A Winter Symphony

A Winter Symphony
Studio album by Sarah Brightman
Released 4 November 2008
Genre Vocal, Christmas
Length 43:50
Label Manhattan
Producer Frank 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
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

A Winter Symphony is a Christmas album from 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.

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 December 15–22, 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.[3] Brightman also performed at the "Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade", performing "Silent Night" on December 23, 2008, and it was broadcast by ABC on December 25, 2008.[4]

A Winter Symphony won for Best Classical Album of the Year at the 23rd Japan Gold Disc Awards.[5]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Arrival"   3:15
2. "Colder than Winter"   4:02
3. "Ave Maria" (feat. 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

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;[6] It scored a number six in the Top Holiday Albums, being the first entry for Brightman on this chart[7] 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.[8]

Charts

Chart (2008) Peak
position
US Billboard Top Classical Crossover Albums[6] 3
US Billboard Top Internet Albums[9] 4
US Billboard Top Holiday Albums[7] 6
Canadian Albums Chart[10] 9
Japanese Oricon Top Weekly Albums[11] 10
Mexican Top 100 Albums Chart[12] 13
Greek Albums Chart[13] 20
Finland Albums Charts[14] 35
US Billboard Top 200 Albums[6] 38
Sweden Album Charts[15] 32
World Albums Charts[16] 40
UK Albums Chart 177

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[17] Gold 40,000^
China (SARFT)[18] Platinum 30,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[19] Gold 129,350[20]
Mexico (AMPROFON)[21] Gold 40,000^
Taiwan (RIT)[22] Gold 7,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1437823
  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. ↑ amazon.com
  4. ↑ http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2008/12/miley-cyrus-jon.html
  5. ↑ "Winners of Japan Gold Disc Award 2009". RIAJ. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Jones, Alan. "US albums sales in meltdown". Music Week. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.billboard.com/artist/278189/sarah+brightman/chart?f=325
  8. ↑ http://www.geocities.jp/object_ori/081110a.html
  9. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/278189/sarah+brightman/chart?f=327
  10. ↑ A Winter Symphony at AllMusic
  11. ↑ "アルバム 週間ランキング-ORICON STYLE ランキング". Oricon.co.jp. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  12. ↑ A Winter Symphony in Mexico
  13. ↑ "Ελληνικό Chart". Ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  14. ↑ Finland Albums Chart
  15. ↑ Sweden Albums Chart
  16. ↑ World Albums Chart
  17. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Sarah Brightman – A Winter Symphony". Music Canada.
  18. ↑ "莎拉·布莱曼"交响美声"广州演唱会".
  19. ↑ "Japanese album certifications – Sarah Brightman – A Winter Symphony" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan.
  20. ↑ "2009 Oricon Ranking". DOUBAN. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  21. ↑ "Certificaciones – Sarah Brightman" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas.
  22. ↑ "Platinum for Symphony and Gold for A Winter Symphony". Retrieved 5 July 2014.