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A Winter Symphony | 
 enlarge | Artist: Sarah Brightman
Label: Manhattan Records
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $7.77
You Save: $11.21 (59%)
New (38) Used (9) Collectible (1) from $7.45
Avg. Customer Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 27
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4
EAN: 5099923412323
Release Date: November 4, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Arrival | | • | Colder Than Winter | | • | Ave Maria (duet with Fernando Lima) | | • | Silent Night | | • | In The Bleak Midwinter | | • | I've Been This Way Before | | • | Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring | | • | Child In A Manger | | • | I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday | | • | Amazing Grace | | • | Ave Maria | | • | I Believe In Father Christmas |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...
 A Very British, Very Enjoyable Christmas Album! November 16, 2008
26 out of 30 found this review helpful
Before you decide to buy this very wonderful and unique album of Christmas music be forewarned that this is NOT your typical album of American Christmas music, nor is it a "new age" Christmas album. If you are buying "A Winter Symphony" to satisfy those kinds of urges...be warned that this will work will probably not satisfy them!
BUT if you want a very different, very unique and yes...spiritual experience and are willing to embrace some European/British Christmas traditions then jump on in and buy "Winter Symphony."
Sarah Brightman did something which is by all standards quite a bold move...and that is to create a distinctly European and specifically British Christmas Album and release it overseas.
The songs on this album are songs most often heard in Europe/Britain...and NOT the USA. In fact, some of these Christmas songs I haven't heard since I moved back to America. Note: I mean BRITISH...songs British people listen at holiday time to: not songs Americans THINK the British listen to. Now let's deal with the album itself.
You can see just how European this album is with the very first song, which was co-written by the men from ABBA. Being a Japanese-Swedish-American I was struck by how Swedish the first song, "Arrival" is. In fact, "Arrival", reminds me a lot of a talented Swedish folk-singer, Merit Hemmingson, (who sadly is unknown outside of Sweden.) Given that this folk tradition is unknown outside of Sweden, "Arrival" is a pretty bold inclusion and shows you that this album is going to start out strong and it just gets better from there.
If you analyze the content of the album you can see that once again, Sarah Brightman and Frank Peterson imagined an album of music that would work like a themed "mini-musical." More specifically, and more exciting is the fact that they tied this "Winter Symphony" in with Sarah's most recent album "Symphony." The two albums deliberately compliment each other: even the art work on the two albums is inter-related with Sarah in "Winter Symphony" looking like the White image of herself that soars above the dead Red image who died in the labyrinth in the "Symphony" album.
I won't bore you with dissecting each song on the album, other than to say that both versions of "Ave Maria" on "A Winter Symphony" are distinctly different from each other and also from the more famous, controversial earlier version of "Ave Maria" that Sarah released previously. I particuarly like the first new version duet with Fernando Lima because of it's distinctly Hispanic flavor (I live in Southern California and can imagine someone singing this version in an old Mission at midnight on Christmas eve.)
Some reviewers criticized Sarah in this album for singing in a very high register...obviously these people never went to a C of E (Church of England) service. Sarah nails the classic C of E choir technique in what is most likely a nod to her childhood. (Again, that very British theme of the album.)
Sarah also includes some really lively songs. like "I Believe in Father Christmas" that remind me of songs you'd hear on the radio in London around Christmas time...the British version of our Fifties Christmas songs.
In closing, knowning just how polarized things have gotten over the years in America, let's address the issue of whether or not a non-Christian fan of Sarah Brightman's can enjoy this music. Being raised in an inter-Faith family of C of E'ers, Swedish Lutherans and Buddhists I can say...yes...both Christians and Non-Christians can enjoy this album.
A non-Christian fan of Sarah Brightman's should not be afraid of this album, even if there are some classic Christian religious songs in it. The religious songs in this album are very classical and very beautifully done...I especially like her version of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." Her "Ave Maria" with Fernando Lima is...well...I'm a Buddhist and I think it's awesome.
Conversely, a Christian fan of Sarah Brightman's should not fear this is some kind of "new age" perversion either. A Christian fan can also enjoy this album not fearing the inclusion of secular songs because these songs are in the European Yule tradition from whence all our current Christmas traditions sprang. In fact, I'd even venture that it might make an American Christian appreciate the European traditions more and slow down and not make their Christmas a frenzied, frantic shopping spree coupled with equally frenzied "Joy of Christmas" religious pagents.
Sarah Brightman's done something quite extraordinary...and that is to create an album of Holiday music which EVERYBODY, regardless of their religion (or lack thereof) can enjoy. Sarah's life the past few years has been challenging to say the least, and she's overcome those challenges in a most amazing manner which has been reflected in the joint "Symphony"/"Winter Symphony" albums. Like all true artists, she's taken her personal life with it's triumphs and tragedies, integrated it into her works and once again given her fans a transcendent experience that allows us to rise with her into a more hopeful future.
Sarah Brightman once described herself as being "very, very British" and that's reflected in her very, very British, very, very enjoyable "A Winter Symphony." And yes...I'd say an American can enjoy a very British album of Christmas music. So if, you're curious, buy the album, jump on in and have a Merry Christmas.
With this Xmas can only be good... November 19, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
With this holiday album Sarah is making Christmas her own and inviting us in the most eloquent way to join in her celebration. The selection of songs are inspired and even with standards (silent night) never cliche. The more
I listen to the album the more I love it: that beautiful voice soothes and sails over magnificent orchestrations. Don't even think about it - just buy it.
STUNNING! November 10, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
After reading a few of the other reviews I decided that I needed to give this album my own review. This is not a "Traditional" holiday cd, no, "Frosty The Snowman" or "Little Drummer Boy". Even though I would have loved to hear Sarah sing these favorites, this is really a true holiday album. If you loved Sarah McLachlan's amazing "Wintersong" cd you will love "A Winter Symphony". While "Silent Night" and her fabulous version of "Child In A Manger" are simply beautiful, I love the original compositions such as "Arrival","Colder Than Winter" and especially "I've Been This Way Before". These songs set the mood for a journey into winter and of course the holiday season. Ignore the reviews that say this album is full of "Ballads", these songs are appropriate for the season and year round. Listen to the melodies and especially the lyrics and you will find yourself in a much happier and festive mood. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Another great album! November 17, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I love this album! I own all of Sarah Brightman's albums and this one is just as good as the others. I did feel the joy and the Christmas spirit when I heard 'Child In A Manger', 'I Believe In Father Christmas', 'When A Child Is Born' and 'War Is Over' - the last track on the Barnes and Noble version of this album. Those are my favorite songs on the album along with 'Arrival' (I can't stop playing this one). All of the songs are beautiful.
I do wish she would have included 'First of May'. It's one of my favorite songs and I always feel the Christmas spirit when I play it. I know it's on the Japanese verson - I may get that one when the price goes down.
I also have to say that all of Sarah's album covers are beautiful but this is the best one yet. She looks stunning on the cover.
Sarah is my favorite singer. It's awesome to have two great new albums from her in one year! Yay.
A winter symphony November 24, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
After being disappointed with SYMPHONY, Sarah Brightman reminded me why I love her music with her new holiday album A WINTER SYMPHONY. A WINTER SYMPHONY is a collection of traditional Christmas music as well as a few non-Christmas tracks. What I didn't like about SYMPHONY was the flow of the album. It was choppy and all over the place. A WINTER SYMPHONY has a much more even, cohesive flow. The songs Sarah chose for this album did not disappoint me. I really loved her interpretations of "Silent Night", "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", and "Ave Maria" (by herself). I especially love "Silent Night". Her delicate vocals really shines through on this song. I get the chills everytime I listen to this beautiful song. The one song I could have lived without was Sarah's duet with Fernando Lima on "Ave Maria". It wasn't bad but I definitely preferred her solo version. Fernando's vocals was a bit too distracting for me. As always the artwork is stunning to say the very least. With Christmas right around the corner, A WINTER SYMPHONY will be making my holiday shopping a lot more bearable when I do my shopping while listening to my ipod.
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