Lovely Rita

Here's another church choir for you, something that seems to be a staple of the blog this season. There's not a huge amount of commercial Christmas music left out there that I can share without fear of stepping on someone's toes, but there are a ton of these privately produced records that I share with you and hopefully breathe some life back into them. I do wish they were a little more creative with the covers, though. I feel like there are only so many stock image covers and I've shared one or more example of each of them with you this season. Have we seen this one before, I'm not sure at this point. And why are so many of these records from Ohio? Well, that one's fairly easy. When it's time to retire in Ohio, you just drive straight down I-75 and stop when you get to a nice spot in Florida. It's like the new mother road. This is St. Rita Choir-Sing Noel (Dick Wooley 22810 (St. Rita Roman Catholic Church-Solon, Ohio), Stereo). Enjoy!

1. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
2. The First Noel
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. O Come All Ye Faithful
5. What Child Is This?
6. Silent Night
7. Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light (From "Christmas Oratorio")
8. Tell Us, Shepherd Maids (Based On French Canadian "D'ou Viens-Tu, Bergere")
9. Lo' How A Rose 'Ere Blooming
10. The Snow Lay All Around
11. What Shall We Give?
12. Ave Maria (From "Convent Mass In C")
13. Panis Angelicus

MEGA

That Was Easy

I'm trying to figure out if this high school was really named after Staples, the office supply chain store. Seems unlikely since they didn't come up with corporate sponsorship until some time well after this album was released, especially for primary education schools. I'm sure there were business schools named after big donors at the time, and certainly athletic fields or stadiums. But high schools? There has to be another reason behind that odd name. Looks like this Staples is in Minnesota, where the thought of a corporate sponsorship is even more unlikely than in a major coastal city. OK, Wikipedia to the rescue. I see this high school is in the city of Staples, formerly Staples Mills, and was named for two prominent lumbermen in the area with the surname Staples. Unusual name, but at least there's a good reason for it. If you wanna hear what Christmas in Staples, Minnesota sounds like, please download Staples High School Chamber Choir-Ye Olde Christmas (Encore Productions E-159 (Staples, Minnesota), Stereo).

1. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
2. Lirum Lirum
3. Ave Verum Corpus
4. Ave Maria
5. Why Weeps, Alas! My Lady-Love
6. Os Justi Meditabitur Sapientiam
7. I Have Longed For Thy Saving Health
8. Fum, Fum, Fum
9. The Holly And The Ivy
10. Christmas Love
11. What Child Is This?
12. Adeste Fideles
13. Deck The Hall
14. Silent Night
15. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

MEGA

Tannenbaum Three

The final entry in our short celebration of The Living Christmas Tree is this entry from spring break capitol of the world, Daytona Beach! Well, former capitol, I guess it's not as popular a spot as it once was when I was of the age when I cared about such things. I think I went once during that time of year, and it was truly crazy. Most of the rest of the year it's a sleepy little village on the water with a lot of old hotels and a million nearly-deserted bars. I guess it gets busy during bike week, and when there's a race in town, but it's strangely sleepy the rest of the time. I guess it's busy enough to support a church or two though, and one of them produced this Christmas record with a fair number of unique tracks for us to enjoy. Please download and give a listen to The Voice Of Victory Choir And Orchestra-The Living Christmas Tree (No Label, No Number (First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, Florida), Stereo, 1984).

1. The Living Christmas Tree
2. Christmas Is A Time For Children
3. Come
4. Ring Christmas Bells
5. Let There Be Joy
6. O For A Thousand Voices
7. He Shall Feed His Flock
8. Hosanna
9. How Should A King Come
10. The Splendor Of Christmas Lights

MEGA

Tannenbaum Two

Time for part two of our Living Christmas Tree extravaganza, this time hailing from the home of Disneyland, Anaheim, California! I don't think Anaheim is all that large of a city, so I'm sure this band put in an appearance or two at Disneyland over the years, likely performing some of the material from this LP during the holiday season. I will also award this album the best Christmas tree cover of the batch (even though you haven't seen all of them just yet). The colors and the quality of the photo really stand out in my mind, someone worked really hard to make this image come to fruition. I hope you find the music as pleasing as I find the cover image. This is Western High School A Cappella Choir-The Singing Christmas Tree (National Custom Recording NCR12-671 (Anaheim, California), Stereo).

1. Echo, Noel
2. Sing Gloria
3. O Come, Emmanuel
4. Emitte Spiritum Tuum
5. Carol Of The New Prince
6. Behold That Star
7. Carol Of The Bells
8. O Holy Night
9. Carol Of The Drum
10. A Joyous Christmas Song
11. Silent Night
12. Hallelujah Chorus-"Messiah"

MEGA

Tannenbaum One

This is the first of several records I'm gonna share with you featuring a 'Living Christmas Tree' performance. I was digging through my remaining shares and realized several of them had this theme running through them so I've gathered them together and am going to share them one at a time over the next few days. Back during the season this would probably have been a Super Saturday series of records, but here in the off-season I don't have the drive or shares to post more than one thing a day. The Living Christmas Tree appears to be a tradition among choirs at Christmas where they build a bunch of risers and stand on them to form the shape of a Christmas tree. I'm sure it looks cool and all, but I don't think the effect comes across on record. Thankfully they always include a picture of the performance on the album cover so you can image what they must have looked like as you listen. I, personally, would be scared to death if I had to sing while standing on a rickety structure high off the ground with flaming candles and flammable polyester choir robes all around. This first installment comes from a church not more than 30 miles away from my condo, so it's safe to say these folks could be neighbors of mine. This is Northside Baptist Church-The Living Christmas Tree (Hope Recordings CR-14 (Northside Baptist Church, St. Petersburg, Florida), Stereo). I've shared plenty of other Living Christmas Tree records with you in the past, let me see if I can drop some links in here for you. Here's one, here's another, and another. Oh, here's number four.

1. Marilyn Dunne-Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
2. Bill Salisbury & Children-Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. Steve Boalt-The Christmas Song
4. The Certain Sounds-White Christmas
5. The Moon Sisters-Keep Christ In Christmas
6. Trio: Dorothy Moon, John & Marilyn Dunne-Christ Is Christmas
7. John Dunne-What Child Is This?
8. Steve Boalt-The Angels Sang
9. Steve Boalt & Choir-O Little Town Of Bethlehem
10. Dorothy Moon, Choir & Orchestra-No Room
11. Melinda Moon, Choir & Orchestra-Silent Night
12. Steve Boalt-In My Heart I Believe
13. Choir & Orchestra-Wise Men Still Seek Him
14. Steve Boalt, Choir & Orchestra-The Story Of Christmas

MEGA

More Elly

If that last share of soprano Elly Ameling was your thing, then you'll be happy to see this second Christmas album from her. I recorded an awful lot of Christmas music last year and was excited when I discovered a couple different albums by the same artist. It wasn't until later that I decided her music wasn't really up my alley. But I persisted and put the same effort into her music that I put into all my shares, so I hope you can enjoy her style. This is Elly Ameling-Christmas With Elly Ameling/Wiehnacht Mit Elly Ameling/Elly Ameling Chante Noël (CBS Masterworks M 36677, Stereo, 1980). Lots of different titles on this one, I guess they didn't want to have to re-title it if they sold it in a different country.

1. Cantate Pastorale Per La Nativita 'O Di Betlemme Altera'
2. Weihnachtsgefühl
3. Mariä Wiegenlied, Op.76 No.52
4. Epiphanias
5. Weihnachtslieder, Op.8
6. Berceuse
7. Villancio Castellano
8. Villancio Vasco

MEGA

Elly (Not Mae)

Talk about something outside of my comfort zone, this is it. Elly has a soprano that can cut right to the heart of the matter, so to speak. But I try to share all sorts of Christmas music with you and perhaps this is right up your alley. Wikipedia tells me that Elly is Dutch and that she's still with us at the ripe old age of 93, so you go girl! Why not be a little adventurous and give a listen to Elly Ameling-Christmas Songs From Europe (Peters International PLE 092, Stereo, 1977).

1. As I Sat On A Sunny Bank
2. Sweet Was The Song
3. In Dulci Jubilo
4. Ecce Nova Gaudia
5. Nun Wiegen Wir Das Kindlein (from The Tabulaturbuch Henricus Beginiker, 1622)
6. Uff'm Berge
7. Geistliches Wiegenlied, Op. 91, No. 2
8. Cantilene Pro Adventu "Ein' Magd, Ein' Dienerin"
9. O Suver Maecht Van Ysraël
10. Klein, Klein Jezuken
11. Cansó de Nadal
12. Villancico - Baile De Nadal
13. Villancico de Córdoba
14. Villancico Andaluz
15. Entre Le Boeuf Et L'âne Gris
16. L'appel Des Bergers
17. Noël Pour L'amour De Marie
18. Noël Des Enfants Qui N'ont Plus De Maisons
19. Noël Des Jouets

MEGA

An Airy Christmas

I'm not the biggest fan of these slickly-produced records. I think I prefer the older single-microphone recorded live in performance records. But that's just me. I know the sound here is much better than on those older recordings and most people prefer a record that's easy to listen to. But something is lost when you get more than a single take. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with this record, I'm just sharing my opinion. This is Church Of The Savior Choir And Orchestra-Christmas In The Air! (Wayne Concert Series WCS 1283, Stereo, 1983). Enjoy! Oh, and they stole this title from Walter Schumann.

1. O Come, All Ye Faithful
2. Joy To The World
3. Christmas In The Air
4. Silent Night
5. Three Kings Of Orient
6. Bright, Bright The Holly Berries
7. I Saw Three Ships
8. Ding, Dong, Merrily
9. And The Glory Of The Lord
10. Of The Father's Love Begotten
11. How Should A King Come
12. The Blessed Son Of God
13. Become
14. O Come, Let Us Adore Him

MEGA

Soft And Simple

How can you go wrong with an album title like The Soft Sounds Of Christmas? I know plenty of people who would love to have a compilation of Christmas music that fits into that category. Imagine sitting by a warm fire on a cold, snowy evening listening to the soft sounds of Christmas coming from the hi-fi, mixing in with the crackling noise of a burning yule log. It's all very cozy. Not much info on this record to go on, but I think the Woodlan in question is a school in Indiana, not too far from Fort Wayne. I have no idea how I find these things, they just sort of turn up on their own. This is Woodlan Presents The Soft Sounds Of Christmas (Century 41106, Stereo). This is another familiar stock photograph, but I don't think I've ever shared anything with this same image. If I have, please let me know when.

1. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Joy To The World
2. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Whispers The Falling Snow
3. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Sing We Noel
4. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Ding, Dong! Merrily On High
5. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-The Joyful News
6. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Jazz Gloria
7. Mixed Chorus-Marlene Everson, Director-Bring A Torch
8. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Written In De Holy Book
9. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Do You Hear What I Hear?
10. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Lovely Child, Holy Child [Fade In]
11. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Christmas Is Coming Again
12. Girls Glee Club-Marlene Everson, Director-Savior Child
13. Swing Choir-Marlene Everson, Director-Strangers In The Streets
14. Swing Choir-Marlene Everson, Director-Hurry Home For Christmas
15. Swing Choir-Marlene Everson, Director-Christmas Is
16. Swing Choir-Marlene Everson, Director-No Golden Carriage, No Bright Toy

MEGA

Let's Go Bowling

I was about to write up this post talking about how I've got this Christmas record from Kentucky for you, then I thought maybe I should look and see where Bowling Green University is. I thought it was in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but I was mistaken. Turns out it is in Bowling Green, Ohio. We've listened to quite a few records from Ohio this season, I'm not even going to bother to link to any of them. And we've heard from quite a few small liberal arts colleges, too. Only thing we're missing here is some link to the Lutherans, but I don't see anything that ties them to any one religion. Oh well, can't have everything. I will give it a few extra points for the familiar stock cover. Let me see if I can find another album to link to that has this same cover image. (It's hard to search for images based on the cover art. Can I do that through Google image search at my own blog? Hmmm, I need to figure that out.) Here's a similar cover on an LP I shared out about a month and a half ago (also from Ohio; surprise, surprise) but I'm sure there are more around here somewhere. This is Bowling Green State University Collegiate Chorale-Bowling Green State University Collegiate Chorale (Quadraphenomena STD-1011/2568, Stereo). Great label name on this one, Quadraphenomena!

1. Joy To The World
2. Caroling, Caroling
3. I Wonder As I Wander
4. Go Tell It On The Mountain
5. Still, Still, Still
6. Havia Belen Va Un Borrico
7. Fum, Fum, Fum
8. Christ Was Born On Christmas Day
9. Hosanna
10. My Dancing Day
11. La Virgen Lava Panales
12. Hear The Bells Ringing
13. The Boar's Head Carol
14. Here, Mid The Ass And Oxen Mild
15. Praise And Elation
16. Pat-A-Pan
17. Carol Of The Birds
18. The Little Drummer Boy
19. Carol Of The Bells
20. Amen

MEGA