Celtic Woman and Tchaikovsky

Day 2 of the build up to Christmas! Today I have more conventional and popular Christmas songs. These are the kinds of songs you only associate with this time of year. These songs are iconic and classic when it comes to the holiday season. This first song has been re-created so many times and each time, it sounds very different. There have been many interpretations and takes on this song, all of which are beautiful in their own respect. This rendition which I have chosen has been done by Celtic Woman. I love this rendition so much because it is very traditional and more like the original. When I hear this song, I always think of the very orchestral and choir-ish sound that it has. That is what I like the most about this song. So in choosing the Celtic Woman version, we get to hear that powerful orchestral sound. In my eyes, this song is supposed to have this sense of power to it, and that kind of strength is only something you can hear in an orchestra. This song is so very popular but it never loses its touch with me. I always love hearing this song in its full orchestral glory. Celtic Woman does an absolutely incredible job with their version of the song. The orchestra sounds incredibly fantastic in the background and the voices of Celtic Woman offer us that very choir-like atmosphere. The violinist in this version is one of the members of Celtic Woman and she compliments the vocals so well with her violin solos. There is this trade off between having the violin at the forefront and then having the vocals at the front. The vocals though are simply beautiful. Every melody, every harmony, and every note is spectacular and perfectly on pitch. I have yet to hear a flaw in this version of the song and I think that may be why this is one of my favorite renditions. This song is just such a classic one that I can't help wanting to hear it in the original style. Today's instrumental song was composed by Tchaikovsky and is used in The Nutcracker. This is possibly the most iconic of all non-religious Christmas pieces. The moment anyone hears this piece, they automatically know what the song is or where it came from and they definitely associate it with the holiday spirit. This piece has the use of the bells and it is simply beautiful. Not only is this piece so beautiful, it is something that the entire world can recognize. I love all the music from The Nutcracker and for good reason. We do not always get the happy and jolly sound that comes with Christmas. With this piece, we get that feeling of suspense and anticipation of the night before. This piece does capture so many of the emotions associated with the Christmas holiday and Tchaikovsky exhibits his musical brilliance throughout the entire score. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!