Celtic Christmas Music

It’s Celtic Christmas Music #77.

WELCOME TO CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC

I am Marc Gunn. Celtic musician with my own Celtic Christmas music. And I am a podcaster. This show promotes Celtic culture through Christmas cheer. If you hear music you love, please support the artists.

Visit the shownotes to find out more about them and follow the show at CelticChristmasPodcast.com.

Check out Celtic Christmas Music on Facebook.

CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC TODAY

0:06 - Aizle & Riognach Connolly "The Wexford Carol" from The Wexford Carol

4:40 - WELCOME

5:24 - The Gothard Sisters "Here We Come A Caroling" from A Celtic Christmas

8:37 - Liz Madden "Coventry Carol" from Christmas with Liz Madden

11:38 - A Shamrock in Kudzu "Canon In D" from Kudzu for Christmas

14:44 - Mark O'Connor "Holiday Album One Winter's Night" from Appalachian Christmas

19:26 - THANK YOU FOR SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER!

This podcast relies on the generosity of people just like you. For as little as $1 per month, you can help me produce new episodes of the podcast every year. And of course, since it is a podcast, you can listen to them you are ready and in the mood.

Please make a pledge to spread Christmas cheer this holiday season.

20:45 - Jil Chambless, Ed Miller and Scooter Muse "Emanuel " from Nollaig Chridheil / Songs of the Christmas Season

25:18 - Plunk Murray "I Saw Three Ships" from Christmas in the Pub

28:11 - The Poor Clares "The Seven Rejoices of Mary" from The Poor Clares: Songs for Midwinter

33:19 - Iona "Morny Ny Cainle/Arrane Y Guilley Hesheree/St. Ives Fer Moh" from Silver

37:23 - CLOSING

38:14 - Moya Brennan "In The Bleak Midwinter (An Irish Christmas Album Version)" from An Irish Christmas

42:08 - CLOSING

Celtic Christmas Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs.

The show is supported by our Christmas music lovers just like yourself over on Patreon. Join others to spread Christmas Cheer! Sign up for just $1 per month.

Visit our website to subscribe to the podcast. You’ll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.

Finally, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor.

Promote Celtic culture through Christmas music at CelticChristmasPodcast.com.

Nollaig Shona Daoibh!

#celticchristmas #celticchristmasmusic

Raise your sustainable Celtic Christmas tree while listening to Celtic Christmas Music #81.

Joseph Carmichael, Seán Heely, The Barra MacNeils, Cedar Dobson, The McDades, Irish Christmas in America, Brobdingnagian Bards, Screaming Orphans, Mary-Kate Spring Lee, Cherish the Ladies

WELCOME TO CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC

I am Marc Gunn. I am Celtic musician and host of Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. We are promoting Celtic culture through Christmas cheer all year long. That’s right. I am planning bonus episodes in the off-season to keep you in the Christmas spirit throughout 2025.

If you hear music you love, please support the artists. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes as well as how to support this podcast at CelticChristmasPodcast.com

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC

0:06 - Joseph Carmichael “Snowdrift” from Single

4:36 - WELCOME

5:17 - Seán Heely "Medieval Carols in the Great Hall” from So Merry as We Have Been

9:40 - The Barra MacNeils "O Holy Night” from The Christmas Album

14:23 - CHRISTMAS SHOWS

Last time, I mentioned some of the artists with Celtic Christmas Concerts. I missed Sean Heely, The Barra McNeils, Screaming Orphans, the McDades, and The Irish Rovers. Basically, many of the artists in this week’s episode have Celtic Christmas concerts.

15:17 - Cedar Dobson "Good Christian Men Rejoice/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Joy to the World” from A Whistle Wonderland: Christmas Melodies in a Celtic Style

18:13 - The McDades "Snow Snow” from A Winter Collection

23:02 - SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS TREES

If you’ve been following me for a while, I am continually looking for more sustainable ways to live. Christmas is a great time to do just that. We Celts have long had an important relationship with the land and our environment. So I’m gonna offer a bunch of thoughts in the coming months.

l read an article on “What’s The Most Sustainable Christmas Tree?” You can find a link in the shownotes.

One of the most-interesting things I read was about Artificial Trees. You might think they are the most-sustainable. But it turns out that they are typically made with some of the worst, most-toxic types of plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

My family prefers real Christmas trees. But there’s always a catch, isn’t there. The challenge with a regular tree is finding one that is sustainably sourced. Meaning is it shipped from across the country? Or is it locally grown? Or even better, is it a tree you can replant in your yard when the holiday is over?

I’ll be honest. Replanting is more than we will do. However, did you know you can rent a Christmas tree?

Yeah. That’s what I said when I read that. It’s not available in all areas. But it is possible to rent one. Then it will be planted afterward.

If you’re artsy, maybe you can build your own Christmas tree. You could use a plant around the house or build a tree from scrap lumber around the house. Do a search for Christmas tree alternatives and you’ll find a ton of options.

As for disposing of your tree, don’t send those Artificial Trees to the landfill. Instead give it to someone, donate it, sell it or repurpose it. That’s the best way to keep it out of the landfill.

The same goes with regular trees. Sustainable Jungle writes: “Real trees that end up in landfills can be detrimental to the environment. This is because the tree decomposes and produces methane gas, which is 26 times more harmful than CO2 in terms of climate change potential.”

So see if there are local collection services or repurpose the tree instead of sending it to trash.

26:12 - Irish Christmas in America "Air_March_Polka - The Snowy-Breasted Pearl, Freedom for Ireland” from A Long Way From Home

31:51 - Brobdingnagian Bards "Bog Down In Christmas” from Christmas In Brobdingnag

36:28 - Screaming Orphans "You Are All Mine (At Christmas Time)” from Happy Christmas Volume 2

39:30 - Mary-Kate Spring Lee "O Little Town of Bethlehem/Celia Connellen” from Carol of the Child

43:13 - THANK YOU FOR SPREADING CHRISTMAS CHEER!

Podcast advertising pays for some of the hosting fees of this show. But the podcast creation is entirely funded by your generosity. Your kindness pays for our en...

Spread Christmas Cheer. Listen and Share Christmas music from Celtic musicians. Subscribe at CelticChristmasPodcast.com.

Celtic Christmas music from Angus Mohr, Don Grieve, The Irish Rovers, Marc Gunn, Alexander James Adams, The Wee Heavies, Matthew Young, Celtic Woman

This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our Christmas Patrons. Sign up on Patreon to bring more episodes to your ears every November and December leading up to Christmas.

YOUR CELTIC CHRISTMAS MUSIC THIS WEEK

0:02 - "Coventry Carol/Drive the Cold Winter Away" by Angus Mohr & Friends from A Christmas Pageant

9:17 - CHRISTMAS WELCOME - Welcome to the Celtic Christmas Podcast. My name is Marc Gunn. I am a Celtic musician and host also of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. My goal is to introduce you to Celtic musicians who are making and sharing Christmas music.

If you are one such artist, or you know of one, please submit your music to the podcast. It’s very easy to do. Just complete the permission form at 4celts.com. If the music is podsafe, I will purchase it and add it to one of our upcoming shows. The sooner you submit music, the more likely you’ll be included this year.

Now the Podcast is supported by listeners like you. So today, I bring you a teaser episode, I will share a little bit of music. But I also want to let you know how you can get four more great, full-length Celtic Christmas episodes for 2020 through your generous patronage.

I’ll tell you more about it after we play some music...

10:23 - "The Winter Has Passed" by Don Grieve from Tribute to Robert Burns

13:13 - "Christmas Morning" by The Irish Rovers from Merry Merry Time of Year

15:58 - CHRISTMAS PATRONS - The Celtic Christmas Podcast is supported by generous people just like you. Your kind pledge of as little as $2 or more per episode pays for the production and promotion of the podcast, as well as my time in creating it. It allows me to share Christmas Cheer through Celtic culture and music.

It’s all handled through Patreon. Sign up at patreon.com/celticchristmas.

I want to thank our Christmas Song Hengers. These incredible people pledge $10 or more per episode. They are the backbone of this podcast. And they also get a bonus podcast where I share more about the artists in each episode.

Thanks to Nancy Wilson, Jan & Jim Czenkusch, Juliette Ling, Carol Baril

Carol also had a song request for this episode.

16:52 - "The Scottish King of Christmas" by Marc Gunn from Celtic Christmas Greetings

19:06 - “It's In Every One of Us" by Alexander James Adams from Wintertide

23:37 - HARD CORE CELTS - While our Christmas Song Hengers are the backbone to the podcast because of their large pledge. Everyone who contributes, even the smallest amount, is essential. Our Hardcore Celts plege $5 or more per episode. And that is just incredible. Thank you for helping spread Christmas cheer.

Thanks to Przemyslaw Kacprzak, Sharon Powers, James Martin, Aaron Dent, Laura Simpson, Trevor N. Teuscher, Craig, Michelle Knee, Jennifer, Mark Albright, Leo Notenboom

24:29 - "Hailmary, Gentle Woman" by The Wee Heavies from A Christmas Minding

27:11 - "Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake" by Matthew Young from Waking the Wren

30:40 - NOLLAIG SHONA DAOIBH - If you enjoyed this show, please LIKE and SHARE this episode. Then follow the link in the shownotes to support the artists who support this podcast. Buy their music and merch, subscribe to their newsletters, and tell a friend about the great music you found.

Finally, subscribe to the Celtic Music Magazine. This is the official newsletter of the Celtic Christmas Podcast and the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. It is 100% free to subscribe, and every week, you'll get an inside look into the latest Celtic podcast news. Sign up today, and you can download 34 Celtic MP3s for FREE!

32:01 - "Dia Do Bheatha" by Celtic Woman from The Magic of Christmas

Pronunciation: Dee-a Du Va(as in Van)-ha

The Celtic Christmas Podcast was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather. To subscribe, go to Apple Podcasts or to our website where you can become a Patron of the Podcast for as little as $...

Welcome to Hang the Holly. I'll introduce you to Runa as we take an inside look at artists in the latest episode of the Celtic Christmas Podcast. "The Snows That Melt the Soonest" is the 4th episode of 2020 and show #58. It features Christmas music from Runa, Stephanie Claussen, David Pedrick, Matt & Shannon Heaton, Steel Clover, Mark O'Connor, Marc Gunn, deCeadaoin, Andrew D. Huber, The Rogues, Sheri O'Meara, Abbots Cross, Reilly, Prydein, The Jig Is Up!. The show is generously brought to you by the Patrons of the Celtic Christmas Podcast on Patreon. Please show your Celtic Christmas Cheer, make a pledge to support the show. If you enjoy the show, you can rate the show or post comments on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher. Subscribe to the podcast at CelticChristmasPodcast.com. And now on to Runa As holiday albums go, The Tide of Winter is much more than a collection of standard Christmas tunes. Each of the 13 tracks here offers something a little bit unconventional. The first track, "Brightest and Best / Gaudete / Noel Nouvelet” starts out with voice as instrument, blended harmonies softly wafting around before things pick up speed midway through alongside a percussive beat. RUNA seems to enjoy challenging the listener by defying the more typical patterns one's ear has learned to expect in favor of going where the muse leads them. For example, you’ve never heard “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” done like this before! Those who enjoy a different take on things will want to pick this album up to go alongside their more tried-and-true favorites. It will provide just the right amount of contrast—as well as something to keep things interesting. Track 3, "Christ Child Lullaby / Dún do Shúil” offers a hymn/lullaby that's blended in three languages; English, Irish Gaelic, and the original Scots Gaelic. This provides an additional soothing feel alongside the comforting rhythm of the lullaby itself. It’s a nice take, a simple arrangement, and an interesting inclusion. Very easy on the ears. Juxtapose that track with the next, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, which features a funky vibe and a perky, upbeat sound and you have the perfect way to sum up this grouping of songs...non-traditional, yet intriguing! It’s very tough to be experimental—without being too experimental. After all, part of the charm of holiday music is the fact that it’s familiar. That said, RUNA doesn’t abandon the thread entirely, they merely embellish on it in their own way—which seems to be a great way to compromise. In all, the band isn’t intent on exploring just for the sake of being different. You get the sense that they are doing it to create depth, and to be true to the perspective that has developed within them as musicians. Their “Instrumental Medley” both pays homage to Christmas music and showcases the skill of the musicians, and while “Silent Night” maybe isn’t as predictable as the standard radio holiday version, it’s every bit as lovely—as well as a nod to the Austrian “Stille Nacht”. The band’s liner notes sum this choice up well, saying, There is something magical about returning to the roots of such an iconic carol and to rediscover the beauty and depth in its simplicity.” And, indeed, there is. This album is perfect for those looking to expand their collection of holiday music, without having things become too repetitive. You’ll find fresh arrangements throughout, and enough holiday spirit to go around the table—twice. Find out more about Runa at runamusic.com. If you hear music you love, then support the artists. Buy something from them. Sign up to their mailing lists. And share the episode with your friends on social or in your community. The Celtic Christmas Podcast is free to enjoy. However, it is supported by the generosity of Celtic music fans like you over on Patreon. Get Christmas Cheer. Subscribe at CelticChristmasPodcast.com . Nollaig shona daoibh.

Welcome to Hang the Holly. I'll introduce you to LIZ MADDEN as we take an inside look at artists in the latest episode of the Celtic Christmas Podcast. "Little Christmas" is the final episode of 2020. It features Christmas music from The Jig Is Up, Cynthia Shelhart, Steel Clover, Abbots Cross, Liz Madden, Laura MacKenzie, Reilly, Sharon Shannon, deCeadaoin, Tiffany Schaefer, Emish, Stephanie Claussen, Celtic Woman, Runa, The Selkie Girls The show is generously brought to you by the Patrons of the Celtic Christmas Podcast on Patreon. Please show your Celtic Christmas Cheer, make a pledge to support the show. You will find milestones on Patreon which will effectively launch this show in 2021. If you enjoy the show, you can rate the show or post comments on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcatcher. Subscribe to the podcast at CelticChristmasMusic.net. And now on to Liz Madden Irish-born singer Liz Madden is a classically trained vocalist with multiple artistic talents. Not only does she have a cache of her own solo albums, but she is an actress and musical theater performer as well. In addition, she has done voiceover work and it’s easy to see why—her gentle, bright, clear voice is a pleasure to listen to, whether she is speaking or singing. Madden has delved deeply into studying the things she is interested in, and holds a Masters degree in music, and she is working toward one in theology as well. Her list of accomplishments really does go on and on, and they include everything from songwriting credits for film and television, to producing a live show, to winning multiple awards throughout the course of her career. Such a full and total immersion in the arts shows fierce passion and a dedication to creating, and this is apparent in Madden’s musical history. She has contributed to 12 albums, and is actively involved in collaborating with other musical artists on a regular basis. Her albums tend to favor simple arrangements that allow her beautiful voice to be the centerpiece, with instruments serving as a support, rather than the central focus. It works well, and Madden’s voice is definitely worthy of having a place that is front and center. She has certainly earned it, developing her voice as a well-honed instrument in its own right. Not all singers are blessed with such an even measure of talent and passion, but this is a singer that certainly has a heaping spoonful of both. Her holiday album, "Liz Madden’s Christmas Celebration" offers nearly an hour of music that ranges from delights such as the French carol Noel Nouvelet to some of the more expected holiday favorites like Joy to the World, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The satisfying mixture of simple arrangements and a classically trained voice make this singer's holiday album a perfect choice for the season. A well thought-out grouping of 17 tracks provides a solid Christmas soundtrack that would make a terrific gift—or would blend in well with nearly any rotation of holiday music you may already own. Whatever you do, be sure not to miss Madden’s version of Silent Night—it’s a song that was meant to be covered by a vocalist with her range, and she does it beautifully, hitting those high notes with confidence and clarity. Find out more about Liz Madden at LizMadden.co. If you hear music you love in the Celtic Christmas Podcast, then support the artists. Buy something from them. Sign up to their mailing lists. And share the episode with your friends on social or in your community. The Celtic Christmas Podcast is free to enjoy. However, it is supported by the generosity of Celtic music fans like you over on Patreon. Get Christmas Cheer. Subscribe at CelticChristmasPodcast.com . Nollaig shona daoibh.