Christmas Cards From Ireland - Review

Well folks, another CW album is on our way, and I'd like to talk about my experience of plastering this album a day earlier (thanks apple music New Zealand and your 18 dollars)

Let's go
First I'd like to talk about the EP cover: I'm a person obsessed with album covers, blurays and the like and I have very high expectations for this EP. I won't go into it but when I saw it for the first time I thought "wow, that's a mess" the blue colors and the dolls gave me a totally unexpected vibe, I was expecting something bright red with Christmas decorations around it, but anyway, I then started to listen to the songs:

The Toys' Waltz
Well, if in the PFI there are people who didn't like the lack of harmony, right away we see that they don't have this criticism to make in this EP haha, the harmonies are beautiful, the girls' voices are beautiful and the mixing is 1000% better, the music in si is really nice to listen to and gives me a modern christmas vibe, some like HFC was. And it's great to listen to Susan but once again, I really don't expect this lovely surprise. I really liked

The Holy Night
Well, here we have a classic Christmas song and my favorite Christmas song of all time! I remember like it was yesterday the first time I learned this song, I was only 13 years old when we sang at a Christmas concert in French original "Minuit chretien". This song has such a strong emotional weight to me that any version of it I automatically like. I learned the English version of this song with the CW, and since there were two versions we have from the group (Original Christmas Celebration and Magic of Christmas) I say that I prefer David's original version just because it's more classic in the arrangement, but this new version is beautiful, it's basically the 2020 version but with Susan instead of Chloë and with some changes here and there, a better mix and among other things... Note 1000.

I Saw Three Ships
Something interesting I saw in this one is that firstly Susan's voice is wonderful (as always) and secondly that Muirgen's voice reminded me a lot of Eabha's, I don't know why exactly but I got this impression, did you have it too? In general, the arrangement is very well done and a special cheerful tone in this one too.

Silent Night
BEST VERSION CW EVER MADE! Like O Holy Night, this song I've been singing for as long as I can remember, and originally I sang it in Portuguese (my main language) and also in German (original language of the song), and I learned the English version listening to CW , previously the version I liked the most was by VoA for being more classic than the others, but this one has a very special touch, after all, this song was not made to be a giant bang, it's a lullaby after all , so I thought it was excellent.

Final considerations
Well, after listening to the EP, I really felt like I was in a forest and on a carousel with the kids in the middle of a Christmas, the arrangements are beautiful and it has a special touch that reminded me a lot of Magic of Christmas, it's my first impression that I I had on the album cover, it completely changed after I listened to it. It was the cover idea for the songs that are there and it conveys a feeling befitting the songs.
Christmas Cards From Ireland is the perfect example of "less is more" is an EP of only 4 tracks but that has more quality than many songs that the CW has released in the past for example. I found it very tasteful and I'm looking forward to the MVs
The only negative I can say is that Hanna is not in it, but that is something that will certainly be fixed when the special or MV airs. So I say I liked it! And I liked everything! From the cover to the last second of music 

So is the group: Susan, Muirgen, Megan, Tara?
Maybe this is what they were recording in September when Tara talked about being at Windmill Lane

Probably yes, this is also compatible with that photo a member of the production posted on instagram at the end of September, saying they had just finished filming a "new Celtic Woman project"
I believe that the recording of the EP must have been in August or something, and in September the MVs / Special
I don't know but one way or another Hannah is not on the EP  :'(

Probably yes, this is also compatible with that photo a member of the production posted on instagram at the end of September, saying they had just finished filming a "new Celtic Woman project"
I believe that the recording of the EP must have been in August or something, and in September the MVs / Special
I don't know but one way or another Hannah is not on the EP  :'(

So I'm guessing if there's a full special that it'll have these songs + Maybe a lot from The Magic of Christmas.
I hope they don't go too long before getting Hannah on a recording -- Remember how Mairead Carlin wasn't on anything recorded until two years after she'd been in the group. Is it possible what took Mairead Carlin so long was that they may have had a recording planned to record in July/August 2014 and release in time for '15 that they abandoned??

I just thought of how Susan was not on the HfC album after months of touring with CW... it's good she has some Christmas songs NOW. But a pity with Hannah. I was excited to hear her.

I just thought of how Susan was not on the HfC album after months of touring with CW... it's good she has some Christmas songs NOW. But a pity with Hannah. I was excited to hear her.

Yeah. I bet she’s not there because they didn’t know she’d be a permanent member yet.
Also don’t forget she did the VoA Christmas tracks.

I liked the harmony on the EP a lot more than I did on the Postcards album. It's quite pretty and it's pleasant to listen to. It's just not getting to the level where it sounds like the most beautiful music in the world to me.

Probably yes, this is also compatible with that photo a member of the production posted on instagram at the end of September, saying they had just finished filming a "new Celtic Woman project"
I believe that the recording of the EP must have been in August or something, and in September the MVs / Special
I don't know but one way or another Hannah is not on the EP  :'(

So I'm guessing if there's a full special that it'll have these songs + Maybe a lot from The Magic of Christmas.
I hope they don't go too long before getting Hannah on a recording -- Remember how Mairead Carlin wasn't on anything recorded until two years after she'd been in the group. Is it possible what took Mairead Carlin so long was that they may have had a recording planned to record in July/August 2014 and release in time for '15 that they abandoned??

To not have a 10th Anniversary Tour Special CD and DVD is a missed opportunity. If anything earlier like you say July/August 2014 been the lineup with Lynn which had a refreshing duet version of Si Do Mahiemo I they could recorded introducing Mairead C. As for a special I don't see it happening but prefer they did CW X instead!

If Susan is on the Special and not Hannah then means they took the Meav route and Hannah as a new member would have to hold suit just like Mairead C did for two years. Makes it fair but I don't think CW goes like that or do they the answer shall see. No new member has ever started out with a Christmas special

Probably yes, this is also compatible with that photo a member of the production posted on instagram at the end of September, saying they had just finished filming a "new Celtic Woman project"
I believe that the recording of the EP must have been in August or something, and in September the MVs / Special
I don't know but one way or another Hannah is not on the EP  :'(

So I'm guessing if there's a full special that it'll have these songs + Maybe a lot from The Magic of Christmas.
I hope they don't go too long before getting Hannah on a recording -- Remember how Mairead Carlin wasn't on anything recorded until two years after she'd been in the group. Is it possible what took Mairead Carlin so long was that they may have had a recording planned to record in July/August 2014 and release in time for '15 that they abandoned??

To not have a 10th Anniversary Tour Special CD and DVD is a missed opportunity. If anything earlier like you say July/August 2014 been the lineup with Lynn which had a refreshing duet version of Si Do Mahiemo I they could recorded introducing Mairead C. As for a special I don't see it happening but prefer they did CW X instead!

Yeah because Lynn only recorded a few songs on The Greatest Journey and a few on Lullaby + Songs from the Heart it'd have been great -- Lynn/Alex's recording debut was just a few songs and then the first new special for both of them was after they'd been in the group a while. At least they made up for not doing an X live release by taping the VoA tour and giving us Homecoming.

If Susan is on the Special and not Hannah then means they took the Meav route and Hannah as a new member would have to hold suit just like Mairead C did for two years. Makes it fair but I don't think CW goes like that or do they the answer shall see. No new member has ever started out with a Christmas special

Susan it's weird because she TAPED one special (Emerald) and then another one four months later (HfC) but the latter was FIRST to air so HfC was the first special featuring Susan to AIR but not first to be taped.
Hannah HAS to start with something fully new and not like Alex/Lynn where it's only a few tracks.
Looking at how fast they've been to get new members recording/filming 
Lynn: Introduced August 2007. First tour: Fall 2007. First recording: New tracks for Greatest Journey (done with 6 women), First fully new recording: SfTh in July 2009.
Alex: Introduced filling in for Lisa K in December 2007 (became permanent member December 2008) First recording: New tracks for Greatest Journey, First fully new recording: SfTh in July 2009. She went a year between being introduced and being on any release at all and almost two years between being introduced and being on a release that was entirely new.
Lisa L: Introduced November 2010. First recording: Believe (In her intro video they all talked about having been in the studio during that week -- recording Believe tracks? although the concert was taped much LATER)  First USA tour: SfTh 2011 (also my first).
Susan: Introduced filling in for Lisa K in January 2012. Promoted January 2013. First recording: Emerald during Spring 2013 tour (though the 2nd special to include her to be broadcast). 1 year between being introduced and her first filming.
Mairead C: Introduced: August 2013. First tour: Europe Fall 2013. She did TEN tours before finally being part of recording/filming with Destiny in Summer 2015. She probably has the record for the amount of time between when they introduced her to when the first album/special arrived to feature her.
Eabha: Introduced August 2015. First recording/filming: Destiny Summer 2015. First Tour: Australian leg of X tour. First recording as soon as she was introduced.
Tara: Introduced August 2016. First recording: VoA August 2016. First tour: International Destiny dates in September--October 2016. First recording as soon as she was introduced.
Megan: Introduced August 2018. First recording: Johnstown Castle for Ancient Land. First tour: Christmas 2018. First recording as soon as she was introduced.
Muirgen: Introduced June 2021. First recording: Postcards from Ireland. First tour: This spring. First recording as soon as she was introduced.
It's nice how fast they were to get Eabha, Tara, Megan, Muirgen recording before they got them out touring.
Tara is unique in the fact that she started with a title that was CD only.

Lisa L: Introduced November 2010. First recording: Believe (In her intro video they all talked about having been in the studio during that week -- recording Believe tracks? although the concert was taped much LATER)

Actually Lisa L recorded bonus tracks for Songs From The Heart that was released in 2011; She is featured on a german version of Over The Rainbow and A Spaceman Came Travelling (yes there are two versions of this song). Additionally, She is part of "An Irish Journey", released only in France with the group version of The Water is Wide.

I hope it is not too long for us to hear Hannah, specially when there are barely any videos of her singing.

Lisa L: Introduced November 2010. First recording: Believe (In her intro video they all talked about having been in the studio during that week -- recording Believe tracks? although the concert was taped much LATER)

Actually Lisa L recorded bonus tracks for Songs From The Heart that was released in 2011; She is featured on a german version of Over The Rainbow and A Spaceman Came Travelling (yes there are two versions of this song). Additionally, She is part of "An Irish Journey", released only in France with the group version of The Water is Wide.

I hope it is not too long for us to hear Hannah, specially when there are barely any videos of her singing.

Yeah. It’d better not be. If Eabha, Tara, Megan and Muirgen all consecutively could be quick so can Hannah.

Looking at how fast they've been to get new members recording/filming 
Mairead C: She probably has the record for the amount of time between when they introduced her to when the first album/special arrived to feature he

10 TOURS!! Whoah 
I just thought that if I included special guests for Destiny I would of included Lynn and Alex. Nothing wrong with Rebecca and Oognah. Meav, Lynn, Alex helped make the Tenth Anniversary special! Also for their first special SFTH kind of a turn down to have one of their solos not on the DVD or CD due to the copyrights. Alex would been fair game on Goodnight My Angel as she was a mother.