Loreena McKennitt’s 2022 release Under A Winter’s Moon, available on vinyl for the first time.

 

The music was recorded live during a series of seasonal concerts in a historic church sanctuary around the time of the winter solstice in December 2021. 

 

The 3x180g LP set is packaged in a deluxe six panel gatefold sleeve and features approximately an hour’s worth of music and half an hour of spoken word, which intertwine to create a unique and evocative seasonal listening experience.

 

Featuring 15 songs, this new live recording includes such beloved favourites as “Snow”, “Coventry Carol”, “Good King Wenceslas” and “The Huron Carol” – the oldest known Canadian Christmas song. The seven seasonal readings included are performed by Canadian Indigenous actor and Order of Canada recipient Tom Jackson, Gemini Award-winning actor Cedric Smith, and Ojibway artist and flautist Jeffrey Red George.

 

Under A Winter’s Moon is a captivating, live performance rich with a miscellany of carols and tales that incorporates McKennitt’s eclectic Celtic sound with elements of indigenous oral traditions. It offers both a connection to the past and a link to the spirit of the season, which continue to weave us together today and beyond. 

 

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This is McKennitt’s third seasonal recording and the 16th album in her catalogue. The 15 songs on the new release include such beloved favourites as “Snow”, “Coventry Carol”, “Good King Wenceslas” and “Huron Carol”– the oldest known Canadian Christmas song. The seasonal tales are narrated by actors Cedric Smith and Tom Jackson, and artist Jeffrey Red George. McKennitt, who in addition to vocals plays harp, keyboard and accordion, is accompanied by Caroline Lavelle on cello and recorders, Graham Hargrove on percussion, Errol Fischer on fiddle, Pete Watson on guitar and 12-string bouzouki, and Cait Watson on Irish whistle, all of whom also provide back-up vocals.

 

McKennitt is known for her cross-cultural blend of pop, Celtic and world music. She has sold over 14 million albums worldwide. Her recordings have achieved Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum status in 15 countries, on four continents. She has twice been nominated for a Grammy Award and has won two Juno Awards, as well as a Billboard International Achievement Award. 

 

She has performed in some of the world’s most-respected and historic concert venues, from Carnegie Hall to the famous Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain and for dignitaries including the Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Majesty King Charles III, and other heads of state.