Super Salvation Saturday-Bonus 1

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I spent the whole Saturday sharing out records from the Salvation Army, with a special emphasis on their long-running Army of Stars series? Well, right before those shares started going live on the blog, I happened to get real lucky and I found four more entries in the series. I was pretty excited about being able to share more of the series with you, but I wasn't able to get them all ripped and processed in time to share them then. So today for the second half of this Super Saturday, I'm diving back into the well of opera singers and celebrity spokespeople that were so popular some weeks ago. Christmas has come and gone but I hope you still have some room in your collection for these. I'll begin with Army Of Stars (The Salvation Army Western Territorial Headquarters, Public Relations Department, CPM-12-2448, Mono, 1963). This now becomes the oldest of the Army of Stars records I have in my collection (not counting the 16" transcription disc that Buster ripped for me. This is also the oldest one listed at Discogs that's not a 16" record. Could this be the first year they pressed up commercial LPs? I'm not sure, but maybe.

As a special surprise, I've asked Buster to do some commentary on each of these records. He does a better job than I at contextualizing the whole thing, adding a little bit of bio about each of the artists and places the music in it's proper setting. If you haven't been to his place, I strongly recommend you go visit him just as soon as you're done here. And now, here's what Buster had to say about this record:

Jolly old Vince

In 1963, the Salvation Army's Western district was continuing with its tradition of a Christmas program under the title "An Army of Stars." For this year, the program was introduced by an actor whose image was hardly that of a jolly elf. He was Vincent Price, who at the time was specializing in Edgar Allen Poe based horror movies.

Price was good at those roles, but there always was a tongue-in-cheek aspect to his personality, which he would later show in such popular American game shows as "Hollywood Squares." Here he introduces the proceedings, then, to paraphrase The Raven, was heard nevermore.

Most of the vocalists appearing in 1963 were associated with the San Francisco Opera - the Salvation Army's Western District is located in that city. But two of the stars had broader experience, which we will get to soon.

Bass-baritone Donald Drain was one of the San Francisco folks, spending 1960-65 with the company. He sings "O Thou Sublime Sweet Evening Star" from Wagner's Tannhäuser.

Carol Todd

Soprano Carol Todd was then new to the San Francisco troupe; she was just beginning her career. Her contribution is the Bach-Gounod setting of "Ave Maria."

Raymond Manton

The fine tenor Raymond Manton of the San Francisco company was tasked with the John Jacob Niles setting of "I Wonder as I Wander," which he handles well in an arrangement that's a bit overblown.

Giorgio Tozzi

The following two songs are presented by the best-known artists on the program. Bass Giorgio Tozzi was a mainstay of the Metropolitan Opera - and his voice was known to millions from the film version of South Pacific, where he dubbed Rossano Brazzi's singing. Tozzi is excellent in Bizet's setting of the "Agnus Dei."

Side note: Tozzi put out a full Christmas LP with fellow Met star Rosalind Elias. You can find it on my blog here.

Kerstin Meyer

Kerstin Meyer was an internationally famous Swedish mezzo-soprano who mainly appeared in European opera houses. She presents perhaps the most unusual item on the program: the German Christmas song "Mariae Wiegenlied" (Mary's Lullaby) by the late Romantic composer Max Reger. This is a gorgeous work (belying Reger's reputation for producing turgid music). Note that the cover and label get the title a little wrong - it's Mary's, not Maria's, lullaby.

Tozzi returns with the Azuza College Choir for the hymn "How Great Thou Art." Then follows Kerstin Meyer and Carol Todd in another superb piece, the "Evening Prayer" from Humperdinck's opera Hänsel und Gretel. In the opera, it is what the lost children sing before they go to sleep, at which time a flock of angels appear to protect them. The music and the scene are extraordinary. Unfortunately, the two singers here are not well matched.

For the finale, the soloists join the choir for "O Little Town of Bethlehem."

To me, this is one of the finest entries in the Army of Stars series.

1. The Army Of Stars Orchestra With Vincent Price-Army Of Stars Theme
2. Donald Drain-O Thou Sublime Sweet Evening Star - 'Tannhauser'
3. Carol Todd-Ave Maria
4. Raymond Manton-I Wonder As I Wander
5. Giorgio Tozzi-Agnus Dei
6. Kerstin Meyer-Maria's Lullaby
7. Giorgio Tozzi & Azusa College Chorale-A Capella Choir-How Great Thou Art
8. Kerstin Meyer & Carol Todd-Evening Prayer From 'Hansel & Gretel'
9. Donald Drain, Giorgio Tozzi, Raymond Manton, Kerstin Meyer, Carold Todd, Azusa College Chorale-A Capella Choir-O Little Town Of Bethlehem

MEGA