Winter Solstice Night by Matthew Hender
Last year, musician and singer-songwriter Matthew Hender released Winter Solstice, a five-track winter and holiday-themed album that feels right at home in the long, cold stretch of a Newfoundland winter. The record blends traditional carols with original songs inspired by the season — its perfect listening for those quiet December nights when winter seems like it has settled in for good.
Get more Christmas music from Newfoundland and Labrador! And check out the whole 2025 Advent Calendar.
One of the standouts is “Winter Solstice Nights,” an original that plays like a meditation on winter, change, and the steady turning of the years.
Hender sings: “And the grey cold days they thaw away / It won’t be long ’til it melts away / And the wind and the snow, oh it blows!”
It’s hard to tell whether he’s encouraging the listener to look ahead to warmer, more comfortable days, or simply reminding us that winter —and everything else— moves in cycles.
Maybe it’s both.
Winter Solstice is available now on physical release and across digital platforms. If you’re looking for something to soundtrack a quiet winter evening, it’s well worth your time — check it out.
