To Shorten the Winter: An Irish Christmas with Tommy Sands

by Tommy Sands

Overview

With this album, Irish singer and songwriter Tommy Sands makes an interesting and generally successful attempt to create a Christmas mood without recourse to traditional Christmas songs. Instead, he has written a program of songs that deal with childhood Christmas memories, themes of hospitality and welcome, and the story of Jesus' birth. The most ambitious song is the lead track, the awkwardly titled "Like the First Time It's Christmas Time," which obliquely addresses Ireland's troubled political history while expressing hope in the context of the Christmas season; the most ill-fitting song is an absolutely surreal cover version of "Whiter Shade of Pale." Everything else falls somewhere in between, and all of it is quite nice. Highlights include a great version of the traditional "Matt Hyland" and a lovely original song of parting titled "Slan Abhaile." There is also a humorous -- if hardly Christmasy -- duet with Dolores Keane called "The Mixed Marriage." Maybe not utterly essential, but very nice all in all. ~ Rick Anderson

Product Details

Release Date:	08/21/2001
Label:	Green Linnet
UPC:	0048248121224
Rank:	159276

Tracks

1. Like the First Time It's Christmas Time
2. Down by the Lagen Side
3. The Bushes of Jerusalem
4. Whiter Shade of Pale
5. Hearts of Love
6. Medley
7. Welcome Here Kind Stranger
8. Raglan Road
9. Medley
10. Let Me Be Your Island
11. The Mixed Marriage
12. Matt Hyland
13. Slan Abhaile

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tommy Sands   Primary Artist
John Fitzpatrick   Fiddle
Liam O'Flynn   Pipe,Whistle (Human)
Ben Sands   Vocals
Liam Bradley   Vocals,Percussion
Dolores Keane   Vocals
Rod McVey   Accordion,Keyboards,Organ (Hammond)
Arty McGlynn   Guitar,Telecaster
John Scott   Dobro,Guitar,Dulcimer
Steve Cooney   Guitar

Technical Credits

Rod McVey   Producer
Keith Reid   Composer
Colum Sands   Photography
Dermot Henry   Composer
Tommy Sands   Composer
Gary Brooker   Composer
Patrick Kavanagh   Composer
Brad Wrolstad   Design
Paul Avgerinos   Mastering
Traditional   Composer