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Rita MacNeil
Late December
$15.95
Rita MacNeil
Late December
$15.95
With the release of Late December Rita MacNeil brings back the warmth and innocence of the Christmas season.
The recording is a departure for the award-winning artist who chose to go with a more natural, organic sound. The majority of the album was in fact put to tape in Rita’s living room! Musicians and background singers gathered in the heat of summer, recording what is essentially a live album. The result is a CD featuring 9 original and one classic song that expertly capture the sentiments and tradition of Rita’s favourite time of the year.
Writing new Christmas classics can be a daunting task but for the Cape Breton songstress it was a labour of love. Surrounded by her youthful memories it was easy to recall the emotions that define the season. From the country tinged title track of missing loved ones who have come and gone to the bells that ring on Christmas morning in “As Seasons Come” Late December is a charming collection of personal reflections.
“For Mary, For Joseph” is a lovely ballad that evokes the beauty of winter with the snow laden evergreen branches, nights that linger forever and candles that burn brightly in frosted windows.
“All Around the World Tonight” reminds us that our wish for peace, hope and a safe place to raise our children is a sentiment shared by families ‘around the world’. In “Making Merry”, Rita picks up the musical style reminiscent of the 50’s while in “Especially for Christmas” she laments that families can’t always be together over the holidays. The rhythmic sound of “Hope Deliverer” segues beautifully into the gentle lilt of “Ring The Bells”.
“Late December” brings the internationally renowned songwriter’s generosity, warmth and inspiration for the season to life. The Christmas spirit is alive on every track ….a treasured memory for years to come.
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Visit product page →This compilation of Rita's most beloved songs includes many of her cherished songs. From Born a Woman to Saving Grace, Rita's son and long time manager, Wade, carefully selected, with the assistance of her many fans, and people she worked with, songs from every album she released.
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Visit product page →Rita's last album released prior to her passing. Saving Grace, is the iconic Canadian singer-songwriter's 24th release with all original material. Backed by a young group of musicians. Produced by long-time touring guitarist Chris Corrigan, except the last track, which was produced by Douglas September. Saving Grace paints an intimate portrait of one person's journey through life.
"Over the last number of years I have found myself living a reality of certain difficulties that have caused me many changes in my life as well as the way I see things now. Some of us experience these things as part of life and we move on in spite of it all. I feel this album has my journey in it and maybe yours as well.” - Rita MacNeil
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Visit product page →It’s charming, it’s whimsical – fanciful and sentimental – it is Rita’s own labour of love – her only children’s album, Pocket Full of Dreams.With three of the tracks dating back to the late 70’s, and the majority written in 1999, 12 of the 15 tracks sat untouched and roughly demoed until this year. Now brought to life, this very unique offering has something for the whole family.Rita seamlessly segues between the happy and bouncy lyrics of “Billy Goat Loose in My Soup”, “Cardboard Box” and “Ducky Boots”, to the very hip, catchy and child friendly rap styled “Halloween”. There’s the swinging jive of “Several Cats”, the soft lullaby “One by One”, the Celtic flavoured “Rain” featuring bagpipes by Rita’s nephew and the award winning singer’s signature styled lament, “Pocket Full of Dreams”.Cleverly interspersed on a number of tracks are melody lines from classic children’s songs and bringing it all together are the delicate and endearing voices of the Children’s Choir from Sydney River Elementary School.There are three covers on the 15 track CD – Eileen Burton’s #1 hit “If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked A Cake”, “Land of a Thousand Dances” written by R&B artist Chris Kenner, but made famous by Wilson Picket in 1966, and Roger Miller’s 1967 hit, “Walking in the Sunshine”.All told it is a truly delightful collection of songs for a child, a parent or a grandparent. As a mother and now a grandmother, Rita MacNeil’s “Pocket Full of Dreams” is a treasure chest of songs that has finally been opened and shared. The production is brilliant, the instrumentation playful and Rita’s warm delivery in keeping with the sound that has endeared her to countless over the course of her 33 year-plus career.
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