As he did with 2001's Christmas Celtic Sojourn, WGBH radio host Brian O'Donovan begins its sequel with the beautiful, almost otherworldly voice of Maddy Prior. Her medieval-tinged reading of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" gets Comfort and Joy: A Christmas Celtic Sojourn off to an appropriately reverent yet decidedly unique start. CelticChristmas collections can be as contrived or clichéd as their populist Yuletide brethren, but O'Donovan wisely focuses on performance rather than generalized holiday bliss, making Comfort as much a compilation of talented Celtic performers as it is a Christmas music collection. Waterson:Carthy's "Shepherds Arise" is a perfect example. It's seven-plus minutes of Martin Carthy and family soaring through traditionalBritish folk, with their robust, interwoven vocal harmonies and the rousing call of a solitary fiddle leading the way. Try to find that on a budget-bin Santa sampler. Elsewhere, instrumentals from Áine Minogue and Druidstone each feature pristine harp work. Prior returns with her Carnival Band in Comfort and Joy's second half for the jaunty "My Dancing Day" (which makes splendid use of the word "betwixt"), while Cherish the Ladies contribute the lush medley "O Holy Night/Cill Chais." The album closes gently with Robbie O'Connell's "Twelfth Day Carol." By wrapping its Christmas tidings in scarlet and shimmering green, Comfort and Joy becomes a gift not only to holiday listeners, but to fans of folk and Celtic music everywhere. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
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