Incahoots

Notes from the land of Incahoots

Sounds of the Season

The leaves have fallen, the air is chilly and the town is luminous with the glow of countless strings of lights strung from the eaves, woven through the trees and tossed over the shrubery.  All of which can only mean that Christmas is not far away.  Time to pull out your favorite holiday CD’s, give them a spin, and settle in for an evening of decorating and sipping hot chocolate.

What’s that you say? You’ve grown tired of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer as sung by the Judges of America’s Got Talent? Never fear, Incahoots is here with some inspiring new tunes for your holiday reveling.

First up, the brilliant new album by Sarah Brightman – A WINTER SYMPHONY. Sarah is equally at home in both the Operatic and Pop vocal styles, which is like getting two singers for the price of one. This CD offers a refreshing mix of a few traditional Christmas favorites and some not so familiar pieces. The arrangements are delightfully dramatic and a tad epic with rock-tinged orchestral instrumentation as a backdrop. A particular favorite is the closing piece – I Believe in Father Christmas, originally done by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. (I actually have their original on vinyl, which should give you an idea of just how long I’ve had excellent musical tastes.)

Loreena McKennitt’s 1995 EP A WINTER’S GARDEN marked her first release to feature traditional holiday music. A MIDWINTER NIGHT’S DREAM features the original five songs of A WINTER’S GARDEN alongside eight brand new recordings all performed with her characteristic medieval/Celtic blend.

Enya fans are rejoicing this year as she has finally released a full length holiday CD – AND WINTER CAME. This isn’t an album destined to be confined to the Christmas season however. Aside from two holiday classics, the music has more in common with the music of Enya’s proper albums, only centered on the theme of winter. A mix of lightly rhythmic songs and heartfelt ballads that show the beauty of Enya’s timeless voice.

And finally, just in time for Christmas, Andrea Bocelli has released a CD that surprisingly doesn’t have Christmas tunes on it. INCANTO takes a romantic, nostalgic trip back to the Naples of the 1950s with this album of melodic serenades from the grand tenor. The album marks a return to the more operatic style of album that punctuated his earlier career, including songs that tie closely to Italian classical traditions. From the grandiose orchestration and mandolins of the joyous “Funiculi Funicula” to the wistful elegance of “Santa Lucia” to the Italian tarantella “Pulcinella,” INCANTO revels in the dreamy beauty often synonymous with the sounds of Italy.

You’ll find these and dozens of other glorious holiday CDs here at Incahoots – your source for the finest in holiday living.

Brian