Search - Frankie Gavin, Joe Bernie, The Carl Hession Chamber Orchestra :: Shamrocks & Holly: An Irish Christmas Celebration

These musicians, probably best known for their recordings with De Danaan, seem to be able to play just about any kind of music (short of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony) in any style, using arrangements by Gavin (who plays whistle, flute, fiddle, and viola) and Hession (who plays all kinds of keyboards). The traditional religious carols ("Silent Night," "Adeste Fideles," "Angels We Have Heard on High") get a reverent treatment, sometimes flavored with folk instruments. Festive tunes ("Deck the Halls," "Tommy Coen's Christmas") come out as jigs and reels, and one of the best numbers on the disc is "The Holly Reel," an original composition by Gavin. Some modern songs get an old-fashioned jazz treatment ("Ragtime Rudolph" and "Jingle Bells Jazz"). This is an imaginative and well-played collection, neatly mingling new and familiar pieces, and giving a new twist to the older items. --Joe McLellan