Yo-Yo Ma – Songs of Joy and Peace

$14.95

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s star-studded holiday CD is a joyful musical party inspired by the holiday season, and, in part, by The Christmas Revels. Don’t take our word for it – read the liner notes below. “Songs of Joy & Peace” features such luminaries as James Taylor, Diana Krall, Dave Brubeck, Joshua Redman, Chris Botti, and the Silk Road Ensemble with new takes on holiday favorites – not to mention four variations of the peace round, Dona Nobis Pacem, which is sung together by the cast and audience at every performance of The Christmas Revels. Excerpted from Liner Notes:

“One of my favorite holiday memories, which I wanted to recreate at the recording sessions, is the joyful feeling evoked by singing together. Every year, my extended family and I attend The Christmas Revels, a community celebration of the winter solstice that includes traditional music, dance, drama, and rituals drawn from the world’s cultures. During the performance, the audience joins in singing the three-part canon Dona Nobis Pacem (Give us Peace), famously written by Anonymous. For a short time, parents, grandparents, children, actors, dancers, and musicians become one, recreating a ritual that is contemplative and transcendent.”

Songlist

1.  Dona Nobis Pacem (with counterpoint)
2.  You Couldn’t Be Cuter – Diana Krall, John Clayton
3.  Joy to the World – Dave Brubeck, Matt Brubeck, Paquito D’Rivera
4.  Here Comes the Sun – James Taylor
5.  Improvisation on Dona Nobis Pacem – Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile
6.  The Wassail Song/ All Through the Night – Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile
7.  A Christmas Jig/Mouth of Tobique Reel – Natalie MacMaster
8.  The Wexford Carol – Alison Krauss
9.  Panxolina: A Galician Carol – Christina Pato
10. Improvisation on Dona Nobis Pacem – Sergio Assad, Odair Assad
11. Vassourinhas – Sergio Assad, Odair Assad
12. Improvisation on Dona Nobis Pacem – Paquito D’Rivera, Alon Yavnai
13. Invitacion a Danzon – Paquito D’Rivera, Alon Yavnai
14. My One and Only Love – Joshua Redman
15. Familia – Assad Family
16. Concordia – Dave Brubeck, Matt Brubeck
17. My Favorite Things – Chris Botti
18. Touch the Hand of Love – Renee Fleming, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile
19. Kuai Le – Wu Tong, The Silk Road Ensemble
20. This Little Light of Mine – Amelia Zirin-Brown
21. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Jake Shimabukuo
22. Dona Nobis Pacem/Auld Lang Syne – Chris Botti
23. Yo-Yo Ma, cello