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. 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.
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.
Track listing
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.
References