Northern Lights, Songs For The Winter Solstice

Despite the remorseless march of commercial forces, the magic of the Christmas season somehow prevails, buried under the schmaltz and commercial gimme.

The Irish singer-songwriter Jack Lukeman, with his Seasonal performance Northern Lights – Songs of the Winter Solstice, teases out the strand that makes Christmas something special, featuring songs ranging from the likes of Jacob Marley’s Chain (Aimee Mann), Do You Realise (Flaming Lips) through to the more traditional In The Bleak Midwinter, and his take on Northern Sky, the soulful, ruminative Nick Drake opus.

Lukeman weaves together the songs with poetry, stories, and his unique, engaging character, linking what could seem like random elements into a cohesive, thoughtful, but fantastically entertaining show that lingers long after the wrapping paper has been recycled and the decorations have come down.