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Post by Dean McCarten on Sept 3, 2009 13:42:11 GMT
Hi All HMV are now offering the best deal for this album priced at £8.99, with FREE UK delivery. Guess who just ordered it? Martin I have too! But I hopefully should have my japanese editions begining of next month  Dean |
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Post by stevemacdonald on Sept 3, 2009 16:13:58 GMT
... Coventry Carol is a medieval Christmas carol. ... Except for the fact that it's not about Christmas.  |
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Post by milewalker on Sept 3, 2009 19:44:31 GMT
Steve is technically correct - but the song is about something mentioned in the Christmas narrative Herod the King, in his raging, Charged he hath this day; His men of might, in his own sight, All children young, to slay. I dont think the song can be done and not sound "medieval" It is in a minor key as many lamentory hymns of its time were - and quite frankly isnt real cheerful  Jon |
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Dave
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HWI Admin
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Post by Dave on Sept 3, 2009 20:16:22 GMT
I dont think the song can be done and not sound "medieval" It is in a minor key as many lamentory hymns of its time were - and quite frankly isnt real cheerful Hi Jon, I love some of Hayley's "not cheerful" songs... think "Melancholy Interlude" and "Dido's Lament" both of which are right up there among my all-time Hayley favourites! Oh, I mean  as that's just what I did, the first time I played the original UK version of Odyssey and 'Dido's Lament' ended it, unusually for any album with those final very sad notes that just left me sitting there... in silence. Therefore, suffice it to say that I am happy for Hayley to sing sad songs, even medieval ones! Dave |
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Post by martindn on Sept 3, 2009 21:14:31 GMT
Hi Martin And at approx. £16.50 ($26.84) you will escape the extortionist Post Office & Customs and Excise import charges! However, you are paying around £8 to get it 6 weeks early. We will expect an early review of the album! Best wishes Martin And then there is the postage. It is approximately 3 times the price of getting it in the UK. But there is a rather gorgeous bonus track of course. As for a review - I'll do my best. But I might need a few days to form a judgement. Or perhaps not, I can give you an early review now! It's brilliant, buy it!! I thought it was worth three times what most of you will pay after hearing only one track..  Perhaps a review before I've heard the rest of it is a bit too early though! Martin |
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Post by stevemacdonald on Sept 3, 2009 21:18:59 GMT
A quick look at wiki's entry on Coventry Carol shows it's been recorded by many, many artists over the years. My favorite version is the one by Charlotte Church which haunts me all year round.
There is however, no getting around the fact that Coventry Carol is sad and mournful in the extreme. The song's theme (around the massacre of innocents) hardly sets me up for holiday cheer. The real "magic" of Winter Magic will be if Hayley can, with her other songs, pull us out of the collective funk this gorgeous buzzkill of a carol will surely bring.
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Post by Libby on Sept 5, 2009 4:16:24 GMT
Well, that Herod stuff is said to have happened when Jesus was already about 2 yrs. old. That's why the babies had to be 2 yrs. or younger. So, technically it isn't about Christmas day itself, but I guess it was Herod's reaction to it.
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 5, 2009 23:58:31 GMT
On the name thing: Christmas albums don't tend to sell amazingly well in Britain. They're mostly considered a bit cheesy and more of a cash in by artists than a serious attempt at creating music.
Whether that impression is right or wrong, the use of 'Winter' gets around the stigma and is increasingly commonplace.
Presumably music execs think it has a positive impact on sales.
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Post by Libby on Sept 6, 2009 0:29:00 GMT
Why, don't they like Christmas music?  We know Nicola doesn't much, but I thought maybe that was just her. |
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Post by Elliot Kane on Sept 6, 2009 0:55:27 GMT
It's more the past history of Xmas albums in general, I suspect. A fair number of artists did tend to just put out Christmas albums that they kinda phoned in. That and you can only hear so many people decking the halls with holly before you want to scream... Christmas songs in Britain - the ones that do really well - tend to be original rather than traditional, though in recent years that has sadly faded, with the top spot in the charts going to the latest winner of X-Factor or similar talent shows. Unless a Christmas album is really different from the normal run, Brits just think it's the same old thing. 'Antique cover versions' I guess would be a crude way of putting it I'm up for Hayley's because I would (quite literally) listen to her singing the phone book, but with most artists I wouldn't bother myself, no matter how much i liked them normally. Even Paul Potts included his Christmas songs on a special edition of his first album rather than as a separate release and he has (Or had then) huge popular appeal. |
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Post by Sing on Sept 12, 2009 18:53:12 GMT
Is the Christmas Song the same as Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire? I was looking for the lyrics to The Christmas song today and that's all I found, didn't she do this song on the My Gift to You album?
Sing ///
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Sept 13, 2009 3:51:48 GMT
Is the Christmas Song the same as Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire? I was looking for the lyrics to The Christmas song today and that's all I found, didn't she do this song on the My Gift to You album? Sing /// Hello Sing! Correct on both counts! The song has an interesting history to it, and there is a page on Wikipedia about it! Best wishes, Joe |
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Post by martindn on Sept 13, 2009 20:38:11 GMT
She did indeed, but she does not appear on the wist of names on Wikipedia.
Martin
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Post by Paddy on Sept 13, 2009 20:52:33 GMT
She did indeed, but she does not appear on the list of names on Wikipedia. Martin It is now. Paddy |
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Post by Libby on Sept 13, 2009 23:58:31 GMT
Is the Christmas Song the same as Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire? I was looking for the lyrics to The Christmas song today and that's all I found, didn't she do this song on the My Gift to You album? Sing /// Yes, but she also did Silent Night before, too. I'm not complaining about that one, though! I will say that Chestnuts is not among my favorites, but I think I can live with it. |
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as that's just what I did, the first time I played the original UK version of Odyssey and 'Dido's Lament' ended it, unusually for any album with those final very sad notes that just left me sitting there... in silence. 
We know Nicola doesn't much, but I thought maybe that was just her. 
