Winter Carols
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 2006 (2006-10)
Recorded2006
Genrefolk rock, neo-medieval, Christmas music
Length42:35
LabelAFM Records (Germany)[1]
Locomotive Music (US)
ProducerPat Regan
Blackmore's Night chronology
The Village Lanterne
(2006)
Winter Carols
(2006)
Paris Moon
(2007)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [2]
Metal Storm(7.4/10) [3]

Winter Carols is the sixth studio album by the group Blackmore's Night, released in the United Kingdom on October, 2006, and in the United States on November 7, 2006. It is a Christmas themed album. The cover artwork for this album, painted by Karsten Topelmann, is an adaptation of a street in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, in line with the band's heavy Renaissance influence. The same street is portrayed in the cover of Blackmore's Night's second studio album, Under a Violet Moon. In the cover of "Winter Carols" the street is painted as winter time, whereas Under a Violet Moon's cover takes place on apparently a summer night. While the selection "Winter (Basse Dance)" is credited to Ritchie Blackmore as composer, the first phrase comes from Gaspar Sanz's "Espanoleta" (written in 1674, this piece is familiar today from its adaptation by Joaquin Rodrigo for the second movement of his "Fantasía para un gentilhombre", which he composed for classical guitar virtuoso Andres Segovia in 1954) though Blackmore quickly goes off on his own from there. The songs no longer under copyright are credited only as "trad.[itional]" even when the authors are known.

In December 2006, Winter Carols entered at #7 on USA Billboard New Age Charts.[4]

The album won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award as the Best Holiday Album.[5]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful"trad.3:48
2."I Saw Three Ships"trad.2:39
3."Winter (Basse Dance)"Ritchie Blackmore3:08
4."Ding Dong Merrily on High"trad.3:15
5."Ma-O-Tzur"trad.2:20
6."Good King Wenceslas"trad.4:45
7."Lord of the Dance / Simple Gifts"Sydney Carter / Joseph Brackett3:33
8."We Three Kings"trad.4:48
9."Wish You Were Here" (song from Shadow of the Moon)Leskelä Teijo5:04
10."Emmanuel"trad.3:30
11."Christmas Eve"Blackmore, Candice Night4:20
12."We Wish You a Merry Christmas"trad.1:25

2013 Reissue

The album was re-issued in 2013 with an additional CD of live versions, along with that year's single – a reworking of the track Christmas Eve.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful - Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.4:12
2."Emmanuel – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.4:35
3."We Three Kings – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.5:26
4."Ma-O-Tzur – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.5:26
5."Good King Wenceslas – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.6:13
6."Christmas Eve – 2013 Version"Blackmore, Candice Night4:33
7."Christmas Eve – German Radio Edit"Blackmore, Candice Night3:56
8."Christmas Eve – English & German Radio Edit"Blackmore, Candice Night3:56
9."Christmas Eve – English Radio Edit"Blackmore, Candice Night3:56
10."Christmas Eve – Video"Blackmore, Candice Night 

2017 Reissue

Disc 1

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Deck the Halls" (2017 New recording)trad.2:45
2."God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (2017 New recording)trad.4:33
3."Oh Christmas Tree" (2017 New recording)trad.4:54
4."Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful"trad.3:50
5."I Saw Three Ships"trad.2:40
6."Winter (Basse Dance)"Ritchie Blackmore3:07
7."Ding Dong Merrily on High"trad.3:16
8."Ma-O-Tzur"trad.2:19
9."Good King Wenceslas"trad.4:44
10."Lord of the Dance / Simple Gifts"Sydney Carter / Joseph Brackett3:34
11."We Three Kings"trad.4:48
12."Wish You Were Here" (song from Shadow of the Moon)Leskelä Teijo5:02
13."Emmanuel"trad.3:32
14."Christmas Eve"Blackmore, Candice Night4:20
15."We Wish You a Merry Christmas"trad.1:21

Disc 2

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.4:12
2."Emmanuel – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.4:35
3."We Three Kings – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.5:26
4."Ma-O-Tzur – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.5:26
5."Good King Wenceslas – Live from Minstrel Hall 2013"trad.6:13
6."Christmas Eve – 2013 Version"Blackmore, Candice Night4:33
7."Christmas Eve – German Radio Edit"Blackmore, Candice Night3:56
8."Christmas Eve – English & German Radio Edit"Blackmore, Candice Night3:56
9."Christmas Eve – English Radio Edit"Blackmore, Candice Night3:56
10."Christmas Eve – Video"Blackmore, Candice Night 

2021 Edition

Disc 1

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Coventry Carol" (2021 New recording)trad.3:07
2."Deck the Halls"trad.2:45
3."God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"trad.4:33
4."Oh Christmas Tree"trad.4:54
5."Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful"trad.3:50
6."I Saw Three Ships"trad.2:40
7."Winter (Basse Dance)"Ritchie Blackmore3:07
8."Ding Dong Merrily on High"trad.3:16
9."Ma-O-Tzur"trad.2:19
10."Good King Wenceslas"trad.4:44
11."Lord of the Dance / Simple Gifts"Sydney Carter / Joseph Brackett3:34
12."We Three Kings"trad.4:48
13."Wish You Were Here (2021)" (song from Shadow of the Moon)Leskelä Teijo5:01
14."Emmanuel"trad.3:32
15."Christmas Eve"Blackmore, Candice Night4:20
16."We Wish You a Merry Christmas"trad.1:21

Disc 2

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Crowning of the King" (song from Fires at Midnight)trad.4:26
2."Here We Come A-Caroling"trad.2:20
3."It Came Upon a Midnight Clear"trad.1:58
4."O Little Town of Bethlehem"trad.3:16
5."Silent Night"trad.2:38
6."Christmas Eve (2013 Version)"Blackmore, Candice Night4:33
7."Hark the Herald Angels Sing / Come All Ye Faithful (Live from Minstal Hall 2013)"trad.4:12
8."Emmanuel (Live from Minstrel Hall 2013)"trad.4:35
9."We Three Kings (Live from Minstrel Hall 2013)"trad.5:26
10."Ma-O-Tzur (Live from Minstrel Hall 2013)"trad.5:26
11."Good King Wenceslas (Live from Minstrel Hall 2013)"trad.6:13

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[6] 74
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[7] 56
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[8] 40

References

  1. "AFM Records will release Blackmore's Night winter album!". AFM-Records official website. 15 September 2006.
  2. Prato, Greg. Winter Carols at AllMusic
  3. "Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols review". Metal Storm.
  4. "Ritchie Blackmore Bio". The Official Ritchie Blackmore and Blackmores Night Website. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  5. "NAR 2006 LifeStyle Music Award Winners". ZoneMusicReporter. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  6. "Offiziellecharts.de – Blackmore's Night – Winter Carols" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  7. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  8. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
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