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Put your hands on the remote! browse music »Christmas: An Irrational Season by Carolyn Arends
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fave it Contemporary Gospel | Folk Pop
13 tracks | 46 minutes
Released Nov 2006
on 2B Records
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- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 01:32 The Irrational Season (Prelude) lyrics BUY MP3 01:32 The Irrational Season (Prelude) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 01:32 The Irrational Season (Prelude)
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:07 Come and See lyrics BUY MP3 04:07 Come and See lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:07 Come and See
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:18 Do Not Be Afraid lyrics BUY MP3 04:18 Do Not Be Afraid lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:18 Do Not Be Afraid
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:04 Angels We Have Heard on HIgh lyrics BUY MP3 04:04 Angels We Have Heard on HIgh lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:04 Angels We Have Heard on HIgh
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:06 Christmas Must Be Tonight lyrics BUY MP3 04:06 Christmas Must Be Tonight lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:06 Christmas Must Be Tonight
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:24 Is Bethlehem Too Far Away lyrics BUY MP3 03:24 Is Bethlehem Too Far Away lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:24 Is Bethlehem Too Far Away
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:02 Now In Flesh Appearing lyrics BUY MP3 04:02 Now In Flesh Appearing lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:02 Now In Flesh Appearing
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:57 My First Christmas lyrics BUY MP3 03:57 My First Christmas lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:57 My First Christmas
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:18 Go Tell It on the Mountain lyrics BUY MP3 04:18 Go Tell It on the Mountain lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:18 Go Tell It on the Mountain
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:56 The Lord's Servant lyrics BUY MP3 03:56 The Lord's Servant lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:56 The Lord's Servant
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:13 Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus lyrics BUY MP3 03:13 Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:13 Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:58 A Christmas Blessing lyrics BUY MP3 03:58 A Christmas Blessing lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:58 A Christmas Blessing
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 01:39 The Irrational Season (Postlude) lyrics BUY MP3 01:39 The Irrational Season (Postlude) lyrics "GIFT MP3" 01:39 The Irrational Season (Postlude)
A warm, organic, Christmas project featuring 8 Arends originals, 3 freshly rendered classics and a mesmerizing cover of The Band's "Christmas Must Be Tonight".
Bio / Background
Acclaimed songwriter Carolyn Arends (Seize the Day, Reaching New Year’s Day), has delivered the perfect curl-up-by-the-fire Christmas project, featuring 8 originals, 3 classics, and a mesmerizing rendition of The Band’s Christmas Must Be Tonight.
From CCMPlanet:
Christmas: An Irrational Season is definitely an album you need to pick up this year.
Soft percussion, acoustics, a trickling piano and trembling strings sweep under Carolyn's beautiful voice in the opening track 'The Irrational Season (Prelude).' The title of this album and the lyrics in this prelude - 'This is the irrational season / When love blooms bright and wild / For if Mary had been filled with reason / There'd have been no room for the child' - come from a poem and book by Madeleine L'Engle. Closing this short track is an instrumental rendition of the tune popularly known from the song 'What Child Is This?,' setting a tone for this lush yet simple, vibrant yet reverent Christmas album.
↓ more ↓For each of the past twelve years (including this year), Carolyn has written a song for her church's Christmas Eve service. This album includes the 7 best of those songs, plus 4 classic Christmas songs. The first of these original songs is 'Come And See.' Leave it to Carolyn to spread smiles all around and put joy in your heart with this refreshing pop song that is intrinsically worshipful, celebratory and so perfectly embodies the good news of the Christmas season: 'Come and see, come and see ... It's the great love of God / In the cry of a babe.' Closing the song appropriately interwoven is the chorus of the hymn 'O Come All Ye Faithful.'
'Do Not Be Afraid' is one of Carolyn's best songs ever - it previously appeared on her 2001 album 'Travelers,' and it is a soft river of rhythm and reassurance that really has a power to touch your heart. Carolyn could have just included her previous recording here, but instead made this brand new recording that sparkles with accomplished percussion and understated, intuitive piano, guitar and mandolin instrumentation. Singing to Mary, the shepherds and to believers today, Carolyn prays 'Do not be afraid / Do not be afraid / Love has found its way to you / Do not be afraid.'
Carolyn's rendition of the classic 'Angels We Have Heard On High' starts out slow with a talented vocal ensemble, but jumps into a spirited folk-pop arrangement that keeps the ensemble and the musicians busy. It's a thoroughly enjoyable track - unfortunately, Carolyn only does two verses, and another minute or two on this four-minute track would have been more than welcome. Next is Robbie Robertson's 'Christmas Must Be Tonight.' It's a straightforward rendition without too much fancy accompaniment, a good track to take a breath on and just enjoy Carolyn's gentle voice.
'Is Bethlehem Too Far Away' is another steady-paced song and a chance to close your eyes and 'If we seek Him we will find Him in / The least expected place / For His Kingdom comes in the power and might / Of His sacrifice and grace.' 'Now In Flesh Appearing' is Carolyn's Christmas song for 2004, with her catchy melodies and signature lyric style sharing stories of sacrificial love that communicate a strong message of Christ's love making a practical difference in the world: 'Well, this is Christmas / A hand upon a shoulder / Christmas / A little peace on earth.'
Highlights from the second half of this disc include more storytelling in 'My First Christmas,' the Gospel-flavoured 'Go Tell It On The Mountain,' the assured 'Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus,' and the closing benediction 'A Christmas Blessing': 'May the Christmas star light your way / Even today, even today / May the angel choir ring in your ear / 'Christ is here, Christ is here.'' 'The Irrational Season (Postlude)' gets the final word, again with the 'What Child Is This?' instrumental (it'll really make you wish Carolyn had recorded that song in full) and then the poem.
This album is in 'digipak' packaging, which is a cardboard case with a plastic part to put the disc in and a flap on the inside cover to hold the lyric booklet. The lyric booklet is printed on glossy paper and includes the words for all the songs, the year Carolyn sang each song, and a lot of great artwork and photos. The design for this album, from the cover to the CD itself, is just as beautiful as the songs that are on it. While the first half of the album seems stronger on first listen, all the songs will grow on you and this disc will easily become a favourite for your holiday listening collection.
This album makes a great Christmas gift! *****
↑ less ↑Average Customer Review: 5
This is Carolyn's season!daveshine wrote on December 18, 2007
Carolyn is succeeding with this one: an awesome christmas album in her acoustic folk-pop style which find her at her best! Featuring her band with Spencer Capier and other great musicians the sound is always fresh and original. She take new elements on timeless classics and transforms all in her very own sound. The best thing though is that Carolyn brings in a lot of new Christmas songs written by herself. Every year she writes a new seasonal song and her work is incredible! A few of them need a few listens but one will LOVE them all! Their songwriting and the lyrics are on really high level. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for all Carolyn fans, for fans of the genre and for Christmas fans in general!








