To Drive the Cold Winter Away

Infobox Album


Name = To Drive the Cold Winter Away
Artist = Loreena McKennitt
Type = Album
Released = 1987 (Canada)
Recorded =
Genre = Folk
Length = 44:29
Label = Quinlan Road
Producer = Loreena McKennitt
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gqkciklhbb39 link]
Last album = "Elemental"
(1985)
This album = "To Drive the Cold Winter Away"
(1987)
Next album = "Parallel Dreams"
(1989)

"To Drive the Cold Winter Away" is Loreena McKennitt's second album, released in 1987. It pays homage to her childhood memories of music for the winter season, the most vivid of which “came from songs and carols recorded in churches or great halls, rich with their own unique ambience and tradition.” [Citation
last =
first =
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = To Drive the Winter Cold Away
date = n.d.
year =
url = http://www.quinlanroad.com/explorethemusic/todrivecoldwinter.asp
accessdate = 09/27/2008 ]

To capture that remembered ambiance, McKennit kept the arrangements sparse, celebrating the beauty of simplicity. She also chose to leave the found sounds of life in the performances, which were recorded on location in churches and great halls: [Citation
last = Quinlan Road Ltd.
first =
author-link = Quinlan Road
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = To Drive the Winter Cold Away Liner Notes
date = 1987, 2006
year =
url = http://www.quinlanroad.com/pdf/QRCD102R-ToDrive-Web.pdf
accessdate = 09/27/2008 ]
* The Church of Our Lady in Guelph, Ontario, Canada
* Glenstal Abbey, A Benedictine Monastery near Limerick, Ireland
* Annaghmakerrig (The Tyrone Guthrie Centre) in County Monaghan, Ireland

Track listing

# "In Praise of Christmas" (Traditional) – 6:06
# "The Seasons" (Traditional) – 4:55
# "The King" (Traditional) – 2:04
# "Banquet Hall" (Loreena McKennit) – 3:53
# "Snow" (Loreena McKennit/Archibald Lampman) – 5:35
# "Balulalow" (Traditional) – 3:09
# "Let Us the Infant Greet" (Traditional) – 3:46
# "The Wexford Carol" (Traditional) – 6:07
# "The Stockford Carol" (Loreena McKennit) – 3:02
# "Let All That Are to Mirth Inclined" (Traditional) – 6:52

ong information

* "The King" features vocals by Cedric Smith. Shannon Purves-Smith plays Viols on two other tracks. Everything else was done by Loreena.
* "Snow" uses the words of the poem of the same name by Archibald Lampman. "Snow" was thought of very highlyweasel-inline and was included on a Windham Hill Records album titled "Celtic Christmas" (1995).

Notes