Recorded in various halls and abbeys in Ireland, and completed in the Church of Our Lady in Guelph, Ontario, harpist/arranger/vocalist
Loreena McKennitt
's first foray into the crowded field of
holiday
music -- she would go on to release an EP called
Winter Garden
in 1995 -- is steeped in old-world atmosphere.
To Drive the Cold Winter Away
celebrates the winter solstice through eight traditional English, Scottish, and Irish
carols
and
ballads
and two
Mckennitt
originals. The artist's reverence for her source material is moving, and her meticulous yet simple arrangements help tracks such as
"The Wexford Carol,"
"The Kings,"
"Let Us the Infant Greet"
resonate with all of the grace and piousness that the lyrics and poems strive for.
McKennitt
has succeeded in making a beautiful, haunting, and ambitious yuletide song cycle that despite taking itself a little too seriously, ranks among her finest. ~ James Christopher Monger