And Winter Came... | ||||
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Studio album by Enya | ||||
Released | 10 November 2008 | |||
Recorded | 2006–2008 | |||
Studio | Aigle Studio (Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland) |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 45:00 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Nicky Ryan | |||
Enya chronology | ||||
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Singles from And Winter Came | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
About.com | |
AllMusic | |
BBC Music | (positive) |
Sputnikmusic | (3/5) |
The Times |
And Winter Came... is the seventh studio album from the Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 10 November 2008 by Warner Music internationally and 11 November 2008 by Reprise Records in the United States. After recording some new Christmas songs for her fourth extended play, Sounds of the Season: The Enya Holiday Collection (2006), Enya proceeded to write and record a Christmas album of traditional carols and original Christmas songs, but the idea was changed to an album of songs with a Christmas or winter theme. It was recorded in Ireland with her longtime collaborators, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan.
The album received mixed to positive reviews from music critics and became a worldwide success, reaching the top-10 in 21 countries in its first three weeks, including number 8 and 6 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and the UK Albums Chart respectively. Enya released "Trains and Winter Rains" as the album's only physical commercial single, with "Dreams Are More Precious", "White Is in the Winter Night", and "My! My! Times Flies!" released for digital download. To promote the album, Enya made several interviews, appearances, and live performances. An estimated 3 million copies of And Winter Came... have been sold worldwide.
After promoting her previous studio album Amarantine (2005), Enya recorded some new material for her fourth extended play Sounds of the Season: The Enya Holiday Collection (2006) that featured a collection of traditional and original Christmas songs. For her next studio album, she decided to continue with the Christmas theme and proceeded to write and record a Christmas album, something that Enya had always wanted to do in her career. The winter time of year is a particular favourite of hers and it is when she does a considerable amount of song writing and experimenting with ideas she gathered over the year. To her, it is a "very reflective and a very calming" time of year. Nicky Ryan revealed one idea of combining the tracks Enya recorded on Sounds of the Season with some new original tracks. However, soon after the project began, the album's direction was changed to songs with a general winter theme as such imagery became a strong focal point in her new compositions. She recorded the album with her longtime collaborators, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan, at Aigle Studio, the name of the home recording studio at the Ryan's home in Killiney, County Dublin in Ireland.