I think, frankly, that Candace Night has the most beautiful voice in music today.

Now that you know my personal biases – or at least the one that applies here – let me tell you that once again, Blackmore’s Night has come up with a don’t-miss musical offering. This time, it’s even seasonal, as the pairing of Ritchie Blackmore and Candace Night has decided to gift us with a CD of holiday favorites, Winter Carols.

True to the medieval-tinged rock sound we’ve grown to expect from Blackmore’s Night, Winter Carols has a definite pagan feel to it; this is not Yuletide music for the nobility, but for the country folk dancing. Instruments like the shawm, pennywhistle, nyckleharpa, and mandola contribute to the reel-and-roll feel. The production and engineering is crisp, clean, and uncluttered, though I found it a little disconcerting how there were no clean breaks between tracks on the CD. Each song fades into another, much like a live recording, and in this case I think it clutters the sound slightly.

At best, though, that’s a minor quibble, trumped by the music itself. This is a collection of perfect gems; “Hark The Herald Angels Sing/O Come All Ye Faithful” is triumphant and bright, “Good King Wenceslas” is heartfelt and powerful, and “We Three Kings” is alternately haunting and soaring. Candace Night’s voice is a magnificent instrument, and is very much the centerpiece here. Add in “Christmas Eve” and “Wish You Were Here”, as well as a Hanukkah selection in “Ma-O-Tzur”, and you have one heck of a fine Yuletide CD.

Winter Carols should not be missed. Pick it up today.

Rating: A

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