Drives the cold winter away

Most Christmas albums sound tailor-made for mall muzak -- bland and recycled, with the same ol' songs about bells, Santa Claus, and snow. Loreena McKennitt breaks the mold with "To Drive the Cold Winter Away," an enchantingly wintry collection with muted instrumentation, and a classic feel.



It opens with the ethereal "In Praise of Christmas" and the rich "Seasons," setting the tone of the remaining songs -- pretty, airy Christmas ballads accompanied mostly by harp. A few exceptions are sprinkled through it, such as the icily pretty instrumental "Banquet Hall," and a few songs like "Let All That Are to Mirth Inclined" are done without instrumentation at all.



It's not hard to get sick of the endless repetitions of "Jingle Bells," "The Christmas Song" and "Let It Snow." Loreena McKennitt's "To Drive the Cold Winter Away" is an antidote of sorts -- she dips into traditional Christmas ballads from England, Scotland and Ireland, sometimes going back hundreds of years.



On the other hand, the sound quality is worse than McKennitt's other albums, particularly her a capella songs. While her singing cannot be faulted, she sang them in an old Irish abbey, which causes a weird echo effect in some songs. However, the instrumentation often covers this effect -- it's much more minimal than in most of Mckennitt's work, often with her merely playing harps, and occasionally a tin whistle or accordian. The ethereal, minimal instrumentation gives the feeling of chilliness and beauty in a winter forest.



It's a bit hard to sing some old ballads, especially since many do not have specific tunes assigned to them. McKennitt does well at this; despite a few awkward moments, she sings richly and soulfully. "The King," her duet with Cedric Smith, is not so great, however since Smith's mediocre voice often blots out hers completely. Aside from that, her voice lilts lightly over the songs about Christ, snow,



"To Drive the Cold Winter Away" is a truly beautiful collection of traditional Christmas songs. Despite the occasional echo problems, McKennitt's sweet voice and music bring out an older, richer side of Christmas.

I bought this four years ago and still love it......

I'm sitting here early on this Sunday morning listening to Loreena McKennitt sing her seasonal pieces found in To Drive the Cold Winter Away and A Winter Garden, and wondering if she will ever make any more recordings. I bought these CDs ages ago, and went on to buy all her CDs, but apparently she has not made any new recordings in a while. McKennitt has a beautiful Soprano voice and the instrumental portions of her tunes are filled with the chime of bells, the plucking of harp strings and notes of lutes, as well as other magical sounds.



In these two CDs, McKennitt sings ballads with an ancient heritage (English, Scottish, Irish) that she arranged and/or composed music for in various places in Ireland and recorded in Annaghmakerrig and Glendale Ireland and at the Church of Our Lady in Guelph Ontario Canada. Although her music is enveloped by Christianity, the traditional tunes and lyrics undoubtedly precede it. Some of McKennitt's songs are pieces for which she created music to set off lyrics written by mystics.



If you celebrate the Solstice festivities or are of a secular persuasion, you may find McKennitt's music fits your mood. To Drive the Cold Winter Away is relatively secular, but if you hear one you will want both of the CDs.

Loreena's Christmas Present

Loreena McKennitt's Christmas album, "To Drive The Cold Winter Away," is unlike any Christmas album you've ever heard. Forget "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer." These songs are mostly traditional English & Irish carols, with Loreena giving the songs a heavenly ambience by recording them in a church. In short, this album is simply beautiful, from the opening "In Praise Of Christmas," to the final, haunting piece, "Let All That Are To Mirth Inclined," featuring just Loreena's voice and the tolling of a church bell. Loreena sings like an angel, and her harp and accordion-playing are also perfect. A lovely disc to relax with by the fireplace, Loreena McKennitt's "To Drive The Cold Winter Away" is a must-own album for the holiday season.