In October, my parents and I went to see Celtic Thunder in concert at
the Warner Theater in Erie, PA. While I was most dazzled by seeing Ryan
Kelly, my favorite member of the group, performing mere feet away from
me, one of the most enjoyable surprises for my mom and me was just how
playful tenor Paul Byrom was on stage. Given the operatic quality of his
voice, Paul has some of the most somber-sounding songs in the Celtic
Thunder catalog, but he found plenty of ways throughout the evening to
let an impish side of his personality shine through, even as he wowed us
all with powerhouse renditions of inspirational ballads and romantic
reflections.
With December closing in, I recalled stumbling
upon a couple of carols sung by Paul on YouTube. A search revealed that
he did indeed have a Christmas album, along with a nonseasonal solo
album entitled Velvet. I was sure Mom would enjoy his collection
of Christmas tunes, and of course, Dad and I would as well, so I ordered
a copy; it took more than a month to arrive, but it was delivered in
time to sit under the tree on Christmas morning.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
is a 12-track album of mostly-familiar songs, including a medley of six
familiar favorites. It’s one of the most handsome albums I’ve ever
seen; packaged as a cardboard foldout rather than in a plastic
jewelcase, the background is deep chestnut under artistic renderings of
Paul by Sinead Lawless. On the inside left fold is a photo of Paul
looking pensive; outside the window, a magical-looking world glistens.
The front cover features a painting of him waiting at the train station,
a suitcase by his side, while another flap shows him basking in the
light of the doorway that is opened to welcome him home. Paul dedicates
the album to his mother “for making Christmas so special each and every
year.” His comments appear on two flaps in fancy yellow script, and
while it’s a bit difficult to read, it adds to the attractive look of
the album.
The Christmas Song - A conventional
arrangement of this Christmas standard. The instrumentals sound very
similar to other versions, especially toward the beginning, though
there’s a nice flute solo toward the end that makes this stand out a
bit. Considering the nostalgic flavor of this album, it seems fitting to
start off with something so traditional-sounding, and Paul sings it
beautifully.
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - By
contrast, I didn’t recognize this song until Paul started singing.
There’s a fun piano solo midway through the song, but it’s the delicate
strings and flutes, which are evocative of swirling snowflakes, that
make the biggest impact here. Paul puts the most emphasis on lines like
“as long as you love me so,” accentuating the romantic nature of the
song.
The River - This, too, has a romantic bent, but
with a bitter edge. When my dad came downstairs as my mom and I were
listening to this track, he asked, “Is that Ryan?” He meant to say Paul,
but it made me chuckle because while Ryan seems to have to corner on
the angst market in Celtic Thunder, Paul really gives him a run for his
money here. Although I never heard it until a couple of years ago, this
brooding Joni Mitchell ballad has been widely covered. Wikipedia lists
dozens of singers who have recorded versions (though curiously, Paul
isn‘t listed among them). I’ve now heard several different renditions of
this song, and his is my favorite; he really loses himself in the pain
of those lyrics, lending the ballad the anguished air it so clearly
needs.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas - This title track
eases out of the abject misery of the previous track for a more subdued
sense of melancholy. Paul’s tone feels mostly optimistic, bolstered by
fluttery flute accompaniment, with a dash of despair on the last
repetition of “home for Christmas,” suggesting he might not make it home
after all.
Happy Holiday - Instantly recognizable from
the first notes of the instrumental opening, this Irving Berlin song is
one that always gets on my nerves, mostly because I think “whoop de do
and dickory dock, / don’t forget to hang up your sock” has to be one of
the dumbest lines ever to find its way into a Christmas song. On the
other hand, Paul’s style often makes me think of the 1940s, when this
song was written, and I find his version less grating than Bing
Crosby’s, in part because the instrumentation is a bit more understated.
Besides, many of the tracks on this album have a solemn tone to them,
so it’s kinda fun to have something so frivolous here.
The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot
- This song from the late 1930s is a downer. I had trouble taking it
seriously until I really paid attention to the chorus, which concludes,
“I’m so sorry for that laddie, / He hasn’t got a daddy, / The little boy
that Santa Claus forgot.” I suppose that’s the real reason he didn’t
get anything, and I’m sure that makes him sadder than the absence of the
drum and toy soldiers he asked for. Paul comes across as really
sympathetic in this one; it may have a personal resonance for him, as he
was raised primarily by his mother. I’ve also gotten the sense from
interviews and fan photos that he is especially attuned to children, and
that definitely comes across here.
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Another upbeat song, this one is pretty fun and peppy and is the second song on the album to include a musical quote of Jingle Bells.
The strings and flute are the prominent instruments again here, giving
the track a light feel, and Paul emphasizes the humor in the line “Mom
and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again.”
A Winter’s Tale
- This new-to-me song seems like it should be a downer, but it really
isn‘t. A peppy, cheerful song, it reflects on a short relationship that
didn‘t last. The focus is on the happiness of their time together rather
than regret that it didn’t work out, reminding me of the bittersweet,
fairy tale-like Once.
The chimes and the calypso-ish beat add to the feeling that this was a
perfect period in these people’s lives, however brief it may have been.
“It's a love that can never be / Though it meant a lot to you and me. /
On a world-wide scale, / We're just another winter's tale.”
O Holy Night
- This is the song I’m most anxious to hear Celtic Thunder perform on
the all-but-inevitable Christmas album. While I’m very much hoping for a
group rendition, complete with complex harmonies, it’s great to be able
to hear Paul’s solo version here. Comparable to his recording of You Raise Me Up,
this demonstrates the range and power of his voice nicely. The flute
that I enjoy so much on other tracks seems a little out of place here, a
bit too playful on such a solemn song, but I love the hints of harp
halfway through. Though he doesn’t sing my favorite verse, I love his
delivery of “in all our trials, born to be our friend.”
Saviour’s Day
- The second song on the album I hadn’t heard before, this encourages
remembrance of Jesus in the midst of holiday festivities. Both reverent
and cheerful, it exploits Paul’s upper register more than most and
presents some nice harmonies with the backing vocalists, who are
especially integral on this track. Reminding me a bit of Celtic Woman’s Christmas Pipes,
this is one I can easily imagine on the radio. “Open your eyes on
Saviour's Day. / Don't look back or turn away. / Life can be yours if
you'll only stay. / He is calling you, calling you / On the Saviour's
Day.”
Silent Night - One of the neatest tracks on the
album, it demonstrates how long Paul has been honing his craft as a
singer. Here, after starting the carol off on his own, he harmonizes
with a recording of himself as a boy soprano. Then, young Paul
harmonizes with himself, before it’s back to modern-day Paul for the
final verse, with his younger self joining in on the last line. I knew
that Paul had been classically trained from a young age, but hearing
this really drives that point home, and it’s fascinating to hear what
his voice used to sound like.
The Christmas Medley -
This is listed as a bonus track, so I presume that means not all copies
of this album have it, though that seems odd considering that Paul
mentions in the liner notes that “the real fun was recording the medley
of songs that were so magical to me as a little toddler.” This nostalgic
and mostly fun series of tunes includes Jingle Bells, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, while White Christmas ends the seven-plus-minute-long track on a reflective note.
Although this album was released in 2008, Paul makes no specific
mention of Celtic Thunder. Clearly Thunderheads have responded
enthusiastically to this album, however; this year, online retailers
sold out in early November, and I feared Christmas might pass before a
fresh supply of CDs came in. As far as I know, none of the stores in my
area stock either of Paul’s albums, but perhaps with the flood of
interest in his Christmas album that will change. So far, while several
solo demo tracks are posted on the lads’ MySpace pages, Paul is the only
member of Celtic Thunder with a solo album available for purchase - and
he has two! I’d say the others have some catching up to do. But whether
you’ve fallen in love with Paul Byrom’s smooth voice by way of Celtic
Thunder, knew him already as “Ireland’s Premiere Young Tenor” or haven’t
yet had the pleasure of acquainting yourself with his talent, I’ll Be Home for Christmas comes highly recommended for anyone who loves Christmas music. And if you’re the type who’d just as soon listen to Silent Night and Jingle Bells in July, so much the better.
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