A Thistle & Shamrock Christmas Ceilidh

Fiona Ritchie, the host of National Public Radio's popular Celtic music show The Thistle & Shamrock, says she chose tunes for Christmas Ceilidh that reminded her of the village holiday socials she attended as a child. She must have lived in a remarkably cosmopolitan part of Scotland because along with the assortment of dance tunes and songs played by musicians like Manus McGuire, Lunasa, and Altan, the selections include "Maneo da Ulla/Foliada de Parenda" by the Spanish group Milladoiro and "Ceilidh Funk," a synth-based dance tune by the Scottish accordion player Phil Cunningham. And for a CD that prominently features the word Christmas in its title, there is almost no holiday music here at all, except for "I Saw Three Ships," a guitar solo by English guitarist John Renbourn, and the Tannahill Weavers' version of "Auld Lang Syne." Ritchie does include a nice essay about a typical Christmas ceilidh and a Dundee cake recipe in the liner notes, but overall this is one of the very few holiday CDs you can play year round. --Michael Simmons