Winter Carols

Review

Winter Carols is the sixth studio album by the group Blackmore's Night, released in the United Kingdom in October, 2006, and in the United States on November 7, 2006. It is a Christmas themed album.

The cover artwork for this album, painted by Karsten Topelmann, is an adaptation of a street in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, in line with the band's heavy Renaissance influence. The same street is portrayed in the cover of Blackmore's Night's second studio album, Under a Violet Moon.

On the cover of "Winter Carols" the street is painted as winter time, whereas Under a Violet Moon's cover takes place on apparently a summer night.

On December 2006, Winter Carols entered at #7 on USA Billboard New Age Charts.

The album won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award as the Best Holiday Album.

Ever wonder what Christmas carols sounded like back in time when the finest form of transportation was by horse and wearing armor was a hip fashion statement? Well then, the second release of 2006 by Blackmore's Night, Winter Carols, may offer some insight.

As with their previous efforts, the music on Winter Carols is of the Renaissance-inspired folk variety and while the majority of the songs are traditional compositions, there are also a few originals, including "Winter (Basse Dance)," which includes some simply gorgeous acoustic guitar doodling by once Fender Strat/Marshall amp abuser Blackmore.

Elsewhere, songs such as "Hark the Herald Angels Sing/Come All Ye Faithful" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" would sound splendid sung around the campfire - if it were still the 15th century.

Credits:
Ritchie Blackmore – arrangements, guitar, mandola, nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy, percussion
Candice Night – vocals, shawm, pennywhistle
Pat Regan – production, arrangements, keyboards
Sir Robert of Normandie (Robert Curiano) – bass
Sisters of the Moon: Lady Madeline and Lady Nancy (Madeline and Nancy Posner) – harmony vocals
Bard David of Larchmont (David Baranowski) – keyboards
Sarah Steiding – violin
Anton Fig – drums
Albert Dannemann – bagpipes, backing vocals
Ian Robertson and Jim Manngard – backing vocals

Producer: Pat Regan