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How fun is this? Two talented guys from New Jersey (Harry Kopy & George Simonovich) are the Ghosts of Christmas Past, presenting over an hour of nicely-crafted acoustic instrumentals for the holidays. Their ghostly images hovering on the mildly spooky album cover remind me that Halloween is just a week away. And beyond that, Thanksgiving is fast upon us, making this the right time to savor the acoustic simplicity that The Ghosts of Christmas Past: A Short History of Christmas Music from the Distant Past (14th Century to 1857) has to offer. OK, the album's title is a tad lengthy, and its content is not entirely acoustic; it fudges a few instruments here and there with electronic magic. Even so, the collection reverberates with old-fashioned fun.

The artists intended some of the "ghosts" here to include musical pieces that "have slipped into obscurity"; only a handful, however, fall in that category. I am familiar with all but one (Celebrons la Naissance, but that may be more a testament to my insane holiday music addiction than commentary on what the average listener would know.

My musical tastes tend to favor simple acoustic virtuosity, so I especially embrace the naked strings. Despite that preference, I can recommend the entire offering as warmly executed--the technical wizardry is incorporated as a natural part of the musical landscape. My favorite tracks include the rustically elegant Canon in D Major (also the album's longest cut) and the moody, minor-key One Horse Open Sleigh, which conveys a creative, cowboy vibe. The well-constructed Greensleeves is another standout.

The substantial liner notes do a fine job of spelling out the story behind each chosen carol/song, including a small graphic. The whole package is quite impressive, including the artful arrangements.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past would be excellent party guests at your next holiday event. The music is clever, heartwarming, and nostalgic without being stodgy. Nothing scary about that!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)

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From the liner notes:

Acoustic Instrumentals of Familiar & Obscure Christmas Songs.

All instruments played by George Simonovich. Some instrumental voices provided by the Roland GR-1 Guitar Synthesizer.
Harry Kopy plays "strings", "chimes," and "percussion" on some tracks using the East West Symphonic Orchestra played on the Yamaha W-7.

Recorded at my home studio (my basement) on a Boss BR-8 digital recorder, except for instrumentation provided by Harry Kopy.
--George Simonovich

Mixed, engineered, and produced at Kopy Studios by George Simonovich and Harry Kopy.
Mastered, manufactured, and printed by DiscMakers, Pennsauken, NJ.

Ghosts of Christmas Past is a collection of Christmas carols and songs from the distant past that have pleased many an ear thru the generations from the last millenium to this new one. Although some are familiar, some unfortunately have slipped into obscurity, and I've made sure to include some of these "ghosts" here. Listening to music that our ancestors also heard is an experience shared across the generations that engenders a feeling of warmth, comfort, and a connection with the past that defines Christmas.


From the Website:

The Ghosts of Christmas Past are songwriters Harry Kopy and George Simonovich, who have honed their skills by playing a thousand songs at a thousand gigs at a thousand places throughout the tri-state area for thirty years (they started young).

Harry plays bass guitar and keyboards and is the guru of the studio, George plays all the other string instruments and occasionally bangs on the xylophone. Focusing now on writing and recording, this CD is the outgrowth of George's love of old and ancient Christmas music on acoustic instruments and Harry's masterful production, engineering, and keyboard skills.

George Simonovich & Harry Kopy

The Ghosts of Christmas Past

Artist link

Track List