A Winter Solstice Celebration
Helicon (1999)
Originally DOR-90276 (Dorian)
1999 Indie Award Winner for Best Seasonal Recording
Re-mastered in 2013 on Fenchurch Music (FM08)
Ken Kolodner (hammered dulcimer and fiddle)
Chris Norman (wooden flute, pipes, tin whistle, piano and eggs)
Robin Bullock (6 and 12 string guitars, cittern, fiddle and piano)
The repertoire for this recording was collected over the first thirteen years of Helicon's annual Winter Solstice Concert. This CD represents the only recording in Dorian's catalogue of over 300 titles to have won an "Indie" for Best Seasonal Recording in 2000. The first of these annual concerts in 1986 featured a double bill with Metamora and Helicon. NPR was on hand for several national re-broadcasts of the show. Helicon began this tradition by inviting various guests including a return of Metamora, Doc Watson (with NPR once again), John McCutcheon, members of The Paul Winter Consort, Hesperus, Patrick Ball, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Laura Risk, Freyda Epstein and others. Over the years, Helicon moved to presenting the concert without guest artists. The members of Helicon now look forward to this magical annual concert as a reunion, with Chris Norman coming in from Nova Scotia, Robin Bullock from France and Ken Kolodner still in Baltimore! In December 2014, Helicon will be reuniting for its 29th Annual Winter Solstice Concerts at Goucher College in Baltimore. Gathering together seasonal music from around the world, traditional Christmas favorites, and Helicon's own unique blend of international traditional dance music. This is not your typical Seasonal recording but it is widely loved by all those who hear it. The re-mastered version has significantly improved the balance and the track to track consistency in volume.
Track List
1. Erev Shel Shoshanim (Evening of Roses) (Yosef Hadar & Moshe Dor, Israel)/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Anonymous 16th Century English/Christmas Eve (Ireland)
2. Tincu (Andean)/Pawell (Andean)
3. Kenyan Christmas Carol
4. Murchy /Fransk Morgenstjerne (Rasmus Storm, Denmark)
5. Shalom Chaverim (Traditional Jewish)/Patapan (Bernard de la Monnoye ?, 1700)/Ding Dong Merrily on High (France)
6. The Happy Farmer/Spring Morning/A Girl Raises her Sheep/Dancing and Singing in the Village (China)
7. Dawn Dear Dawn (Russia)/Carol of the Bells (M. Leontovich, Ukraine)/New Year's Eve (Ireland)/Ukrainian Etude
8. Las Perlitas (Mexico)
9. Pretty Little Gal (U.S.)/Oklahoma Rooster (U.S.)/Round the Horn (Jay Ungar, U.S.)/Two White Nickels (John Hutchison, U.S.)
10. Il est ne (France)/Gesu Bambino (Frederick H. Martens & Pietro A. Yon, Italy)
11. Hush My Babe (a.s.a. I Shall Arise or Restoration) (U.S.)
Program length: 52:32