Handbells, Finally

You probably thought I wouldn't get you any music with handbells this season, and I can see why you'd think that, but you'd be wrong. Here is the long awaited album featuring everyone's favorite bells rung by hand. This is The Holiday Handbell Choir Featuring The Golden Harp Strings-Christmas Bells (Classic Christmas CCR 1940, Stereo, 1979). It may be a budget label, but it's still good. Enjoy!

1. The Bells Of St. Mary
2. Away In A Manger
3. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
4. Silent Night
5. Deck The Halls
6. What Child Is This
7. O Holy Night
8. Gesu, Bambino
9. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
10. Ave Maria
11. Go Tell It On The Mountain

MEGA

Sax Attacks

I don't think I've shared a sax-centric Christmas LP with you this year, or ever for that matter. I'm probably missing something because I've shared a lot of music around these parts over the past twenty years. But if I haven't, I'm certainly sharing one now. I didn't know who Mike Shannon was, but I was clued in by the fact that this record mentioned Christy Lane on the spine. I'm guessing that was a printing error but it turned out that Mike was the sax man for Lane for many years. It's a good LP an I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  Certainly not loud or raunchy, but very much in the same vein as Lane's music. This is Mike Shannon-Christmas Classics With The Golden Sax (LS Records LS-1990, Stereo, 1987).

1. Jingle Bells
2. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
3. The First Noel
4. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
5. It's My Favorite Time Of The Year
6. Away In The Manger
7. Up On The House Top
8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
9. Jolly Old St. Nick
10. Joy To The World
11. Oh Christmas Tree
12. This Is Christmas (Tell The Story)

MEGA

The Mick Three (& Boggs)

I didn't realize I had a third Paul Mickelson until I got to looking around and realized he backed up Frank Boggs on this stereo remaster I had ready to go for you. I first shared out a mono copy of this record back in 2023 (so not that long ago...), but I recently found this stereo version in the archives and wanted to upgrade the share. And the fact that Paul Mickelson conducts the orchestra here makes this a double whammy. Please be my guest and download Frank Boggs With The Concert Orchestra Of London Conducted By Paul Mickelson-Love Came Down At Christmas (Word WST-8080-LP, Stereo, 1961). More Frank Boggs here if you're interested.

1. A King Is Born: O Come, All Ye Faithful; The First Noel; We Three Kings
2. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
3. Once In Royal David's City
4. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
5. Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head
6. The Birthday Of A King
7. Love Came Down At Christmas
8. O Holy Night
9. What Child Is This
10. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
11. Sweet Little Jesus Boy
12. Medley Of Carols: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; Silent Night; Joy To The World

MEGA

The Mick Two

Here's another good one from Paul Mickelson, and it's very different from the last one. This time he's leading an orchestra and a choir. Perhaps that will be of more interest to you than the solo organ on the last one. Give it a listen and see what you think. This is The Paul Mickelson Choir & Orchestra-The Best Of Christmas (Supreme Productions SLP-403, Mono).

1. Festival Of Carols: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; The First Noel; Carols Of The Bells; It Came Upon The Midnight Clear; Joy To The World
2. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
3. We Three Kings
4. Christmas Candle
5. Gloria In Excelsis Deo
6. O Holy Night
7. Fantasy Of The Sleigh Bells: Jingle Bells; Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer; Sleigh Ride
8. Away In The Manger
9. Deck The Halls
10. White Christmas
11. Silent Night
12. O Come All Ye Faithful

MEGA

The Mick One

You may be familiar with Paul Mickelson as a arranger and conductor on many, many religious records from the late fifties into the seventies (at least). I think he was second only to Ralph Carmichael in the number of albums that bear his name in one capacity or another. I'm pretty sure I've even shared Christmas album by him before here at the blog. But today I've got two new ones that he put out with very different performances. This first record features Paul at the organ, an instrument he frequently played. It's not the most exciting organ record in the world, but it's still a good one. Have a go at Paul Mickelson-Paul Mickelson In A Christmas Concert At The Console (Console Records/Supreme CM-5005, Mono). Keep it right here on this channel for more!

1. Joy To The World
2. What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
5. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
6. O Holy Night (Cantique De Noel)
7. The First Noel
8. O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree)
9. Away In A Manger
10. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
11. Silent Night
12. O Come All Ye Faithful

MEGA