Christmas In July 2012-Part 13

Welcome to a special Friday the 13th version of Christmas in July!  What's so special about it?  Well, it's on Friday the 13th, that's what, and you get 13 tracks.  Which is pretty much the average so far, so perhaps that's not as special as I'd hoped.  Anyhow, here's some Christmas music.

1. The Orchestra In A Nutcracker Shell by Robert Russell Bennett Conducting Members Of The NBC Symphony Orchestra from An Adventure In High Fidelity (RCA Victor Red Seal LM 1802, Mono, 1954).  This is a rerun for me, but if you missed it the first time, I think you'll really enjoy this take on the Tchaikovsky classic, and it's really a workout for your new hi-fi system, too.

2. Sleigh Ride by Ethel Smith from Galloping Fingers (Decca 10" 33 RPM DL 5327, Mono, 1951).  I've been looking for this one for a while, I knew it was out there, but had never seen it.  You never know what's going to turn up or when.

3. Under The Stars, another song by Children's Choir Under The Direction Of Mabel Stewart Boyter from their LP A Joyful Sound-Songs For Children (Word W-3137-LP, Mono, 1961).

4. Ave Maria (Schubert) by Larry Ferrari from his LP My Favorite Hymns "Especially For You" (Sure 704, Stereo, 1967).  I recorded this one twice before I realized I was doing so.  I'm only going to share it once, though, I hope that's OK.

5. Ching-A-Ring-Chaw (From Part 4 "Winter) by The Budapest Children's Choir-Valeria Botka And Dr. Laszlo Czanyi, Directors, from that old standby The Budapest Children's Choir At Carnegie Hall (RCA Victor Red Seal LSC-2861, Stereo, 1966).

6. The March Of Siamese Children (From The Film "The King And I") by The Band Of The Coldstream Guards-Conducted By Major Douglas A. Pope, A.R.C.M., P.S.M., from an LP I just found the other day Marching Down Broadway With The Band Of The Coldstream Guards (RCA Victor LSP-1944, Stereo, 1959).  Not really Christmas, but I like a good march.

7. My Favorite Things, by perhaps the group most entitled to sing it, Members Of The Trapp Family Singers And Chorus, Arranged And Conducted By Father Franz Wasner, from their LP The Sound Of Music (RCA Victor LSP-2277, Stereo, 1960).  Pretty sure I've shared this with you before, but here it is again.

8. Prelude To Christmas (Annunciation And Magnificat) by St. Olaf Lutheran Choir-Conducted By Olaf C. Christiansen, from the album Fifty Golden Years (Mercury SR 60728, Stereo, 1962).  Another rerun.

9. Satin Doll by Jack Weigand At The Organ from Stairway To The Stars (Cameo SC 1012, Stereo, 1961).  What more can I say?

10. Snow, a beautiful track by Claudine Longet from her LP Love Is Blue (A&M AP 4142, Stereo, 1968). This is a great track, I wish it were better known. Randy Newman wrote this, in case you were curious.  Did you notice I've put the songwriting credits in almost all my songs this year?  I've been trying to do that after a couple of requests from my fans.  Sometimes they aren't listed, so I can't put them in there, but I've tried to get them in there when I can.

11. Snowfall by George Shearing-String Choir Conducted By Billy May, from the LP The Shearing Touch (Capitol ST1472, Stereo, 1960).  A rerun, but a good track nonetheless.  I remember it took me a long time to find a stereo copy of this record.

12. The Toy Trumpet by Neal Hefti And The Band With The Sweet Beat from their LP A Salute To The Instruments (Coral CRL 757286, Stereo, 1960).  Not strictly Christmas, but any excuse to throw in a Raymond Scott composition is a good one.

13. Winter Wonderland from Eddie Layton With Rhythm Section and the LP Better Layton Than Ever (Mercury SR 60031, Stereo, 1959), something I shared out a long, long time ago.

That's it, another download full of Christmas music pulled from every wide corner of the musical spectrum I could find.  Hope you enjoy!

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