BenWiganUK

I prefer Amarantine to be honest. There are some lovely tracks on And Winter Came but as a whole entity it lacks variation and diversity.

Yes I want OCOCE as a single too. It's the standout track on the album.

Sorry to be negative but I thought this was her least convincing tv performance ever. I really hated the choir of children who clearly weren't singing and who didn't really know the words judging by the amount of nervous glancing down at their song sheets. The chorale version of Oiche Chiun doesn't sound like a children's choir so it was all a bit bizarre. After 20 years I'm completely used to mimed or lip synched performances. I don't think there has ever been a live performance in the UK. But this performance of Oiche Chiun looked so false. Trains and Winter Rains on Children in Need was much more authentic.

No. Watermark can never be topped. My favourite album of all time. I'm still undecided about And Winter Came. I'm trying to really really like it. I just find it very slow and I'm really missing the Gaelic and instrumental tracks. No two tracks on Watermark sounded the same: it was so varied. There was: 1 instrumental with voices 1 piano instrumental 1 synthesised instrumental 1 latin track 1 traditional gaelic track 2 haunting gaelic tracks 3 English ballads 1 uptempo English track Whereas on And Winter Came there is: 1 instrumental with voices 1 English and Latin track 1 Gaelic choral track 3 uptempo English tracks 6 English ballads The variety is not there. Just too many English songs. The Celts 1 song in English Watermark 4 songs in English Shepherd Moons 6 songs in English The Memory of Trees 5 songs in English A day without rain 7 songs in English Amarantine 7 songs in English And winter came 9.5 songs in English.................too many!!!!!!!! It's increasing all the time. Will the next album consist entirely of songs in the English language?

Are people forgetting all the radio interviews that enya.com told us about? Here's one on Smooth Radio: http://www.smoothradionorthwest.co.uk/play...again/fuodsyf8/

The one with Elaine Paige is really long. There are some interesting bits that are new. I'm also enjoying the one with Neil Cox on Magic FM. http://podcasts.magic.co.uk/magic/intervie...nya_podcast.mp3

LOL @ David. Well he's admitted to a drink problem in the past so I suppose so.

You would if you had met him.

I received half of my prize today - the signed media pack and the signed copy of Trains and Winter Rains. Both are beautiful. But the item I am most pleased with, and touched by, is a handwritten, personalised note from Roma which ends with 'Say hello to the kids in your classes!'. I am absolutely thrilled by this.

I'm not clear on whether And Winter Came is a winter album, a Christmas album or both. The whole concept is confusing me a bit. I'm really not certain that it's an album I'll want to listen to in January or February let alone Spring or Summer. The Christmas theme is so strong on JOTA, WIITWN, OCOCE, OTS, TSOCP,OC which is half the album. I think that the whole And Winter Came package would have been great as a double album. CD1 could have been the original Christmas idea with cover versions and carols containing: Oiche Chiun (original version) Adeste Fideles Journey of the Angels O Come O Come Emmanuel Oiche Chiun (chorale) We wish you a merry Christmas plus a handful of other carols that she could have done great versions of CD2 could have been the winter CD with the tracks written by Enya and Roma: And Winter Came White is in the winter night Trains and Winter Rains Dreams are more precious Last time by moonlight One toy soldier Stars and midnight blue The spirit of Christmas past My! My! Time flies! Miraculum It would have been a great package. I would have loved to hear Enya record more carols. I doubt she'll ever do any more now.

Ciaran's my favourite Brennan lol. I met him in March in Liverpool and he's a lovely gentle guy. Totally sincere. I don't think he's done anything wrong here. I bought Sinead O'Connor's 'Theology' album and I agree that it is self-indulgent nonsense.

This was good publicity for Enya. The show, which can be heard on line, played Caribbean Blue, Orinoco Flow, Oiche Chiun and Trains and Winter Rains! Enya was interviewed and although Steve's research was $h!te (he thought she performed live), it was a lot of fun in the studio. Enya actually cracked an amusing joke at one stage and the studio all burst out laughing. The second part seems badly edited where Enya's answers all seem compiled together. But it's definitely worth a listen. This is a big radio station, a big show in the UK. Listen to it here.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/listen/#s Enya comes on at about 1 hour 38 minutes into the show.

I'm not blown away by either but if I had to choose I'd go for One toy soldier. The melody doesn't do a huge amount for me though.

Yes. I think we've seen the end of the Enya bside and now we're about to see the end of the Enya single.

That's a really good position. :)

No there's nothing else on the single. Just one track.

I think you're probably right, Ben. It's more likely small quantities were produced. I got my copy from HMV on line for £1.99 delivered. I wasn't expecting to see it in any shops. Maybe the larger HMVs stock it but my local one in Wigan only has a very small amount of singles. And Ben, looking back at the posts I was wrong to call you rude. I now see what you mean. Sorry mate.

It was quite nice, totally lip synched (or mimed as we say in England). The usual orchestra pretending to pluck strings behind her. Nothing out of the ordinary but quite pleasant. No interview - just the song.

There are too many songs sung in English and too many songs of a similar tempo. There's only one track that really bores me (Stars and Midnight Blue) but the overall feel of the album is a little too slow and mellow. There was so much more variety between the tracks on the first albums. No two songs on Watermark sounded the same. But on And Winter Came you have half an album of a similar style: Journey of the Angels Dreams are more precious Last time by moonlight One toy soldier Stars and midnight blue The spirit of Christmas past Also, the English language has just kept increasing on Enya albums and this limits the rich variety that there used to be on her albums: Watermark: 4 English tracks Shepherd Moons: 5 or 6 English tracks (depending on your version of Book of Days) The Memory of Trees: 5 English tracks A day without rain: 7 English tracks Amarantine: 7 English tracks And winter came: 9.5 English tracks

"Yeah I know mister clever, I'm not that dumb." You might not be dumb, but you're certainly rude.

David, I've got it. Get in touch. mcmullenben@hotmail.com ;)

I haven't got time to do a detailed analysis of the album yet. I'm still getting used to it and I'm still a bit mixed. My first reaction last night was disappointment, but today it has grown on me. I think my immediate reaction was that the songs were too slow and too similar. I still think that there's a lack of variety but today the songs have started to distinguish themselves a bit more to me. I am still utterly blown away by O come o come Emmanuel. The spirit of Christmas past is also emerging as a favourite. Two other tracks are growing on me: Dreams are more precious and Last time by Midnight. There are a couple of tracks that I am not just not 'getting' at the moment: Journey of the Angels (great title, boring song) and Stars and Midnight Blue. I really admire My! My! time flies for the way it's different but I'm not sure it's a track I'll ever fully love. I find White is in the winter night too synthetic in terms of vocal and orchestration. That track really does need a live choir and orchestra. It's too artificial and fake sounding to me. Anyway, an Enya album always takes me a while. That's where I'm up to so far. Finally, is it just me or are the lyrics a bit too.....I don't know.....vague? I mean there must be more to winter than simply stars in the sky.

My favourite tracks always come out after a few listens. For example, on the first few playings of Amarantine I loved 'It's in the rain'. After about a week it was 'A moment lost' that was really moving me. Now three years on I'm convinced that Sumerigusa and Waters shows the hidden heart that are the best tracks. There's loads of time for 'Last time by moonlight' to grow on me. I like it but it's not reached me properly yet if you know what I mean. In fact, The Spirit of Christmas Past is doing loads more for me at the moment.

I suppose she'll be singing Trains and winter rains. I'll be interested to see her perform this track.

I went for O come, o come Emmanuel. But a new favourite is emerging......The spirit of Christmas past.