Julmusik

Staying on the Continent and heading north to Sweden, we come across some Christmas music performed on the trumpet. You can't go wrong with that! This is Magnus Johansson-Tommy Hansons Kör Och Orkester-Stämningsfull Julmusik På Trumpet (Omic Records (Sweden) LP 110, Stereo). Looking at my horrible scan of this album cover, you might be confused about the album title. I think I went with what it said on the labels rather than what it said on the cover. Some days I'm never sure what to grab, especially when it's in a language I don't read. If anyone can point me towards a more correct title, I'm all ears. Well, not all, but you know...

1. White Christmas
2. Stilla Natt
3. Hej Mitt Vinterland
4. När Det Lider Mot Jul
5. Gläns Över Sjö Och Strand
6. Nu Tändas Tusen Juleljus
7. Bella Notte
8. Jul, Jul Strålande Jul
9. Rudolf Med Röda Mulen
10. O Du Saliga
11. O Helga Natt
12. Ser Du Stjärnan I Det Blå

MEGA

Tintin Out

While we're in Europe, let's stop off in Belgium to hear some kids singing. I know you can never have too much of that. This is De Vreugdezaaiers-Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Music For Pleasure (Belgium) 4M024-23945, Stereo, 1980). I'm afraid I don't know a single thing about these folks so I'll just have to let the music do the talking. Download fast, Christmas will be here before you know it!

1. Jingle Bells
2. De Herdertjes Lagen Bij Nachte
3. Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht
4. Ave Maria
5. Nu Zijt Wellekomen
6. Hoe Leit Dit Kindeke
7. White Christmas
8. Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant
9. Gloria In Excelsis Deo
10. Maria Die Zoude Naar Bethlehem Gaan
11. Minuit Chrétien
12. Er Is Een Kindeke Geboren Op Aard
13. Herders, Hij Is Geboren
14. O Tannenbaum (Mon Beau Sapin)

MEGA

Three O'Clock

I feel like this may be the first time I've ever posted something based on the time of day mentioned in the album title. But this also may be one of the oddest album titles ever found on a Christmas record. I guess it's not really a true Christmas album, more something aimed to sell sheet music for a performance, but it's certainly something interesting.  For the uninitiated, Ruth Roberts & Bill Katz were the song writers behind many of the songs on Teresa Brewer's 1957 Christmas record At Christmas Time. They spent most of their career hawking those and other songs, releasing a handful of albums like this one, trying to generate sales for the performances. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just the way they found to make a living. All of those albums seem to go for too much money when they come up for sale, so I was a little surprised to find I already had this one in the archives, complete with a music book featuring all of the songs. A close listen to this album leads me to believe there's actually at least one track that features Teresa Brewer's performance from that aforementioned Christmas record, though I don't remember which track that is right this second. (Update: Echoes Of Christmas, which is actually not on Brewer's Christmas LP. What am I missing here, is this new Teresa Brewer Christmas music? Nope, I'm wrong. It's just titled Listen My Children on Brewer's Christmas album.) I'm sure someone will chime in with that info in the comments. If you wanna listen for yourself, this is Ruth Roberts & Bill Katz-The Three O'Clock Rehearsal Of Combined Band And Chorus For The Very Merry Christmas Musicale (Michael Brent Publications MBP 307, Stereo, 1977). I'm told this is all in mono, but I ripped it in stereo. Sorry.

1. Three O'Clock Rehearsal  
2. All Aboard The Christmas Train  
3. Resolutions  
4. The Little Lost Christmas Harmony  
5. Snow, Snow (School Is Closing Down)  
6. Bright Candle Lights (Chanukah And Christmas Time)  
7. Christmas Toys  
8. The Echoes Of Christmas  
9. Chinese Fortune Cookie Song  
10. Be Kind To Each Other 

MEGA

Millions and Millions

Here's an interesting European collection of Christmas songs that I thought featured a few things you don't hear too often. I don't know who many of these names are, but I found it odd that the American tracks they chose were by The Platters and Harry Simeone. Not even the hit your might expect from Harry Simeone, either. There's bound to be something on here that your haven't heard before, and I bet you really enjoy it. Give a listen to Christmas For The Millions (Philips (Netherlands) 6300 233, Stereo, 1977).

1. Nana Mouskouri-Silent Night, Holy Night
2. Peters & Lee-Mary's Boy Child
3. Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra-Il Est Né Le Devin Enfant
4. Marianne Rosenberg-Aba Heidschi Bum-Beidschi
5. Los Fronterizos-La Peregrinacion (Alouette) (Huella Pampeana)
6. The Harry Simeone Chorale-Sleigh Ride
7. Kamahl-White Christmas
8. Vicky Leandros-Es Wird Schon Gleich Dunkel
9. Trio Los Paraguayos-Faltan Cinco Palas Doce
10. Kay Warner's Choir And Orchestra-The First Noël; We Wish You A Merry Christmas
11. The Platters-Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
12. Demis Roussos-Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes (Gloria In Excelsis Deo)

MEGA

A Sacrifice

Here's a weird one for you. I didn't even realize this was a Christmas record on first glance. But once I took a longer look, I realized what I had. It's not every day you find a rock opera about the birth of Jesus, but here you go. There are a few guest singers on the album, biggest name that stood out to me was Bonnie Bramlett, known for her work with Eric Clapton back in the day. This is of course much later than that, but it's still a very interesting listen. This is Adrian Snell-The Virgin-A Dramatic Rock Opera (Pilgrim America R3822, Stereo, 1982). Enjoy!

1. Light Of The World - Part 1
2. Love In My Life
3. The Promise
4. How Can I Explain
5. What A Love!
6. What Do You Mean, A Baby?
7. All For Nothing
8. Joseph's Dream
9. My Heart Sings
10. Journey To Bethlehem/No Room, We're Full
11. Look At Us Now!
12. The Warning/Kill All The Children/Return
13. Simeon's Song/Son Of The World
14. Light Of The World - Part 2

MEGA

Canterbury Tales

Time for an early morning share that's a partial re-share of something I gave you earlier in the year. This record collects up all the Christmas records put out by The Canterbury Choir on 10" LPs originally (and likely 78s). It makes for a pretty full LP. Looks like this collection came out not too long after the early passing of the director of the group, Macklin Marrow. The 10" I shared earlier doesn't mention his passing, but this 12" does. Not a huge amount of info about him out on the web, but you can piece his story together if you do enough searching. I'm too lazy to do that, but here's his Christmas record if you want to give it a listen. This is The Canterbury Choir-Beloved Christmas Hymns And Carols (MGM E3061, Mono, 1953).

1. O, Come All Ye Faithful ("Adeste Fideles")
2. The First Noel
3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
4. O, Little Town Of Bethlehem
5. Angels From The Realms Of Glory
6. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
7. Joy To The World
8. Silent Night
9. Good King Wenceslas
10. We Three Kings Of Orient Are
11. Deck The Halls; I Saw Three Ships
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
13. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night
14. Angels, We Have Heard On High
15. Away In A Manger (Luther's Cradle Hymn)
16. O, Holy Night (Cantique De Noel)
17. In The Bleak Mid-Winter
18. What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
19. Coventry Carol

MEGA

Truth To Power

Almost midnight, time for the latest installment in a long list of religious Christmas records I've been sharing with you this season. You might think I'd be running out of these at this point, but I assure you I am not even close. I believe there are another hundred or so in the pile that I recorded but never even cut into tracks, there are that many of these things. Something about each of these records attracted my eye at some point but I couldn't tell you why at this remove. Anyhow, the latest record in the stack is The Sound Of Truth Quartet-With You At Christmas (No Label 7124N7, Stereo, 1977). I think it was the cover that attracted me to this one, it's a pretty cool cover.

1. Introduction
2. I'll Be Home For Christmas; No Place Like Home
3. Ring Silver Bells
4. O Holy Night
5. Joy To The World; O Little Town Of Bethlehem
6. Christmas Story
7. Silent Night
8. What Child Is This
9. Angels We Have Heard On High
10. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
11. O Come All Ye Faithful
12. Good Christian Men Rejoice
13. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

MEGA

Christmas

For whoever recommended that I try my dishes Christmas here in Santa Fe, thank you very much. This Enchilada platter in Abiquiu was great! For those that don't know, ordering something Christmas means it comes with both red and green chili peppers. Mmmmm, good! Not too spicy, but flavorful.

Sweet Home Colorado

As you likely know by now, the blog is on autopilot while I spend Christmas with my in-laws in New Mexico. We're running around trying to see all the sights and celebrate the season, but I'm still trying to keep up with your comments here. One of the states that I'm a whole lot closer to now than when I'm at home is Colorado, and that's the state from which this next share comes. You'll note that it's part two which means I now have to hunt down part one, so wish me luck. So for your listening pleasure in these last few days before Christmas, this is The CSU Chamber Singers & Brass Choir-Christmas At Colorado State University Vol. 2 (The Musical Heritage Society MHS 3295, Stereo, 1975).

1. Joy To The World
2. Lullay, My Liking
3. Noel (Au Jo Deu De Pubelle - Grande Dei, Ribon Ribeine)
4. I Saw Three Ships-From Suite Of Carols
5. We've Been A While A Wandering
6. Two Sixteenth Century Flemish Songs-Si J'ai Perdu Mon Ami
7. Two Sixteenth Century Flemish Songs-Heth Sold Ein Meisken
8. Gloria - From Messe de Minuit (Midnight Mass For Christmas)
9. The First Noel
10. In Dulci Jubilo - From Suite Of Carols
11. Noel - En Dialogue, Duo Et Trio
12. Sonata Pian' E Forte
13. The Sussex Carol
14. Noel - Pour l'Amour De Marie
15. Silent Night
16. A Joyous Christmas Song (I Am So Glad This Christmas Time)

MEGA

Ze Cracker Of Ze Nuts

I feel like I should have shared this one out before now but I kind of forgot about it. It's an interesting narrative about Tchaikovsky's biggest hit. Not sure who the target market for this record was, but I suspect that you might be the audience at this point. This is Hazel Brewsaugh Eichstadt-The Nutcracker (A Silver Seal Recording/Custom Fidelity CF-1332, Mono). Enjoy!

1. The Nutcracker
2. Introduction
3. Overture Miniature
4. Marche
5. The Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
6. The Trepak (Russian Dance)
7. The Arabian Dance
8. The Chinese Dance
9. Dance Of The Toy Flutes (Mirlitons)
10. The Waltz Of The Flowers

MEGA

California Christmas Collection

I didn't mention it in the last post, but that record does have a connection to this record. They both are on a tiny label that I've never heard of. It's yet another example of how these things sometimes come together with little or no planning on my part. There could easily be another record on this label somewhere at the blog and I would have no idea it existed. This is California Campus Caroleers (A Cappella And Chimes)-Conducted By Fred Wakeman-Holiday Songfest (Lester Records L-1003, Mono). This is another one of those records that's kind of been there for years and gets ignored season after season. It's only fitting that I finally get to it this year.

1. Silent Night  
2. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing  
3. The First Noel  
4. O' Come All Ye Faithful  
5. Angels We Have Heard On High  
6. O' Holy Night  
7. We Three Kings  
8. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear  
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen  
10. O' Little Town Of Bethlehem  
11. Away In A Manger  
12. Joy To The World

MEGA

Society Music

Getting pretty close to Christmas here, but I've still got a lot of music to share with you. Hope you're able to keep up, I know there are many demands on your attention this time of year. Up next is another album filled with syrupy strings and smooth arrangements of the same old Christmas carols you've been hearing all season long. But in my book, more is sometimes better. Please have a go at The Stradivarius String Society-Singing Strings Herald Christmas (Lester L1002, Mono). I've been looking at this cover in the collection for years and never really paid too much attention to it, then finally one day I decided it would be a good candidate to rip and share. Sure enough, it skipped and skipped badly so I had to go and find another copy of it somewhere in the collection. Took a month or so of hunting before I was able to hunt another one down. But I got it, and that second copy had a better cover for the scanning to boot. So enjoy!

1. Silent Night  
2. Come All Ye Faithful  
3. Hark The Herald Angels Sing  
4. White Christmas  
5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen  
6. Little Town Of Bethlehem  
7. Deck The Halls  
8. Joy To The World  
9. First Noel  
10. Good King Wenceslaus  
11. O Holy Night  
12. We 3 Kings

MEGA

Big Bad John

Let's start off this fine Sunday before Christmas with yet another religious record. I'm sure you're sick of them by now, but I've got a lot of them and I'm going to keep pushing them on you until I run out. This one is The John Hall Family-Merry Christmas (Peace Records LST 1225, Stereo), and it's probably more of the same stuff I've been sharing with you all season. You'd hope they could come up with at least one new track, generate a tiny bit of songwriting royalties here, but no. Oh well, it's still worth a listen. Look, there's that other wreath cover I was looking for. Now what record did I want to link that to?

1. Do You Hear What I Hear
2. Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem
3. Silent Night
4. We Three Kings
5. White Christmas
6. O, Holy Night
7. C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
8. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
9. Away In A Manger
10. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

MEGA