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Beautiful Darkness, Celebrating the Winter Solstice

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Download links and information about Beautiful Darkness, Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Martin Simpson, Jessica Radcliffe. This album was released in 2001 and it belongs to New Age, Songwriter/Lyricist genres. It contains 17 tracks with total duration of 55:18 minutes.

Artist: Martin Simpson, Jessica Radcliffe
Release date: 2001
Genre: New Age, Songwriter/Lyricist
Tracks: 17
Duration: 55:18
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Tracks

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No. Title Length
1. Northern Lass/Snowflakes 6:38
2. Time Is a Little Girl/Over the River and Through the Woods 2:18
3. The Time Is Drawing Near 3:45
4. Kolyada/Old One 2:45
5. Raven/Gifts 2:38
6. Give Me the Moon 3:02
7. Abbotts Bromley Horn Dance/In Winters Shadow 3:20
8. O Vent 3:12
9. The Cutty Wren 4:41
10. 'Til Here Is There 2:27
11. To Drive the Cold Winter Away 1:47
12. One Small Candle 4:50
13. Winter Wedding/The Wexford Carol/The King/The Holly and the Ivy 5:09
14. Solstice Fire 0:18
15. TourneTourne 4:13
16. Bright Child/Magic 2:43
17. The Holly Bears the Crown 1:32

Details

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Released in 2000, Beautiful Darkness was one of the loveliest and most unusual holiday albums to come along in some time. It was a rare release, in that the people who made it — Jessica Radcliffe, Lisa Ekström, and Martin Simpson — seem to have made the album for artistic reasons, not commercial ones. The album also stood out because the participants offered an intelligent, deeply felt meditation on the Solstice — as opposed to the Christmas — celebration. One shouldn't approach Beautiful Darkness like a Bing Crosby record, filled with spirited songs and happy lyrics. Instead, the album is all of a musical piece, relying heavily on mood to portray the undercurrent of the long winter nights. The instrumental work is as spare as the leaf-less winter woods, with guitar, bells, cello, and accordion creating a deep, subtle atmosphere. Radcliffe handles most of the spoken-sung parts, and her fragile voice adds a touch of haunted ambience to the music. If one gains the impression that Beautiful Darkness' heavy mood is a contemplation on death, it's only a fitting subject for the Solstice season. For anyone prone to sitting before the fireplace in mediation during chilly evenings, Beautiful Darkness is a desirable companion. For those who are sick to death of the same old holiday offerings, Radcliffe, Ekström, and Simpson offer a refreshing change. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi