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Our Review

A Christmas Dream is a fantastic new age holiday album that is all about balance--the perfect balance among harp (Robin Berry), guitar (Bobby Schnitzer), and recorder (David Young). The harmonies are natural, intimate, and warm, yet light enough to carry the listener away to a heavenly spot. Lighter than air and brighter than star shine, A Christmas Dream is mood music of the highest order.

This is a fantastic album for creating a soothing ambiance. The musicianship is marvelous, and the notes shimmer in the air. This generous offering (over an hour of music!) presents 15 tracks, including mostly ancient carols, and three Robin Berry originals. The interlocking layers of harp upon recorder upon guitar are a feast for the ears, and everything works together wonderfully well. The mood is relaxing, comfortably modern, and supremely easy on the ears.

My favorite pieces include the delicately meandering "The First Noel," which at 5 minutes, 30 seconds is the longest track on the album, and Robin Berry's gorgeous "Down by Christmas Lake" (OK, I live perhaps two miles from a lovely Christmas Lake in Minnesota, and that may create some bias) and "Christmas Morning," which opens with a swirl of harp strings, bringing to mind the magic of that morning each and every year.

Let this terrific trio sweep you away! Sweet dreams!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2005)

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From the liner notes:

Robin Berry: Harp
Bobby Schnitzer: Guitars, Guitar Synthesizer, Bass and Percussion
David Young: Recorders, Guitar on "Coventry Carol"
Kenni Holmen: Soprano Sax & Piccolo
Jeff Victor: Keyboards

All songs produced and arranged by Bobby Schnitzer Executive Producer: Robin Berry

From the Web site:

About the Artist:

Robin Berry, harpist, composer, arranger... with a love for nature

"I am especially drawn to water... be that in the form of rain or snow, pond or lake, river or ocean, is no matter. There is a force in the aquatic element that speaks to my soul... My father was an accomplished trombonist and a music therapist. During my childhood he exposed me to an array of musical instruments, but none of them captivated me. My love for the harp began the day I heard a woman play this magnificent instrument. Its celestial tones called to me - so reminiscent of the magical sounds of water."

A native of Minneapolis, Robin began playing the harp 30 years ago. She studied classical music at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Summers took Robin to Los Angeles, California where she studied popular and jazz techniques from renown harpist, Dorothy Ashby

Robin's soul stirring compositions are the outgrowth of her love for composing and arranging. Her diverse repertoire includes folk, classical, original and popular styles. Inspired by her travel abroad, Robin incorporates the sounds of distant lands into many of her compositions, resulting in a mosaic of musical styles, ranging from light to rythmic, classical to jazz.

Robin helps you to embrace the healing powers of music through her offerings that surround the soul with tranquility, beauty and style.

From www.davidyoungmusic.com: The dreamlike sounds of the harp, guitar and recorder create a magical backdrop for the holiday season. In their second recording together, David, Robin Berry and Bobby Schnitzer have captured the spirit of the holiday season with their original arrangements of traditional carols.

Robin Berry, Bobby Schnitzer, David Young

A Christmas Dream

Artist site

Track List