Phil Coulter's Christmas

1	Silent Night / Phil Coulter 3:28
2	Mary's Boy Child / Phil Coulter 3:19
3	The First Noel / Phil Coulter 2:50
4	In the Bleak Midwinter / Phil Coulter 3:11
5	The Little Drummer Boy / Phil Coulter 3:22
6	Song of the Shepherd / Phil Coulter 3:42
7	Away in a Manger / Phil Coulter 2:49
8	Jingle Bells / Phil Coulter 3:17
9	White Christmas / Phil Coulter 2:56
10	Angels We Have Heard on High / Phil Coulter 3:11
11	When a Child Is Born / Phil Coulter 3:16
12	Good King Wenceslas / Phil Coulter 2:55
13	Walking in the Air / Phil Coulter from the Snowman 3:37
14	O Holy Night / Phil Coulter 3:41
15	Going Home for Christmas / Phil Coulter 2:46
16	O Come All Ye Faithful / Phil Coulter 3:41

Barnes & Noble

Phil Coulter is well known for his moving orchestral and piano arrangements of traditional Celtic tunes. Here he lends his lavish touch to a dozen classic Christmas carols, a few seasonal favorites such as "Jingle Bells," and two originals by Coulter himself. He calls his band the Irish Pops Orchestra, and while these tracks are indeed easy listening, they're anything but mundane or flimsy. "Silent Night" features bells, piano, strings, and the pure angelic harmonies of the Dublin Boy Singers. "Mary's Boy Child" (once made famous by Harry Belafonte) begins like a pixie sprinkling stardust before it settles into the noble swing of the melody. Of course, "Little Drummer Boy" features the requisite snare drum for the march cadence with Coulter doubling the effect on the piano's lowest register, adding in more and more instrumentation until the piece climaxes in a massive holiday-time fanfare. "Jingle Bells" takes on a bouncy, syncopated swing of Coulter's invention, rendering the classic fresh and new. Although the choir provides plenty of hardy spirit on several tracks, the standout vocal performance comes from boy soprano Simon Falkner on the celestial "Walking in the Air." The album ties up with "Adeste Fideles," as Coulter's piano again weaves together with strings and our singers' faithful voices. You can almost see the candles in the window. Carol Wright

All Music Guide

Phil Coulter combines lovely piano sounds with a full symphony orchestra performing traditional holiday tunes on this self-titled Christmas album. Special guests The Dublin Boy Singers add to the festive sound of this release. Oboe, keyboards, drums, percussion, pan pipes and bass guitar can be heard throughout "Silent Night," "The First Noel," "White Christmas," "Walking in the Air," "Adeste Fideles," and many others. ~ MusD, All Music Guide