Christmas In July 2018-Day 16

Day 16!  That's past the halfway point of July!  Hopefully by now you've found a few favorite tracks, and you aren't completely tired of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite.  So tell me what your favorites are so far, and in exchange, you only get one long medley about dancing mice and shoe-throwing little girls.

1. Still, Still, Still by The Merrill Staton Children's Voices from the educational album International Song Time (Silver Burdett Company 86 380, Mono, 1968).  I was excited to find this after discovering a great Christmas version of the song last year, but I'm afraid this one may miss the mark.  They seem to have stripped all the holiday references from it.

2. The Star Road by First United Methodist Church, Cullman, Alabama-Sanctuary Choir, from A Celebration In Song (Prestige 80-157, Stereo, 1981).  Does anyone listen to these Church group songs more than once?  I think it's pretty rare to find one that stands up to repeated listening.  And I think it also makes a difference if you've ever performed in a similar group.  In that case, you may listen and sing along.

3. Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers, an old standard by Eddie Dunstedter, an old standard himself, from the LP Mister Pipe Organ!-Eddie Dunstedter At The Morton Pipe Organ (Capitol T1128, Mono, 1959).  If you don't have any Eddie Dunstedter Christmas music in your library, then you need to try harder!

4. Alle Jahre Wieder/O Tannenbaum/Ihr Kinderlien Kommet, a German medley from our new old friend Willie Dittrich, pulled from his LP The Singing Zither-Christmas Music & Old Time Hymns (Jim Loyd Presents 1002 (WMT Radio, Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Stereo).  Gotta love the zither!

5. Medley: Gold And Silver Waltz; The Skaters Waltz by The Living Strings-Arranged And Conducted By Johnny Douglas from Waltz Time With The Living Strings (RCA Camden CAL-855, Mono, 1965).  Sometimes I find it hard to believe how wildly popular the whole Living series was in the sixties.  I mean, this stuff was competing against The Beatles and The Stones...

6. Winter World Of Love by The Les Reed Orchestra & Chorus from The Spectacular Les Reed Composer Of... (Chapter 1, London 2xLP BP 39004/5, Stereo, 1972).  I guess I didn't realize that Les Reed had written enough hits for a double album.  And I'm not sure I know who Les Reed is...

7. Hallelujah Chorus, a not-unpleasant version by 101 Strings, Recorded Under The Direction Of D.L. Miller, from their album Inspiration And Meditation (Somerset SF-16600, Stereo, 1962). I've certainly heard worse, and so have you, probably right here at the blog.

8. My Favorite Things, your favorite non-Christmas Christmas song, by The Airmen of Note from Serenade In Blue-Series Eleven (Programs 131-143) (United States Air Force 7xLP Suggested Air Date: October-December 1969, Stereo, 1969).  One of my favorite finds of the year! What can I say, I'm easy to please.

9. Panis Angelicus by Bob Beck At The Chapel Organ from The Grotto Organs In Reverie (Adon, Oregon Ltd. V8844, Mono).  Obligatory pipe organ content, beware of blast!

10. Miniature Overture; March; Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy; Russian Dance (Trepak); Arab Dance; Chinese Dance; Dance Of The Reed Pipes, a mega-medley by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted By Sir Adrian Boult from Sir Adrian Boult Conducts Suites From Tchaikovsky's Ballets The Nutcracker And Sleeping Beauty (Capitol SP 8690, Stereo, 1967).  You're welcome!

Ta-da!  Another ten tracks, and a pretty good selection, me-thinks!

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