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Possibly because of their propensity for mysticism and unconventional spiritual seeking, Baby Boomers have popularized such musical forms as New Age and Celtic. The "Celtic revival" achieved tremendous popularity throughout the 1980s and '90s due to the work of such well-known Celtic players as Maggie Sansone and Sue Richards, who have been recording together and separately since the early '80s. On this, their fourth Christmas CD, they take the listener on a winter journey, from harvest to the darkening of the days, and through to the new year and the return of the light. They do this by separating their presentation into four parts: Harvesthome: The Ripening of the Year, Samhain: The Days Grow Dark, Advent: Waiting for the Light, and The Twelve Days.

Each part includes selections chosen to establish that season's mood. The Harvesthome selections are alternately celebratory and sad, as befits the realization of the autumnal equinox, with two of the five selections played in minor keys. The second period, Samhain continues to paint a picture of wistful sadness through darker melodies and tempo. The mood begins to shift to relief and hope in Advent, where well-known Christmas melodies are first heard. And finally, with The Twelve Days the winter darkness is overcome by a much brighter and positive spirit of Christmas and the new year.

This description may sound too analytical. But it is the setting and changing of the mood that impressed me, because it implies a level of musicianship that need not trouble itself with technical matters but instead can effortlessly apply technical performance to establishing these seasonal textures and moods. The result is a sound that will appeal both to rabid fans and occasional listeners.

--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2003)

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From the press release -

"Seasonal Music from Autumn Equinox to the New Year celebrates music from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and other lands where Celtic people settled. Through harvest time, to the old Celtic new year called "Samhain" (now called "Hallowe'en"), to the time of the Winter Solstice and the longest nights, and on to the coming promised light of Christmas and the New Year, our ancestors braced for the coming cold with the warmth that the winter hearth (and a good pint) could bring. Recorded live at the studios of XM Satellite Radio."

Appearing on Merrily Greet the Time were Sue Richards, Celtic harp; Maggie Sansone, hammered dulcimer; Connie McKenna, vocals; Karen Ashbrook, Irish flute, whistle, hammered dulcimer; Ralph Gordon, cello.

Sue Richards and Maggie Sansone

Merrily Greet the Time

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Track List