Songs of Joy & Peace by Yo-Yo Ma & Friends (Music Review by Melissa A. Bartell)
Songs of Joy & Peace
Yo-Yo Ma & Friends
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It may seem a bit late to review an album that is ostensibly Christmas music, but the latest offering from Yo-Yo Ma (& Friends) transcends the season.
Songs of Joy and Peace does contain a few Christmas songs - most notably a duet of “The Wexford Carol” with Alison Krauss - but the vast majority of the tracks are not season-specific, merely uplifting tunes about love and hope. James Taylor’s cover of “Here Comes the Sun,” is plucky and folk-y, and manages to be stirring and not at all derivative, while “Invitación al Danzón,” performed with Paquito D’Rivera, will have almost everyone tapping their feet, at the very least.
Most interesting, to me at least, was that about a third of the tracks on this disc were variations of the same tune, the round “Dona Nobis Pacem,” which translates to the simple plea “Grant Us Peace.” There are five different renditions of this so-familiar song, each one with a different mood and a different partnership. The first is Yo-Yo Ma alone, while the others are performed by a collection of international musicians, including the afore-mentioned D’Rivera, as well as Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Alon Yavni, and the Assad Family.
If you want to add to your Christmas collection, you can hit the bargain bin of any discount store during the next week or so. If you want, instead, to purchase a CD that will carry you well into the new year without becoming trite or cliche, Songs of Joy and Peace is the disc for you.
(Songs of Joy and Peace is available digitally from Amazon.com, iTunes, and Napster.)
Melissa A. Bartell earns her living by writing articles for an SEO marketing firm, and dabbles in essays and fiction on the side. She lives near Dallas, TX with her husband, two dogs, and more computers than anyone really needs. She is the Managing Editor here at All Things Girl. Find out more about her on our About Page. You can also find her at her website and various other places around the ‘net.
