1. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
We play this tune first as a slow air, then at the end as a reel.

2. In The Bleak Midwinter
This beautiful tune was written originally by the composer Gustav Holst to Christina Rossetti's poem.

3. We Three Kings – Wenceslas – Ding Dong Merrily
A jolly set of carols played as a jig, a reel and a march.

4. The Holly And The Ivy – The First Noel
We play these two lovely carols as a ballad.

5. Wexford Carol
The origins of this Irish carol date to the 12th Century, from Enniscorthy in County Wexford.

6. Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem – An Dro Nevez – Hark The Herald
Bookended by the two popular carols played as reels, is a traditional folk dance tune An Dro Nevez from Brittany and played here on the Breton reed instrument, the bombarde.

7. Breton Carol – Schiarazula Marazula
This traditional carol from Brittany is coupled with a medieval dance tune which originates from Friuli, now part of Italy, but became known throughout medieval Europe.

8. Don Oíche Úd i mBeithil
This beautiful Irish carol translates as That Night in Bethlehem and Chris has made a mesmerising arrangement of it.

9. Three Ships – Two Jigs – Merry Christmas – Deck The Halls
The first carol is played as a jig, followed by two Irish jigs from our ceilidh set – The Fiery Clockface, and Morrisson's Jig – we then sing Merry Christmas as a jig before we Deck the Halls.

10. Silent Night

Chris Conway made this special arrangement, adding a Celtic feel to the originally German carol.

11. And The Band Played On...
Govannen goes off into the distance playing The Kerry Polkas and going into Jingle Bells, which is how we end our Christmas concert.

Produced by Chris Conway

Traditions that go back hundreds of years are brought forth and transformed into magic with the fiddles and flutes of the Irish band, Govannen. Their album, Celtic Christmas is a joyous combination of traditional music, but with the added touch of merriment only produced by the Celtic spirit.
Chris Conway delivers incredible cheer on the tune In the Bleak Midwinter. I enjoyed the music box timber of The Holly and The Ivy/The First Noel. My favorite on the album was a song called Breton Carol /Schiarazula Marazula made by combining an old English carol and an Italian dance song. Another great track is the Irish tune Don Oiche Ud i mBeithil, That Night in Bethlehem. Actually, I liked everything on the album.

Govannen is a Celtic band fronted by multi-instrumentalist Chris Conway and featuring five other members. The title of the CD is self-explanatory – this is a collection of carols all given a Celtic spin (one of the eleven tracks is literally a Celtic carol: "Don Oíche Úd i mBeithil").

Govannen is a seasoned troupe and they play together as if born to it. Five of the tracks are actually medleys of carols, e.g. "The Holly and the Ivy" segues straight into "The First Noel."

Instrumentation leans heavily on characteristic Celtic instruments, e.g. whistle, fiddle, bodhran and recording quality is flawless (you’d expect that from the Paradise Music label). While there are some sedate spots here and there, lots of the music is uptempo and takes on the styles of jigs and reels. In short, if you want a bit of the Green with your Red and Green, spin this album for a festive holiday gathering.

The instruments are authentic, the acoustic expansive, and the arrangements a curious case of Celtic Homeland meets New Age spaciness, with some lively drumming, clapping, and thigh-slapping energy thrown in for very good measure. The closing hybrid of Celtic dancing meets "Jingle Bells" is a hoot.