Winter Carols


Winter Carols is the sixth studio album by the group Blackmore's Night, released in the United Kingdom in October 2006, and in the United States on November 7, 2006. It is a Christmas themed album. The cover artwork for this album, painted by Karsten Topelmann, is an adaptation of a street in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, in line with the band's heavy Renaissance influence. The same street is portrayed in the cover of Blackmore's Night's second studio album, Under a Violet Moon. In the cover of "Winter Carols" the street is painted as winter time, whereas Under a Violet Moon's cover takes place on apparently a summer night. While the selection "Winter " is credited to Ritchie Blackmore as composer, the first phrase comes from Gaspar Sanz's "Espanoleta" though Blackmore quickly goes off on his own from there. The songs no longer under copyright are credited only as "trad." even when the authors are known.
In December 2006, Winter Carols entered at #7 on USA Billboard New Age Charts.
The album won the New Age Reporter Lifestyle Music Award as the Best Holiday Album.

2013 Reissue

The album was re-issued in 2013 with an additional CD of live versions, along with that year's single – a reworking of the track Christmas Eve.

Personnel