Norland Wind: December Journey CD

"A music that exhibits the highest quality...December Journey is beautiful." - FolkWorld.de
A musical travelogue though winter, December Journey is a heady mix of contemporary compositions and songs that evoke the joyous enthusiasm and blissful quiet of the coldest of the seasons. Traditional styles from Ireland, Scotland, England, Norway and the Faroe Islands infuse this Celtic/Scandanavian collection of sweet melodies, lofty airs and spirited dances & songs. Norland Wind functions as both a trio and a septet, allowing maximum musical and artistic flexibility. The trio featured on this disc consists of Kerstin Blodig (guitar, vocals), Thomas Loefke (Celtic harp) and Ian Melrose (guitar, synthesizer), three highly talented Celtic and New Age musicians. Blodig also performs with the Celtic group Touchwood and the folk-pop band Talking Water. Loefke has won several prestigious international music awards, including first prize at the O'Carolan Harp Festival, while Melrose is considered to be one of Europe's finest contemporary acoustic guitarists. Supreme talent, passionate artistic vision and a simply flawless execution make Norland Wind's music absolutely incomparable. The trio creates a musical universe that immediately puts the listener at ease.

The magic of the Celtic harp is central to the sound of Norland Wind. The landscape and music of Donegal provides the inspiration for many compositions of the trio. Haunting harp instrumentals written by Loefke and Melrose alternate with Gaelic and Anglo-Irish songs mostly composed by Blodig. Loefke's lyrical harp, Blodig's expressive voice and Melrose's sensitive guitar work blend with vocal harmonies and compact arrangements to create a uniquely evocative and emotionally powerful sound: Celtic acoustic music which successfully merges the traditional and the modern.

1. A 'Christmas Without Song' Pols
2. Christmas Day In The Morning/St Kilda Wedding
3. Guiding Star
4. My Heart Is Always Moving
5. When Christ Was Born
6. Stephen's Day Session
7. The Promising Light
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
9. Christmas On The Rocks
10. Be Thou My Vision
11. That Night In Bethlehem
12. Shining Christmas
13. December Journey