Fans of Irish Music Should Ring in the Season With The Bells of Dublin

I’m a big fan of Irish music, but I’ve never really listened to the Chieftains, so when I happened upon their Christmas album, The Bells of Dublin, at the library, I was anxious to give them a listen. With a good mix of traditional carols and jolly jigs, it’s an album sure to get toes tapping in any house whose residents appreciate Celtic-flavored music as much as my family does.

The Bells Of Dublin / Christmas Eve (Dublin) - A lively jig complete with pipes, fiddles and, of course, the titular bells, which put me in mind of the Irish Rovers’ Bells Over Belfast. Cheerful way to start off the album.

Past Three O'Clock - This shortened version of an old English carol features a choir which sounds lovely, though I find the united voices a tad difficult to understand and prefer the instrumental portions, which feature fiddles and the spoons. “Past three o'clock, / on a cold frosty morning, / past three o'clock, / good morrow masters all.”

St. Stephen's Day Murders - Pipe-laden and ominous-sounding, this is a grisly ballad reminding me of the Decemberists’ The Shankill Butchers and The Rake’s Song. Elvis Costello serves as the guest lead. “For that is the time to eat, drink, and be merry, / 'til the beer is all spilled and the whiskey has flowed. / And the whole family tree you neglected to bury, / Are feeding their faces until they explode.”

Il Est Ne / Ca Berger - A lovely flute-enhanced choral rendition of the traditional French carol segues into another, this one unfamiliar to me. Both are most melodious.

Don Oiche Ud I Mbeithil (Irish Gaelic) - Burgess Meredith drops by to recite a poetic reflection on the Nativity, with pipes as backing. This is followed by a rendition of the Gaelic carol that starts off a cappella and is eventually joined by several instruments, most prominently the fiddle.

I Saw Three Ships a Sailing - Marianne Faithfull takes the lead on this sprightly version of the classic carol, with excellent pipe and flute accompaniment.

Breton Carol (French) - Flute and harp come together gorgeously in this gentle lullaby. Nolwen Monjarret furnishes the heartfelt vocals.

O the Holly She Bears a Berry - A very nice choral rendition of the traditional carol, followed in quick succession by the similarly presented God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Boars Head. These three are probably the most straightforward of the tracks, save the last three.

Wexford Carol - Nanci Griffith is the guest on this track, and she brings a different flavor to it than I’ve heard before. Though she is an American singer, she sounds quite at home with this Irish carol, almost seeming to take on an accent herself. The pipe solo toward the end serves as a lovely conclusion to the track.

Rebel Jesus - This rousing ballad sung by Jackson Browne, who also wrote it, looks to Jesus as a role model while showing contempt for materially-minded Christians. Reminiscent of Tommy Sands‘ Down Among the Bushes of Jerusalem, though from the perspective of “a heathen and a pagan / on the side of the Rebel Jesus.” A thought-provoking song.

Skyline Jig - This lively number seems to flow naturally out of Rebel Jesus; initially, I thought they were the same song, and I wonder if it was written specifically to follow that. Pipes, fiddles and understated percussion blend perfectly in this upbeat tune.

O Holy Night - Rickie Lee Jones sings this reverent version of my favorite Christmas carol, with different instruments, most notably the harp, offering sparse accompaniment. I especially like her soulful, nearly a cappella delivery on what I think of as the “social justice“ verse.

Arrival of the Wren Boys - Lots of whooping and cheering on this one, followed by a number of nonsense syllables. The recording quality on this one seems different; it sounds like it was recorded in somebody’s basement while they were all just goofing around and having a good time. It turns into The Dingle Set, one of the most rollicking reels on the album.

Wren in the Furze - A cheerful, fast-paced song full of more nonsense syllables, while the verses have a little more lyrical substance. Lots of fun to listen to Kevin Conneff’s tongue tripping over all those non-words, though. “Oh please give us something for the little birds wake, / A big lump of pudding or some Christmas cake, / A fist full o' goose and a hot cup o' tay / And then we'll soon be going on our way.”

Dance Duet (reel) - The pipes start this one off, before the harp joins for a sedately harmonious offering. Brafferton Village / Walsh's Hornpipe brings out the whooping and hollering again for a fiddle-filled jig.

The Farewell: The Piper Through The Meadow Strayed / This Is The Season To Be Merry - Basically a jig version of Deck the Halls, with the lads eventually bursting into song in case the instrumentals weren’t enough of a tip-off.

Once in David's Royal City, Ding Dong Merrily on High and O Come All Ye Faithful end the album on a rich note. Between the majestic choir (the Renaissance Singers) and the pipe organ, the first seems to transport the listener to a candelit Christmas Eve service at a particularly magnificent cathedral. The choir remains for the second, accompanied by the soaring tones of a flute, and the pipes, organ and bells help them to bring the album to a reverent conclusion.

While the Irish Rovers’ An Irish Christmas is still my favorite Irish Christmas album, I doubt this is the last holiday season I’ll be listening to the Chieftains.