Angelic sounds come forth from this Christmas CD. That’s because Katie McMahon is the singer.
Well-known for her soprano solo on the Riverdance single, this is a woman with a gentle, bright voice that lends itself perfectly to Christmas music. The very first track here, “In the Bleak Mid-Winter” is a sweet holiday tune that sets the mood for the album. Tracks like “Christmas Pipes” insure you won’t forget that this is a Celtic CD. Truthfully, the sound is woven in neatly throughout.
I was particularly fond of “The Holly and the Ivy” here…it has a great flow and is very “Christmassy”.
McMahon uses her voice as instrument, and there are actually times where it sounds more like something being played than someone singing a song. It’s an interesting effect, and one that only a truly gifted singer can pull off. Another nice thing about this CD is that it is a mix of often-played Christmas songs and ones that you probably haven’t heard–for example–“Silent Night” makes its debut, but in German. I was surprised by this–but in a good way. Nothing wrong with changing things up a bit, right?
Celtic Christmas music with a traditional feel and an artistic flare. That is what McMahon serves up here. This carefully crafted collection of tracks works well together and has a soothing, happy feel to it. It makes for a great addition to the holiday music line-up–or a nice holiday gift.
Artist: Katie McMahon
Album: Celtic Christmas
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Similar Artists: Celtic Woman, Riverdance, Enya, The Chieftains, Loreena McKennitt, Altan
Catherine L. Tully specializes in writing about the arts, lifestyle and travel. She is the Owner of 4dancers, a blog for those who love dance, and Editor for Freelance-Zone, an award-winning site for freelance writers. Catherine also reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine.
