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Sarah has created a christmas album that is NOT suffocating with 100% of serious traditonal Christmas music. You could listen to this album in July.the music is that beautiful. There are even two up-beat Santa songs.
Personally, I dont't think she could have made a better christmas album. If you love Sarah's voice, you will love this album. Her silent night is the most beautiful version I have ever heard.
Most of the songs ARE traditional christmas songs. She tried to please everybody here. It is very special.
A few of the songs are more contemporary and could be on any album (such as "colder than winter" and "I've been this way before"). It has a nice variety.
And she can lift popular and even rock music to levels unattained by anyone else, as she does on several well-known tunes in this CD.As a Protestant, I must admit I was never a big fan of the song Ave Maria until now. I have in my collection at least two-dozen Christmas seasonal CDs, but this is the best. This woman has it all: The world's best soprano range, superb taste in song selection, and ability to blend so well in duets that she helps make an excellent partner like Lima, for four minutes at least, sound like the best male vocalist in the world.Astounding performance. Brightman's Ave Maria duet with Fernando Lima early in the CD is surpassed only by her heart-seizing solo performance on a different arrangement of the song later on.And then there are arrangements of Silent Night, Amazing Grace and Child in a Manger that are absolutely the best. No. 2 was a 1997 Christmas concert in Vienna featuring Brightman and Placido Domingo.Brightman has a unique ability to interpret classical music so that it touches exactly the right spot in the human heart.
But This CD is not her best nor it is my favorite. Over all its good and I enjoyed many of the songs as I love Sarah B. But then someone might find it is one their favorites. Before you buy this CD I recommend you listen to samples as each one of us has his-her own likes and may see or rather hear the music differently.Personally I kind of missed the fact that the 'winter symphony' = 'christmas' music. It really is not playable inthe middle of July humid heat, your neighbours might thing you have finally gone mad, lol.
She is a 5 Star Singer and her Christmas songs are beautiful. I was thrilled to discover that Sarah Brightman did a Christmas CD, so much so that I ordered it in March.
My advice would be to listen to Sarah as background (she won't go away) and focus in on what that Big Band is doing. Her incorporation of the Steve Sidwell Big Band in the arrangement is knockout stuff. and illustrates all that I was missing. I have since come to view this cut as worthy of showcasing the entire album. I have all of Sarah's stuff and was not about to let this slip by, whatever it was.Upon giving it an initial listen, I was not overly impressed.
THIS IS SARAH.The Ave Maria Duet with Fernando Lima is in itself worth times over the price of the CD. `I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY' is a vulgar trashy little tune, complete with vulgar thumping percussion. which is exactly what Sarah had in mind all the time. So what about those not so hot reviews. some people hearing Sarah are better fitted to listening to Enya.
she has already done that other stuff. However, THAT reaction was almost six months ago. Sure, it is STILL a trashy little tune, but just listen to what Sarah has DONE with it. All the way along from the opening bar, have you been picking up on the magnificent development done by the London Symphony brass section. On hearing it, my first impression was, "What is Sarah doing singing this garbage.". When A WINTER SYMPHONY was first released I picked it up in a heartbeat without so much as a look.
Sarah was looking for an ideal vocal blend set in a desired interpretation and she got what she was after. In this album, Sarah demonstrates fresh and new pure vocal stylings. Let's start at the bottom of the barrel as an illustration. The music is jaw dropping. Between the two and two and a half minute mark, if one is not howling in delight over the soaring escapades of those screaming trumpets. In fact it was more like being significantly under-enthralled.
Sarah sees to that. THIS IS MUSIC. . YOU WEREN'T LISTENING. Every selection in this collection (nice rhyme) is fully redeemed in a deeply musical sense and stands on it's own merits. with Sarah and specially this recording, you have to LISTEN.With the effort, the delights will unfold.
Lots of people show up at the dock only to miss the boat. That is reviewer deficiency, not Sarah's. After repeated exposure, this album as become, hands down, a prized gem in my collection of Sarah's music. and Sarah had them making those sounds for a very good reason. WOW.
That was THEN. Sarah is milking it all for everything she can get.
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