Summary: A new season of Celtic Christmas music begins with new episodes of the podcast featuring Celtic Christmas songs and tunes from The Rogues, Wicked Tinkers, Haggis Rampant, Bonnie Rideout, Angus Mohr, Rathkeltair. www.celticchristmaspodcast.com It is time once again to launch my Celtic Christmas Podcast. This is a 30 minute show where I play Celtic Christmas music and share a little bit about the Celtic bands on the show. If you have a Celtic band and want to submit music, visit our website, and I'll tell you more at the end of the show. If you have a Celtic podcast and would like to share your Christmas show with my audience, please contact me at celticpodcast@gmail.com My two-hour Best Bagpipe Music special of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was so popular earlier this month, I thought a show of Bagpipe Celtic Christmas music would be a great way to kick off the holiday season. This Week’s Celtic Christmas Music 1:31 "Hellbound Sleigh" by The Rogues from Hellbound Sleigh Founded in Houston in 1994, The Rogues created a new genre of Celtic music with exceptionally, well-played pipes and driving percussion. The band's sound ranges from traditional pipes and drums to innovative textures incorporating whistles, keyboard and guitar, as well as many percussion instruments. Always present in The Rogues' music is that spirit that endears them to their audience. From technical precision to soaring melodies, a Rogues album and performance will move you to tears and get you dancing immediately afterwards. 6:47 "Coventry Carol" by Wicked Tinkers from Slainte Happy Holidays Pioneers of the growing Tribal Celtic movement, the Wicked Tinkers have been playing haunting, heart-pounding bagpipes and irresistible tribal drums as a professional touring band since 1995. With the addition, of the mesmerizing drone of the Australian didgeridoo and Bronze Age Irish horn, the magic was complete. Sit back and be transported to an earlier time in Scotland and Ireland, when battle cries filled the air and strange, unheard-of creatures roamed the night. Or better yet, get on your feet and let your body move to ancient rhythms and forgotten sounds. 9:16 "Kirkin' the Midwinter" by Haggis Rampant from The Silver Glens The first stirrings of Haggis Rampant appeared in the fall of 2000 at the first annual Louisiana Renaissance Festival. Steve was feeding his renfest habit while looking for places to practice on his loud instrument. His wife Pam played her bodhran with Steve on the last day of the 2000 run, and, much to his chagrin, the show was a hit. The group was completed with the addition of their daughter Gillian a few years later. Gillian has shown a talent for writing exquisite harmonies on the bagpipes and the good-natured father/daughter competitiveness makes them a fun team to watch. 14:21 "Christmas Carousing/Ale Is Dear/New Christmas" by Bonnie Rideout from A Scottish Christmas Bonnie Rideout is an award winning Scottish fiddler. Her CD, "A Scottish Christmas" became a New York Times “Top Ten Holiday Best Seller”. She celebrates Christmas with this enthusiastic holiday performance that she takes on the road each year, playing at performing arts centers and large theaters nationwide in November and December. Rideout performs along with the Scottish Christmas Ensemble - a group of internationally renowned musicians including the City of Washington Pipe Band and dancers from the Scottish Highlands! Rideout and crew perform with spirit and gusto. This performance features Eric Rigler on Scottish smallpipes. 19:11 "I Saw Three Ships" by Angus Mohr & Friends from A Christmas Pageant Just as watery mist remakes the world, and whisky remakes the man, Angus Mohr revitalizes the brogue of traditional Celtic music with an American blues accent and rejuvenates rock ’n roll’s broad spectrum with bagpipe and pennywhistles. No one is ever going to mistake Angus Mohr for a cover band. Sure,
