Super Salvation Saturday-Bonus 4

This is the last of the new additions to the Army Of Stars collection I have for you today, and it just happens to be the year of my birth. Glad I was able to fill in that blank. This is We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Salvation Army, Army Of Stars, Western Territory, Public Relations Department, 39248, Stereo, 1970). The guest star here is one of the last surviving major artists from the Fifties, Pat Boone. He took a lot of static for covering the music of Black artists back in the day, somehow making the songs more palatable for white audiences, but would those artists have been able to break through without that exposure? Maybe, maybe not, but I doubt it was Boone himself deciding which records to cover and which songs to sing. Anyhow, I'll stop pontificating and instead allow my buddy Buster to do his thing once again and tell us all about this record and the artists there-in. (Don't forget to visit Buster over at his blog and download all sorts of Christmas music that I somehow missed.) Take it away, Buster:

The 1970 Army of Stars program presented a well-known singer (Pat Boone) in a spoken word presentation, along with the usual coterie of artists from the San Francisco Opera, Rex Koury and the Army of Stars Orchestra and the Azusa Pacific College Choir.

Pat Boone

Once again, the big star was identified as "host commentator" although he does not host the show. Pat Boone instead narrates the story of Jesus' birth, to background music led by (and presumably composed by) Rex Koury.

Shigemi Matsumoto

Pat's contribution was at the start of side 2. To jump back to the beginning of the record, we first hear from the very welcome Shigemi Matsumoto, a most accomplished soprano, who presents "Rejoice Greatly" from Handel's Messiah. She was then at the San Francisco company, and it appears she still teaches. The recital hall at her alma mater, Cal State-Northridge, is named for her.

Ella Lee

Soprano Ella Lee had leading roles not only at the San Francisco Opera, but in Chicago and throughout Europe during a long career. Here she sings the Franck setting of "Panis Angelicus."

The next artist from the San Francisco company is baritone James (Jimmy) Farrar, who was with the company only in 1969. I can find little information on him, but I can tell you he was a talented vocalist. Here he is heard with the Azusa Pacific Choir in the "Cantique de Noël."

Donna Petersen

Mezzo-soprano Donna Petersen, in contrast, was with the company for the better part of 30 years, joining as far back as 1952. She sings the Schubert setting of "Ave Maria."

Peter Lagger

The Swiss bass Peter Lagger primarily appeared in Europe, but was in a San Francisco production of Mozart's The Magic Flute in 1969. Here he presents Sarastro's aria "Within These Holy Portals" from that score. (The Papagena in that production was Shigemi Matsumoto.)

Also on the LP, the Azusa Pacific Choir can be heard in "What Child Is This" and the Army of Stars Orchestra in "Silent Night" and "Toyland." The soloists, choir and orchestra assemble for a concluding performance of "Joy to the World."

Now that you know all the details, here's the track list and the download. Thanks for sticking with me as I try to run this series. I think at this point I'm missing 1965 and 1986 (and I have my eye on an auction for a cheap copy of 1986...).

1. Shigemi Matsumoto-Rejoice Greatly Daughter Of Zion--Messiah
2. Ella Lee-Panis Angelicus
3. Rex Koury And Army Of Stars Orchestra-Toyland
4. Azusa Pacific College Choir-What Child Is This
5. Rex Koury And Army Of Stars Orchestra-Army Of Stars Theme
6. Pat Boone With Rex Koury And Army Of Stars Orchestra-The Christmas Story
7. Jimmy Farrar And Azusa Pacific College Choir-Cantique De Noel
8. Donna Peterson-Ave Maria
9. Peter Lagger-Within These Holy Portals--Magic Flute
10. Rex Koury And Army Of Stars Orchestra-Silent Night
11. Jimmy Farrar, Peter Lagger, Ella Lee, Shigemi Matsumoto, Donna Peterson, Azusa Pacific College Choir-Joy To The World

MEGA