Christmas In July 2020-16

Hola!  Welcome to part 16! Hope you're having a good time so far, we're not about to stop now!

1. Jesse Crawford-Gems By Victor Herbert, Medley a. March Of The Toys b. I'm Falling In Love With Someone c. Kiss Me Again d. Gypsy Love Song from The Poet Of The Organ At His Ballad Best...At The Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ 1927-1929 (Doric 2xLP DO 1214/DO 1215, Mono, 1975). I believe this collection brings together old radio transcriptions.

2. Yevgeny Svetlanov-Philharmonia Orchestra-Scene 1: Winter, Introduction-Four Variations (Frost, Ice, Hail And Snow) & Coda from Glazunov: The Seasons (Angel S-37509 (Quadraphonic), Stereo, 1978).  A long one here, and in quadraphonic no less.

3. Dick Kesner-Ave Maria from A-One A-Two! This Is Lawrence Welk (Coral 2xLP CX-3, Mono, 1959). I'm sure I've brought you this track before, but not from this collection of Lawrence Welk songs that came out a few years after their original release.

4. Wagner College Choir-Dr. Sigvart J. Steen, Conductor-The Happy Christmas from Wagner College Choir (Recorded Publications Company Z-33971/33972 (Staten Island, New York), Mono). Happy happy, joy joy, as they say.

5. The Texas Boys Choir-George Bragg, Conductor-Sydney Laudenslager, Harp-Wolcum Yule! from Britten: A Ceremony Of Carols-Gregg Smith: Bible Songs For Young Voices (Vox Turnabout TV-S 34544, Stereo, 1973).  They're boys, and they sing, and they are accompanied by a harp.  A perfect storm!

6. Anita Bryant-Arranged And Conducted By Robert Mersey-C Is For Cradle, A Little Bed For A Baby from The ABC Stories Of Jesus (Columbia CS 8675, Stereo, 1962). I thought Jesus was born in a manger, not a cradle? Maybe we'll find out when we get up to the letter M.

7. The Singing K-NETS (The Kansas Nazarene Evangelistic Teens) And The Bell Ringers-Rev. Wendell Miller, Director-Joybells from I'm Going Higher Someday (No Label LH-4760/4761, Stereo).  What's this?  Handbells! Yes!

8. The Women's Ensemble Of Bethany Lutheran Church, Melodie Bollman-Director, Eleanor Peura-Accompanist-Silver Bells from The Ensemble Sings (Century Advent Recording LRS-RT-6062 (Astabula, Ohio), Stereo). When I was a young whippersnapper, maybe third or fourth grade, I had a girlfriend, right up until she moved to Astabula. So I still hate that place.

9. The Kokosingers-The Things We Did Last Summer from 1967 Kokosingers (No Label 220-2 Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio, Stereo, 1967).  If I remember correctly, this group of college kids had the most professionally done album cover I have ever seen.  When I first found it, I had to pull it out just to see who it was, thinking it was a classic rock album I'd somehow never seen.  But then it turned out to be a group of guys from a small college in Ohio, and when I saw a song on there I could share here, bonus!

10. High School Honor Band (Southeast Iowa)-Art Swift, Iowa State University, Guest Conductor-Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring from Third Annual Southeast Iowa Honor Band Festival (Century 29566, Stereo, 1968). High school kids, but with a college conductor.

11. The Philharmonia Orchestra-Herbert Von Karajan, Conductor-Skaters Waltz from Philharmonia Pop Concert (Angel 35327, Mono, 1956).  This one sure looked like a budget release, but Angel is a major label in the classical world.  Odd...

12. Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra-Fluter's Holiday from Living It Up (Decca DL 4374, Mono, 1963).  I was surprised to see that Kaempfert wrote this and not David Rose.  Seemed like his sort of title.

13. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by an unknown artist from Warner Bros. Finest For Concert Band (Jenson Publications JP-3900, Stereo, 1983).  Believe it or not, there are still quite a few of these demo records in the pile that I didn't record.  I just couldn't bring myself to do any more of them.

14. Little Johnny Everything And His Sister Judy With The Norman Leyden Child's World Orchestra-I Want To Meet Santa Claus from Fun For Everyday With Little Johnny Everything & His Sister Judy (RCA Victor Children's Bluebird Records LBY-1005, Mono, 1958). I shared this last year, but then I found a much cleaner copy sometime since then.  But when I went to record it, there was one track I wanted that just kept skipping.  So you just never know what you're going to get out of those grooves.

15. Richard Purvis-Greensleeves from A Richard Purvis Organ Recital In Grace Cathedral Vol. I (HiFi Record R-703, Mono, 1956).  From the label that brought you my very earliest favorite shares, The Town Pipers and The Surfers. Also the long-time home of Arthur Lyman.

That's the end, gotta be something in there for you today.  Leave me a comment and let me know what track is your favorite.

MEGA