjo
- Ben Wittman – percussion
- Dougie MacLean – guitar
- Jamshied Sharifi – keyboards, percussion
- Jerry O’Sullivan – uilleann pipes, whistle
- John Doyle – guitar
- John Whelan – button accordion
- Lincoln Schleifer – bass
- Robin Spielberg – piano
- Stacey Shames – harp
- Séamus Egan – bodhrán, flute, whistle
Composers/lyricists
- Edmund Sears – composer
- Franz Xaver Gruber – composer
- John Henry Hopkins Jr. – composer
- Joseph Mohr – composer
- Richard Storrs Willis – composer
- D. H. Lawrence – poetry
Production
- Susan Piver – executive producer, producer
- Johnny Cunningham – producer
- Rick Rowe – editing, mastering, mixing
- Danny DePaolo – engineer
- John Jenkins – engineer
- Scott Noll – engineer
Art and design
- Jason Holley – illustrations
- Jason Rand – art direction, design
- Stacy Drummond – art direction, design
PBS television special
Upon its release, the album was accompanied by a PBS Pledge Week Christmas Special of the same name. Hosted by Martin Sheen, and featuring the albums primary vocalists, the special aired daily from December 6–14, 1997. The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration was subsequently released for purchase on VHS.[6]
References
- ^ a b Anderson, Rick. "The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration – Thomas Moore". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Discogs. "Thomas Moore – The Soul Of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration With Thomas Moore". Discogs. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration". Billboard. 18 October 1997. p. 56. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "[untitled entry on The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration]". TV Guide. 1997. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ Amazon.com. "The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration – CD by Thomas Moore". Amazon.com. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
- ^ "[untitled entry on The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration]". Mother Jones. Vol. 22, no. 6. November–December 1997. p. PT23. Retrieved 28 November 2025.