In Winter
| In Winter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 October 2016 | |||
| Recorded | Gori, Georgia (2016) | |||
| Length | 35:22 | |||
| Label | BMG Rights Management | |||
| Producers |
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| Katie Melua chronology | ||||
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In Winter is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Katie Melua. It was released through BMG Rights Management on 14 October 2016. The album comprises a collection of seasonal covers from various cultures, and some original works reflecting on Melua's upbringing during Georgia's Soviet era and the difficult times of its subsequent civil war.[1]
Background
[edit]For this record, Melua went back to her native Georgia to record an album with the Gori Women's Choir, a native Georgian all-woman singing troupe.[2] She teamed up with co-producer Adam 'Cecil' Bartlett, and travelled to the town of Gori, where they set up a recording studio in the local community arts centre. For the special choral arrangements, she brought in composer Bob Chilcott.[3] This was Melua's first album since the end of her six album partnership deal with Mike Batt on his Dramatico Record label.[4]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Arts Desk |  [5] |
| Evening Standard | [6] |
| The Independent | [7] |
Andy Gill from The Independent described In Winter a "cocoa-warm and comforting" seasonal set that avoids standard carols in favour of reinterpretations like "River" and "The Little Swallow." He highlighted its quieter originals.[7] Writing for The Evening Standard, John Aizlewood called it a return to form after earlier "missteps," describing her performance as "endearingly brittle" and ultimately "she's bewitching," with the Gori Women's Choir adding layered warmth to its seasonal concept.[6] Matt Collar of AllMusic likewise described it as a "gorgeously rendered holiday-themed effort," recorded in Georgia and blending "haunting classical harmonies" with reflective originals and carefully selected covers including "River" and "O Holy Night."[1] Joanna O'Donnell, writing for The Dorset Echo, characterised the album as a stripped-back seasonal concept made in a DIY studio with the choir, noting its wintry, fireside atmosphere, and highlighting "Dreams on Fire" for its lingering philosophical line, "if all your dreams were on fire, which one would you save?"[8]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Little Swallow" | Traditional | 1:46 |
| 2. | "River" | Joni Mitchell | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Perfect World" |
| 4:24 |
| 4. | "Cradle Song" | Traditional | 1:43 |
| 5. | "A Time to Buy" | Melua | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Plane Song" | Melua | 4:07 |
| 7. | "If You Are So Beautiful" |
| 3:43 |
| 8. | "Dreams on Fire" |
| 4:05 |
| 9. | "All Night Vigil – Nunc Dimittis" | Sergei Rachmaninoff | 4:15 |
| 10. | "O Holy Night" | Adolphe Adam | 4:23 |
| Total length: | 35:22 | ||
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Collar, Matt. "In Winter - Katie Melua" at AllMusic. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ↑ "Katie Melua announces new album 'In Winter'!". Front View Magazine. 28 August 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ↑ Barnett, Lauren (9 September 2016). "New album IN WINTER from Katie Melua featuring the Gori Women's Choir to be released October 14". Maverick. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- ↑ Hickling, Alfred. "'Stalin sent granddad to Siberia': Katie Melua Goes Home to Georgia". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ↑ Ferla, Lisa-Marie (10 October 2016). "CD: Katie Melua - In Winter". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 Aizlewood, John (14 October 2016). "Katie Melua - In Winter review: 'she's bewitching'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 Gill, Andy (18 October 2016). "Album reviews: Katie Melua – In Winter, Tom Chaplin – The Wave, and more". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ O'Donnell, Joanna (21 October 2016). "ALBUM REVIEW: Katie Melua - In Winter". Dorset Echo. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Katie Melua feat. Gori Women's Choir – In Winter" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Katie Melua feat. Gori Women's Choir – In Winter" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Katie Melua feat. Gori Women's Choir – In Winter" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Katie Melua feat. Gori Women's Choir – In Winter" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Katie Melua feat. Gori Women's Choir – In Winter". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Katie Melua feat. Gori Women's Choir – In Winter" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ↑ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ↑ "VG-lista - Topp 40 Album uke 52, 2016". VG-lista. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Katie Melua feat. Gori Women's Choir – In Winter". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 21/10/2016 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
- ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2016". Ultratop. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ↑ "BPI Award: Katie Melua - In Winter". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 October 2017.