Home for Christmas (Celtic Woman album) explained

Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas
Type:	Studio
Artist:	Celtic Woman
Cover:	Celtic Woman Home for Christmas.jpg
Released:	9 October 2012
Recorded:	July–August 2012
Studio:	STUDIOTWO, Dublin, Ireland
Genre:	Celtic, new-age, classical, Christmas
Language:	English, Latin
Label:	Manhattan Records
Producer:	David Downes
Prev Year:	2011
Next Title:	Celtic Woman: Silent Night
Next Year:	2012

Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas is the eighth studio album released by the group Celtic Woman, released on 9 October 2012.^[1] It is the third Christmas album released by the group, but only the second available for international purchase.

Home for Christmas features vocalists Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, and fiddler Máiréad Nesbitt.^[1] This is the first album to feature Ní Mhaolchatha since her departure from the group in 2007 following the release of the DVD and PBS special accompanying the group's first Christmas album, A Christmas Celebration. It is also the first album not to feature founding member Lisa Kelly, who was at the time on maternity leave (though she appears on the bonus track included with the Japanese edition of the album).

PBS special, DVD and Blu-ray release background

The accompanying concert special to the album, entitled Home for Christmas: Live from Dublin, was recorded live at the Helix Theatre in Dublin, Ireland on 7 August 2013 in front of an invited audience. Unlike the album, the line-up of performers was slightly different; former member Chloë Agnew announced prior to the recording of the special that she would be leaving Celtic Woman to focus on solo projects. Since a replacement for Agnew wasn't announced beforehand, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha again returned to take her place with current members Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden, and Máiréad Nesbitt, for the recording of the special.

The album was re-released on 29 October 2013 in a combo pack containing a DVD copy of the concert, while separate DVD and Blu-ray copies were also issued on the same day. The DVD and Blu-ray releases also include four bonus tracks recorded as part of an acoustic session in the venue prior to the concert with pianist and musical director David Downes.

DVD and Blu-ray track listing

Personnel

Per the liner notes:
Featured performers

• Chloë Agnew – vocals
• Lisa Kelly – vocals (Japanese edition only)
• Lisa Lambe – vocals
• Máiréad Nesbitt – fiddle
• Méav Ní Mhaolchatha – vocals

Musicians

• David Downes – grand piano, whistles, uilleann pipes, percussion, keyboards, orchestrations, choral arrangements, programming
• Anthony Byrne – bagpipes
• Andrew Boland – buann-xa-perqua

The Irish Film Orchestra

• Caitríona Walsh – orchestra contractor
• John Page – conductor
• Therese Timoney – concertmaster
• Martin Johnston – solo cello
• David Agnew – cor anglais

Irish Philharmonic Choir

• Paul McGough – choral contractor
• David Leigh – choral director

Production

• Produced and arranged by David Downes
• Engineered and mixed by Andrew Boland (additional engineering by David Downes)
• Recorded and mixed at STUDIOTWO, Dublin, Ireland
• Orchestra and choir recorded at RTÉ STUDIO ONE, Dublin, Ireland
• Mastered by Ray Staff at Air Lyndhurst, London, United Kingdom
• Bonus tracks mastered by Kevin Bartley at Capitol Mastering, Hollywood, California, United States

Charts

The album was officially certified Platinum around 7 March 2013.^[2]

Notes and References

1. http://www.celticwoman.com/2012/09/holiday-album-to-be-released-october-9th/ Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas on official website
2. Web site: Celtic Woman Christmas album goes Platinum : Celtic Woman . 7 March 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130322151710/http://www.celticwoman.com/2013/03/celtic-woman-christmas-album-goes-platinum/ . 22 March 2013 .