Christmas In July 2019-Part 50

Hello, and welcome to the 50th installment of Christmas in July for 2019!  In honor of this momentous occasion (which also coincides with the 50th anniversary of man walking on the moon), I'm giving you the biggest share this year, 69 minutes of music, including two side-long compositions that will either bore you to tears or make you sit up and say hmmm.  Let's see what's in the huge pile this morning.


1. The Symphony Of The Air (Formerly The NBC Symphony)-The Nutcracker Suite from Presentation Album (The Symphony Foundation Of America E4-KP-7583/7584, Mono, 1954).  The first side-long recording is this somewhat rare version of Tchaikovsky's Christmas tableau.  I thought this LP looked a little off when I first saw it, and a little research told me it was something special.  After the death of Toscanini, the NBC Symphony tried to carry on as The Symphony Of The Air.  I believe this album was made available as a fundraiser, but as a suggested donation of $10 in 1954, it couldn't have sold very well.  It took me a long time to rip it, and I had to use two different needles, but I think I coaxed some decent noise out of the old grooves.  The vinyl was tracked, but there was no listing on the sleeve or label for anything other than the whole side.  So rather than trying to split it into it's component parts, here's the whole thing in one fell swoop.  Also, the symphony is performing here without a conductor.  Sounds pretty good for no one being in charge.

2. Unknown Artist-Good News, Great Joy from Choral Celebration Vol. V (Jenson Publications JP-4000, Stereo, 1983).  You know we can't have a share this year without one of these demo tracks.  Except for a couple of days where I forgot to include one.  And at least one day when I included two by accident. I'm new at blogging, can you tell?  Just started this in 2005.

3. Musical Visions Orchestra-Greensleeves from Musical Visions (Amphion Modern SP7373, Stereo, 1973).  I'm afraid I can't tell you much about this one, I don't even remember recording it.  Let me skip to it and give it a listen real quick, see if that brings back any memories. No, not really...

4. J.J. Johnson & Kai Winding-Little Drummer Boy from Betwixt & Between (A&M/CTI SP 3016, Stereo, 1969).  The second track from this LP I've share this year, and they are both great. Too short, but great.  I honestly can't tell you which is the best.  I'm sure one or the other will go on the eventual greatest hits collection, but I can't say which right now.

5. Bells Of Grace-Robert L. Neumann, Director-Mrs. Fred Wilson, Organist-Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming from Bells Of Grace (Lane Recording 25779/25780, Stereo, 1969).  More handbells!  Yeah!

6. Arthur Winograd Conducting The Virtuoso Symphony Of London-March Of The Dwarfs From Lyric Suite, Op. 57 from Marches For Children (Audio Fidelity FCS 50,007, Stereo, 1959).  Not really Christmas, as far as I know, but cute.

7. The Lutheran Church Of The Good Shepherd-Midge Payne, Director-Mary's Little Boy Chile from Shepherd Choir 1978 (Audio Engineering Associates AEA-1221, Stereo, 1978). What? More Lutherans?  They're everywhere this year!

8. Ralph Carmichael Orchestra And Chorus-Night Of Miracles-Christmas Cantata from IV Corps United States Army Presents Night Of Miracles/Gospeland U.S.A. (Prestige Productions 13613/13614, Stereo).  This is the other side-long recording, a record made for radio play so there's an announcer who comes along every once in a while and tells you stuff he thinks you need to know.  I wound up with three copies of this one in the archive, and for the life of me I don't remember buying any of them.  It was in a pile of military-related recordings I pulled together for last Christmas, but since it was only one side, I figured it should go in with the Christmas in July stuff.  If memory serves, Carmichael recorded a regular LP of this composition, so it's probably longer than this one-sided version.

9. Madison Senior Choir-Mr. David Alan Ayers, Director-Sleigh Ride from The Joy Of Christmas And Greats From America Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow (Mark Custom Records MC 2868 (on Sleeve) UMC 2868 (on Label), Stereo).  It's just not Christmas without this song that never mentions Christmas.

10. Pat Currie-Snow Shoe Reel from Scottish Fiddler (Doncaster DS 106, Stereo).  Haven't had a fiddle record for a while.

And that's it for #50.  Gotta be something in here you like.  Follow the download link and enjoy the music.