Well, today I'm going to take a little tour around the US, hitting up a few cities and sharing out some of the local Christmas music. I thought once about trying to find and share a Christmas LP from each state, but I don't think I'd be able to do it, at least not in a reasonable amount of time. Here in Florida, we get a lot of people moving in from other states, so there's a nice steady stream of local Christmas music from other places to select from, but finding a specific state would be rough. Anyhow, here are five that I've shared out in the past, starting with Cleveland, Ohio. From 2006, this is Christmas In Cleveland (Delta Records Of Ohio, Processed and Pressed by Columbia, XCTV-84680/1, Mono).
1. Bay High School Choir-Joyous Christmas Song
2. Bedford High School A Cappella Choir-Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
3. Berea High School Choir-Hallelujah (The Mount Of Olives)
4. Cathedral Latin High School Glee Club-Carol Of The Drum
5. Cleveland Heights High School Choir-O Holy Night
6. East High School Choral Club-Traditional Medley-The First Noel-Silent Night
7. Glenville High School Choral Club-16th Century Church Music-Gloria Parti-Palestrina
8. Holy Name High School Choir-Ring Christmas Bells
9. John Marshall High School Choir-Christmas Was Meant For Children
10. Lakewood High School Choir-Now Is The Carolling Season
11. Lutheran High School West Choir-Jesous Ahatonhia
12. Magnificat High School Senior Choir-Adeste Fidelis
13. Notre Dame Academy Choral Club-To The Manger
14. Our Lady Of Lourdes High School A Cappella Choir-The Sleigh (a la Russe)
15. Parma Senior High School Concert Choir-Away In A Manger
16. West High School Choral Club-Heavenly Light
Zippyshare
And if Cleveland isn't your home, there's always Detroit. This one hails from a period when Detroit was much more robust than it is today. The auto industry has left the city in pretty poor shape these days. But from back in the day, this is
Christmas In Detroit-A Collection Of Seasonal Music By Outstanding Detroit Choral Groups (Dedicated To The Tuberculosis And Health Society, Produced By Special Recordings, Inc., Pressed By Columbia Records, Mono, 1962). From
2010, a popular year, as you'll soon see.
1. Varsity Glee Club-Wayne State University-Deck The Halls
2. Varsity Glee Club-Wayne State University-Good King Wenceslas
3. Duns Scotus College Choir-Jesu Redemptor
4. Duns Scotus College Choir-Viva Viva
5. Duns Scotus College Choir-Sleep Well
6. University Of Detroit Chorus-Gloria Patri
7. The Ford Chorus-Ford Motor Company-Silver Bells
8. The Ford Chorus-Ford Motor Company-God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
9. Civic Center Chorus-The Star Carol
10. Civic Center Chorus-Ave Maria
11. St. Paul's Cathedral's Choir-Silent Night
12. Anonymous Announcer-Thank You
13. Lutheran Choralaires-Oh, Come All Ye Faithful
14. Lutheran Choralaires-Oh Emanuel
15. The ACappels-We Three Kings
16. Edison Glee Club-The Detroit Edison Company-I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas
17. Edison Glee Club-The Detroit Edison Company-Carol Of The Bells
18. Orpheus Club Of Detroit-Go Tell It On The Mountain
19. General Motors Chorus-General Motors Corporation-Jingle Bells
20. General Motors Chorus-General Motors Corporation-Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
21. Shamrock Chorus-Catholic Central High School-Mary Had A Baby
22. Shamrock Chorus-Catholic Central High School-Silent Night
Zippyshare
From the north to the south, how's about a little bit of stuff from Houston, TX? Things are bigger in Texas, you better believe it. But is the Christmas music any better? Probably, but I'll let you be the judge. Give a listen to
Crash's Christmas Album To Benefit University Children's Hospital At Hermann (CCA Records 1-1986 (Houston, TX), Stereo, 1986). Oh, I shared this one out back in
2010.
1. Crash-The Christmas Song
2. Dave Ward-I Saw Mommie Kissing Santa Claus
3. Sir Shaun Rabb-Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
4. The Concert Chorale Of Houston-Carol Of The Bells
5. Paul Christy-Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
6. Jim Westmoreland-Frosty The Snowman
7. Milo Hamilton-A Visit From St Nicholas
8. Dave Ward, Pat Hunt & Tommy Lee Bradley-O' Little Town Of Bethlehem
9. Matt Alan-Jingle Bell Rock
10. Kevin Bass-O' Come All Ye Faithful
11. Marvin Zindler And The Miracle Minstrels-Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
12. The Concert Chorale Of Houston-Coventry Carol
13 George Grenias-Silver Bells
14. The Concert Chorale Of Houston-Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
15. Crash-White Christmas
Zippyshare
OK, not technically from a city, but certainly an icon from Cincinnati, Ohio, this is Bob Braun, longtime sidekick to Ruth Lyons, an even bigger icon from back in the day. This one first saw the blog light of day back in
2008, please have a gander at
Bob Braun, Orchestra Conducted By Leroy Holmes-
Christmas In Your Heart (United Artists UAS 6664, Stereo, 1968).
1. Christmas In Your Heart
2. Everywhere The Bells Are Ringing
3. Do You Hear What I Hear
4. A Marshmallow World
5. A Child's First Christmas
6. Let's Light The Christmas Tree
7. Christmas Lullaby
8. Winter Wonderland
9. That's What Christmas Means To Me
10. I'll Be Home For Christmas
11. Christmas Medley
Zippyshare
And that brings us back to Chicagoland, with this little 10" sampler from the local bank. If memory serves, this is the second record from these folks, the first one looking very similar. I never shared it out (my copy is cracked), but my good friend Inkydog shared it once at his now-deleted blog, A Cheerful Earful. Good old Inkydog, we miss his blog. Anyhow, this is
Songs Of The Season 1960 (First Federal Savings And Loan Association Of East Chicago, Indiana 10" 4628/4629, Mono, 1960). This is another reshare from back in
2010. It was a very good year, as they say.
1. Standard Oil Torchlighters-Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light
2. St. Luke's Lutheran Adult Choir-The First Noel
3. St. Luke's Lutheran Adult Choir-Silent Night
4. St. Stanislaus Boys' Choir-Wesola Nowine Brachia Sluchajcie (Polish Carol)
5. St. Stanislaus Boys' Choir-Tryumfy Krola Niebieskiego (Polish Carol)
6. Rabbi Ulrich Steur, Narrator-Mrs. Walter Hathaway, Organist-Richard Lewke, Soloist-Hanukkah Explanation-Jewish Traditional Selection-Rock Of Ages
7. St. Thomas More Girls Choir-O Come, O Come Immanuel
8. St. Thomas More Girls Choir-Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
9. St. Thomas More Adult Choir-Gloria From The Midnight Mass
10. Purdue University (Cal. Ext.) Mixed Choir-Oh Holy Night
11. Purdue University (Cal. Ext.) Mixed Choir-Carol Of The Bells
12. First Christian Reformed Church Choir Of Munster-Good Christian Men Rejoice
13. Standard Oil Torchlighters-Angels We Have Heard On High
Zippyshare