A Winter Symphony
Studio album by
Sarah Brightman
Released4 November 2008 (2008-11-04)
GenreVocal, Christmas
Length43:50
LabelManhattan Records
ProducerFrank Peterson
Sarah Brightman chronology
Symphony
(2008) 		A Winter Symphony
(2008) 		Symphony: Live in Vienna
(2009)
Singles from A Winter Symphony
  1. "Silent Night"
    Released: 11 October 2008
  2. "I Believe in Father Christmas"
    Released: 4 November 2008
  3. "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday"
    Released: 5 December 2008
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

A Winter Symphony is a Christmas album and the tenth studio album by the English soprano singer Sarah Brightman, released in November 2008.[2]

Album information

The album borrows its name from Brightman's earlier 2008 album, Symphony.

A deluxe edition was released through Barnes & Noble, which included extra tracks and a DVD that featured documentary segments: "The Making of A Winter Symphony", a photo gallery, and Brightman's live performances of "Fleurs du Mal", "Symphony", "Let It Rain", and "Running" from NBC's Fashion on Ice Show.[citation needed]

Brightman chose a number of traditional songs from the season: "Silent Night", "In the Bleak Midwinter", and "Child in a Manger", as well as two versions of "Ave Maria", one being the classical piece by French composer Charles Gounod, and the other—in duet with tenor Fernando Lima—an original by Brightman and Mexican composer Jorge Avedaño. Included are also contemporary pop tunes, such as Vince Gill's "Colder Than Winter", a cover of Neil Diamond's "I've Been This Way Before" and Roy Wood's "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday". The set continues with a rendition of "Amazing Grace" and closes with a reading of "I Believe in Father Christmas" originally by Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

To promote the album, in the week of 15–22 December, Brightman's "Silent Night" was the iTunes "Free Single of the Week" and the video for "I Believe in Father Christmas" was launched to accompany the single.[citation needed] Brightman also performed at the "Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade", performing "Silent Night" on 23 December 2008, and it was broadcast by ABC on 25 December 2008.[3]

A Winter Symphony won Classical Album of the Year at the 23rd Japan Gold Disc Awards.[4]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Arrival"3:15
2."Colder than Winter"4:02
3."Ave Maria" (featuring Fernando Lima)4:08
4."Silent Night"3:08
5."In the Bleak Midwinter"3:43
6."I've Been This Way Before"3:50
7."Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"3:58
8."Child in a Manger"3:08
9."I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday"4:48
10."Amazing Grace"3:04
11."Ave Maria"2:52
12."I Believe in Father Christmas"3:44
Total length:43:50
Deluxe Edition
No.TitleLength
13."When a Child Is Born"3:41
14."Carpe Diem" (featuring Mario Frangoulis)3:58
15."Happy Christmas (War Is Over)"3:28
Total length:54:58
Japanese Deluxe Edition
No.TitleLength
16."First of May"2:55
17."He Moved through the Fair"2:13
Total length:60:07
Borders Books and Music Digital Edition
No.TitleLength
13."He Moved through the Fair"2:13
Total length:46:03

Singles

Chart performance

Selling about 14,000 copies in the first week in the United States, the album debuted at number thirty-eight on the Billboard Top 200. It also made another debuts such as the Top Classical Crossover Albums at number-three;[5] It scored a number six in the Top Holiday Albums, being the first entry for Brightman on this chart[6] and debuted at number-four on the Top Internet Albums. In Japan, the album debuted in the top 15, peaking at No. 12 selling 13,953 copies in its first week of release.[7]

References

  1. ^ A Winter Symphony at AllMusic
  2. ^ Gans, Andrew (27 August 2008). "Sarah Brightman to Release Holiday Recording". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
  3. ^ Boedeker, Hal (24 December 2008). "Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, David Cook, Sarah Brightman and Mary Poppins play Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  4. ^ "The Japan Gold Disc Awards 2009" (in Japanese). The Japan Gold Disc. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  5. ^ Jones, Alan. "US albums sales in meltdown". Music Week. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Sarah Brightman Top Holiday Albums Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  7. ^ "オリコン アルバム TOP20" [Albums in TOP20]. www.geocities.jp (in Japanese). 10 November 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Sarah Brightman Classical Albums Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Sarah Brightman Canadian Albums Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  10. ^ "冬のシンフォニー - サラ・ブライトマン" [A Winter Symphony - Sarah Brightman]. ORICON NEWS (in Japanese). 29 October 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  11. ^ "SARAH BRIGHTMAN - A WINTER SYMPHONY (ALBUM)". mexicancharts.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d "A Winter Symphony by Sarah Brightman - Music Charts". acharts.co. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Ελληνικό Chart". Ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  14. ^ "Sarah Brightman Billboard 200 Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  15. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Sarah Brightman – A Winter Symphony". Music Canada.
  16. ^ "2009 Oricon Ranking". DOUBAN. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  17. ^ "Japanese album certifications – サラ・ブライトマン – 冬のシンフォニー" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2008年12月 on the drop-down menu
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