Essential Winter's Solstice (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Barbara Higbie (vocals, bouzouki, harp, celtic harp, violin, piano, synthesizer); Dawn Atkinson (vocals); Brian Dunning (whistling, flute, accordion); Nina Gerber (guitar, bouzouki); Mícheál O Domhnaill (guitar, synthesizer); David Qualey, Will Ackerman, Keola Beamer, Michael Hedges, Peter Scott, Steve Erquiaga, William Coulter, Alex de Grassi, Tim Ellis (guitar); W.G. Snuffy Walden (acoustic guitar, programming); Brian Keane (acoustic 12-string guitar, synthesizer); George Doering (electric guitar); Lisa Lynne (harp); Mitzi Johnson (lute); John Imholz (mandocello); Paul Binkley (mandola); Darol Anger (mandolin, violin, keyboards, shaker); Seamus Egan, Mike Marshall , Dana Rath (mandolin); Tracy Silverman (violin, electric violin, keyboards); John Fitzpatrick, David Balakrishnan, Charlie Bisharat (violin); Johnny Cunningham (fiddle); Katrina Wreede, Danny Seidenberg (viola); Gil Morales, Hans Christian Reumschuessel, Joan Jeanrenaud, Mark Summer (cello); Thea Suits-Silverman (flute); Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (accordion, piano, synthesizer); Paul McCandless (oboe, English horn); Kimberly Bryden, Russel Walder (oboe); Richard Schönerz, Philip Aaberg, Tim Story (piano, synthesizer); Michael Manring (piano, fretless bass); George Winston, Ira Stein, Jim Brickman, Liz Story (piano); Jeff Johnson (keyboards); Caito Marcondes (pandeiro, caxixi, percussion); Andy Narell (steel drum); Cookie Marenco (tambourine); Steve Reid , Gregg Williams (percussion).

Liner Note Author: Dawn Atkinson.

Arrangers: Darol Anger; Dawn Atkinson; Jeff Johnson; Richard Schönerz; Liz Story; Michael Hedges; Paul McCandless; Pete Sutherland; Peter Scott; Philip Aaberg; Steve Erquiaga; Tom Miller; William Coulter; David Balakrishnan; Alex de Grassi; Barbara Higbie; John Imholz; Andy Narell; Brian Dunning.

Windham Hill's successful A Winter's Solstice series started during the label's first year in 1985, and has continued at roughly a new volume every two or three years, each installment containing a bright wintry blend of classical music, reimagined hymns, chiming carols, and atmospheric compositions that have since garnered the name new age. This two-disc set picks some of the best and brightest moments from the series' first eight volumes, including David Qualey's guitar arrangement of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," Liz Story's piano rendition of "Greensleeves," harpist Lisa Lynne's "Northern Lights," and guitarist W.G. Snuffy Walden's sad, haunting "Moon Lake" on disc one. Disc two offers up the Modern Mandolin Quartet's take on "Trepak," drawn from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite," William Coulter's lovely "Rain into Snow," and Darol Anger's reshaping of the traditional "I Saw Three Ships." The music on these two discs is beautiful, soothing, even redemptive, and it all seems as natural as a sky full of stars. ~ Steve Leggett minimize