Enjoy a Cozy Irish Christmas With Daniel O'Donnell

PBS has done me the favor of introducing me to a number of Irish musicians, which I appreciate, since those artists tend not to get a lot of attention in mainstream media and I might otherwise be unaware of them. One of the first Irish singers I found through public television was Daniel O’Donnell, a mild-mannered crooner who has since become a favorite of my grandma. While I don’t have a particularly strong passion for his music, I find him enjoyable, so I was pleased to happen upon his Christmas album Christmas With Daniel at the library recently.

This album features a good mix of songs, with five I would consider “classics,” five I’m familiar with but think of as somewhat more obscure, and five I’d never encountered before. The overall tone of the album is extremely old-fashioned; Daniel could be a contemporary of Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. There’s an especially strong hint of Jim Reeves here. It makes for an easy listening album that sometimes showcases the beauty of Daniel’s voice but at other times comes across as rather bland.

An Old Christmas Card - A nostalgic start to the album as the speaker reflects upon a treasures Christmas keepsake. A sweet song. “Pardon me if a tear falls among my Christmas cheer / It's the memory of an old Christmas card.”

Snowflake - Female backup singers provide rather corny-sounding accompaniment in this sprightly number. It’s a chipper little tune, but it gets a little grating. “Hey-ey-ey snowflake, my pretty little snowflake / You've got me warm as a fire / With the burning desire for you.”

Pretty Paper - I’d never heard the first two tracks before, but I’m fairly familiar with this weeper that encourages listeners to reach out to the lonely at Christmas. He effectively connects with the pain in the lyrics, inspiring listeners to be more aware of one another’s needs, especially at this time of year.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - I never heard the opening of this song before, but I like it. There’s a nice contrast between the woeful tone of the first few lines and the peppy feel of the rest of the song, which is backed by a steady stream of jingle bells. Daniel sings it plaintively but with a touch of comedy as well.

White Christmas - Daniel shares the spotlight on this one with the chorus of women who turn up at some point during almost every track. There’s something very generic about them that’s a turn-off for me, reminding me of so many songs from the 1950s with shrill female choruses, but when they sing along with him rather than on their own, their voices complement his well.

Christmas Long Ago - The delicate accompaniment on this one reminds me of a music box, with twanging guitars and a touch of accordion that kick in later. Daniel does an especially nice job of capturing the longing for the wonder of his childhood Christmases. One of my favorite tracks on the album, it reminds me of Garrison Keillor’s Tales from Lake Wobegon segment from A Prairie Home Christmas. “I still love Christmas / I love it so / The way it used to be / So long ago...”

When a Child Is Born - This song, with its melody that reminds me a bit of Danny Boy, is one I’ve encountered only once before that I recall. Andrea Bocelli’s version is grandiose and operatic, while this is humble and quiet. Daniel’s accent isn’t that pronounced when he sings, but midway through the song, he does a spoken voiceover that reminds us how very Irish he is. A lovely reflection on the miracle of birth, and one birth in particular. “All across the land dawns a brand new morn. / This comes to pass when a child is born.”

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - The ladies contribute more corniness to this track, with a chorus of “ring-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-a-ding-dong.” There are also some rather goofy instrumentals toward the end. This has never been one of my favorite Christmas songs, and this version is pretty skippable.

Christmas in Innisfree - One of my very favorite Irish songs is The Isle of Innisfree, so I was intrigued to hear this. A mellow, accordion-tinged song, it has a melancholy undertone like its predecessor, but it focuses less on the pain of separation and more on the joys that the season can bring. Another favorite. “Dreams are part of every exile, / and tonight they’re dear to me, / for like all the whole world over, / it’s Christmastime in Innisfree...”

Silver Bells - Daniel sings this one slowly and reflectively, aided at times by the women’s chorus. Chimes provide some nice accompaniment in the second verse.

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree - Despite the electric guitar, this isn’t a very rockin’ version of this song. It’s not bad, it just feels more like the “old” old-fashioned way than the “new” one.

C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. - This very slow song starts out with organ backing before moving on to guitar and string accompaniment. One of the few overtly religious tracks on the album, it’s a lesser-known song that Daniel covers well. “‘C’ is for the Christ child, born upon this day, / ‘H’ for herald angels in the night, / ‘R’ means our Redeemer, / ‘I’ means Israel, / ‘S’ is for the star that shone so bright...”

Christmas Story - The last of the songs on the album I hadn’t heard before. A simple, reverent guitar-driven reflection on the significance of the Nativity. Definitely one of the better inclusions. “And ‘Gloria, Hallelujah,’ sang the angels in the sky. / They sang a prayer to Heaven so that man would realize / That God the Father sent His Son among us to forgive, / to make this place we call our home a better place to live.”

Silent Night - A pretty basic version of the classic carol. Nothing too remarkable in the sung portion, but there’s a nice spoken segment in which Daniel reflects on what Christmas meant to him as a child and what it means to him now.

The Gift - When I saw this title, I assumed Daniel would be singing the romantic ode that gets lots of airplay this time of year. While I have no objection to that Jim Brickman song, I was pleasantly surprised that it was instead the endearing ballad I fell in love with a couple of years ago. While I still prefer Aselin Debison’s pristine version of this welcome addition to the Little Drummer Boy family of stories, I love Daniel’s too. Its accompaniment of guitar, accordion, mandolin and various Spanish instruments is lovely, and his voice is more affecting on this track than any of the others. A delightful way to end the album. “She waited till just before midnight / So no one would see her go in / And crying she knelt be the manger, / For her gift was unworthy of him...”

I was disappointed that this album has nothing in the way of liner notes, not even enough to identify the women who sing with Daniel on so many songs. I confess they’re a turn-off for me, as their presence makes several tracks seem bland and generic. On the other hand, Daniel does have a very pleasant voice, and on some of these songs, particularly the lesser-known ones, he delivers stellar performances, with help from some talented instrumentalists. While I wouldn’t put it up there with the Irish Rovers’ Christmas album, Christmas With Daniel is a cozy CD that will help those inclined toward Ireland to settle into the holiday mood.