Enya - And Winter Came
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Free Music Notes for And Winter Came
Free Music Review: "And Winter Came...": another great album
Hit: 5 Stars
I know some said this is Enya's best work up to date -- and they're almost right, in my opinion: I think "Watermark" will always be my favourite Enya album. That said, "And Winter Came..." is DEVASTATINGLY GOOD.
"And Winter Came": I already loved the track when it was called "Midnight Blue", I love it even more now -- the new vocals turn it into a completely different piece. It's a strong opening song, it really gets you in a wintery, peaceful mood.
"Journey of the Angels" reminded me of "Angeles" (from the album "Shepherd Moons"): great melody, great vocal arrangement, great lyrics. That's the track that reminded me of Enya's earlier days the most -- even though the WHOLE album is more similar to "Watermark" than to "A Day Without Rain".
"White is in The Winter Night" is utterly cheerful and I know I'll find myself singing it on Christmas day.
"O Come O Come Emmanuel" is haunting, especially the long and loud "aah" after the first verse. Lovely.
"Trains and Winter Rains" is an excellent first single, and it's POP at its most refined.
"Dreams are More Precious" should be released as a single, too: it has big potential. Superb vocal arrangement.
I think "Last Time By Moonlight" is going to be my favourite song on this album. Perfect melody (one that Mama Cass could sing), excellent arrangement, great vocals, insightful lyrics. The Trio did a great job on this one: it's flawless (not that the other songs are full of flaws, of course -- but this one's particularly appealing to my ears and brain).
"One Toy Soldier" is a very cute song! Roma Ryan did a great job on this one: the lyrics might sound sorta childish when you first listen to the song, but it quickly grew on me.
"Stars And Midnight Blue" reminded me of "A Moment Lost" (from "Amarantine"), which is a track I like a lot -- but it definitely sounds more mature and better produced.
"The Spirit of Christmas Past" is going to be my second favourite on the album. Another clever, soothing melody.
"My! My! Time Flies!" is another flawless song: it's different from what we've heard up to now, but you can still tell it's Enya, sweet lovely Enya. The lyrics are witty and priceless! Being an Enya fan, I knew the Beatles and B.B. King would be referred to in the song -- but I didn't know Isaac Newton would be, too. Lovely. Oh, and there's a great guitar solo at the end of the song -- something you don't hear very often in an Enya song! I love the ending line: "... could be tomorrow but then/ could be 2010."
The new "chorale" version of "Oiche Chiuin" is spectacular, luxuriant as the virgin forest, uber-cool. I like it as much as the version they recorded in 1988.
That's all.
Free Music Review: Christmas music with a new feel by Enya
Hit: 5 Stars
I have always been a real fan of Enya's music ever since she came out with "Watermark" in the late '80s. I have also liked "Amarantine", "In Memory of Trees" and "Days Without Rain". I have been looking for more of Enya's music and did a search on Amazon to see what newer albums she may have produced. I was intrigued to find an album by Enya that had Christmas music. The cover jacket of "And Winter Came" caught my eye, a captivating winter scene, so I suspected that there might be Christmas music on the album. I listened to the samples and ordered the CD to see what I thought and was very pleasantly surprized. The first track, "And Winter Came", is a beautiful combination of instrumental piano, strings and ethereal vocals which I found very soothing and peaceful. "Journey of the Angels" is a beautifully sung composition with Enya as the lead singer in the song. There is also a very calming and relaxing vocal and instrumental back-up accompanying Enya's vocal lead in "Journey of the Angels". "Trains and Winter Rains" has an upbeat feel with vocals, low strings and percussion and is one of my favorite tracks. Enya adds an interesting twist to a traditional Christmas favorite, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", by singing parts of the song in English and also in what I believe might be Gaelic. I would have to say that one thing I have always liked about Enya's style is her beautiful and soothing voice. The lyrics in her songs have such a clarity and beauty to them.
Probably my favorite song on this CD is "The Spirit of Christmas Past" which is a gorgeous Christmas song. It has a slower-paced, very beautiful and melodious vocal lead by Enya and is accompanied by back-up vocals and low strings. The words are uplifting and soothing and when I hear them, I picture looking out my window on Christmas morning and seeing snow gently falling.
The last track on this CD is "Oiche Chiuin" which to me, is a beautiful arrangement of the Christmas classic, "Silent Night" melody sung in what I believe might be Gaelic. Im not sure about the language but I think its Gaelic since Enya sings in both English and Gaelic. I think Gaelic is an old Irish language. This classic song is sung with such the ethereal beauty of this foreign language. Even though I do not understand the words when Enya's music is sung in Gaelic, I definitely can capture the serene, soothing beauty of these songs which is so relaxing and calming to my mind and spirit. I just bought the album a little while ago and even though the Christmas Season is over, this is music I could listen to year-round. In my opinion, this CD is a must-have for every Enya fan.
Free Music Review: Exquisite and unique holiday music
Hit: 5 Stars
Like most people who enjoy good New Age music, I have heard of Enya before and have listened to her ethereal melodies since her hit "Sail away (Orinoco flow)". This, however, is the first CD I've purchased from her and it will most definitely not be the last. Along with "And Winter came...", I purchased two other holiday music CD's - those of Sarah Brightman ("A Winter Symphony") and Loreena McKennitt ("A midwinter's night dream"), and I must say Enya's is my favorite one. Perhaps because she has been able to pull out of her creativity for the special holiday season while being true to her style, the CD impresses even more. Even if one is not a musician, one can still perceive the technique behind this work.
"And Winter came..." introduces this musical experience with a piece without lyrics, just tranquil "white" music. Songs that I find outstanding are the self-created "White is in the winter night", an up-tempo song that simply invites singing along its tune. "Trains and winter rains" reminds me of the dark, gloomy days of London in winter. One excellent piece I have found in the march-along "One toy soldier", a song that tells the tale of a sad toy until it finally finds happiness with the child that it is given to. Another great melody, almost inspired by the music of the Beatles (who are mentioned in the lyrics), is "My! My! Time flies!", a small history of the world in three minutes or less. The album closes with a chorale version of "Silent Night" as "Oiche Chiuin".
As her website, and that of Nick and Roma Ryan, indicates, Enya's unique gift for music has also been accompanied by arduous study and unique awards. This is not surprising, as she has managed to create a sound within the New Age category that is unparalleled. Her voice and her melodies "float", as if suspended in mid-air, delight us while they last, and leave us with an innocent memory. The white horse and the exquisite white dress in the cover of the album, as well as the rest of the photography by Simon Fowler complete the beautiful holiday project, one I will keep listening to for years to come. After all, it "could be 2010" very soon.
Free Music Review: And Winter Came... Is 5 Stars
This is Enya at her finest, unlike other who think this is a Christmas Album "it is not". And Winter Came... is a Winter themed album with some fanastic songs. I have been a fan for a long time, I have all her works. She has never came out with a finer Album. Granted there are 2 songs I don't like, but that is expected of any album she has out. And for the people who speak negative about Enya, keep your thoughts to yourself.And Winter Came...
This is a wonderful version of Midnight Blue, I do wish she came up with a new composition. Nonetheless this is a great starter song. 5/5
Journey Of The Angels
This song I did not like that much, it didn't catch me. I feel the song itself is boring. 3/5
White Is In The Winter Night
This is very catchy and I love it. But it is repetitive!! 4/5
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Very Slow song and its Hauntingly Beautiful, but not my favorite hoilday song. 4/5
Trains and Winter Rains
Love this song so much, I love the darkness of it and the lyrics. 5/5
Dreams Are More Precious
This is a very nice song and I love the flow of it. I like the way she sings Come!! 5/5
Last Time By Moonlight
This song is great, love the chorus the most. 5/5
One Toy Soldier
This song is just pure brilliance. 5/5
Stars And Midnight Blue
Another really nice song. 5/5
The Spirit Of Christmas Past
This is awesome , she sings the best on this one, I love the amens. Enya sounds wonderful on this song. 5/5
My My Time Flies
My Favorite Song, the song is so different and the lyrics are historical, which Enya has never made. Enya you are awesome. Love the Guitar!!! 5/5
Oiche Chiuin
Just Another Version Of The Original 2/5
All in All I think this is the best album Enya has made since The Memory Of Trees!!!
Free Music Review: A strong entry for Enya
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, let me say that I typically do not enjoy contemporary "Christmas" or "Winter" albums on the whole because I often find that the take on many of the classic carols and hymns are poorly arranged and sung. Also, if there ARE new Christmas songs by the artist, they come of sounding contrived. I am a huge Enya fan, so I am biased, but I genuinely found AWC to be probably the best Winter/Christmas-themed album I've heard. To start off with, there are only two traditional hymns--Oiche Chuin (an Irish version of SILENT NIGHT) and O COME O COME EMMANUEL (an older hymn based on Gregorian chant). Both are performed by Enya with exceptional beauty and skill on this album. Although Enya did perform Oiche Chuin years ago, this new version is is a harmony-based version instead of the single vocal line version of the past and (IMO) is better.
Many of the original compositions are heavenly. LAST TIME BY MOONLIGHT is a spectacular piece both melodically and lyrically. ONE TOY SOLDIER is very sweet and child-like (again, the harmonies are amazing). One of the big surprises is MY! MY! TIME FLIES, which is a 70's-inspired pop song with clever lyrics and a ripping electric/blues guitar solo. I really love JOURNEY OF THE ANGELS as well (it has a bit of the Lord of the Rings theme, Aniron).
There are various reasons to criticize Enya (my biggest criticism has mostly to do with the use of the same instrumentation over and over), but she consistently writes incredibly melodies and her voice is always a pleasure to hear. This album is as good as any of her last 3 albums, and I think most people will love the feeling it creates at Christmas time...the feeling of peace, happiness (and maybe a bit of reminiscence and melancholy).