In this house, we listen to this and all our Revels recordings throughout the Christmas season, from around Solstice Night all the way to Candlemas, and music by the Revels is a big part of our annual Yuletide celebration. "The Road to Compostela" is one of our favorites.

This Revels performance is a musical journey that meanders through Spain and Catalonia. Primarily, it explores Galicia, home of the shrine at Compostela. Here we encounter stirring processionals and swirling dances played on the gaita galega, the indigenous Galician bagpipe. We are transported to the 13th century by a devotional song to the Virgin Mary and a longing plea for a lover to return from the sea. An a cappella chorus raises a Renaissance motet high into the arches of the cathedral. A lively band, anchored by guitar and harp and animated by tambourine and castanets, pulls us into boisterous village festivities. Children’s voices can be heard in Christmas lullabies and carols. The rugged and generous spirit of the Galician people comes to life through traditional Nativity songs and rituals. The drums and the gaita galega are absolutely haunting. From the start of the first song, "Hymn of the Ancient Galician Kingdom," you'll be transported. The voice and castanets of "A Belén Vinde Pastores" will place you firmly in another land far from your own. This is an incredible collection.

This is a compact disc, not a download. Here at Convivio Bookworks, we still enjoy popping a disc into a proper stereo and we especially love reading the accompanying liner notes in the analog booklet that comes with the CD. I know. Very old school and not nearly as cool as vinyl... but then again, perhaps we are on the cutting edge of an upcoming renewed interest in CDs. Stranger things have happened.

Full song list for this CD:

1. Hymn of the Ancient Galician Kingdom
2. Fum, Fum, Fum!
3. Dadme Albricias, Hijos d’Eva
4. A Belén Vinde Pastores
5. Aguinaldo
6. Pasodobre de Mallou
7. A Rianxeira
8. Ondas do Mar de Vigo
9. A la Nanita Nana
10. ¡Ay, Cómo Suena la Gaita Gallega!
11. Alborada de Veiga
12. Mu ñeira de Chantada
13. Esta Noite de Natale
14. Carol of the Birds
15. Os Reis do Caurel
16. Alborada de Ourense
17. Niño Dios d’Amor Herido
18. Nadal de Luintra
19. Espagnoletta
20. Rey a Quien Reyes Adoran
21. Santa Maria, Strela do Dia
22. En Belén Naceu un Neno
23. Travellers’ Carol