Nat Geo

When I was a kid, National Geographic was my favorite magazine. I think it was the only magazine my parents had a subscription to when I was little. (No, wait, I'm wrong. We got Reader's Digest, too.) Not sure if that was for me or if maybe they enjoyed it as well. But I can remember getting really excited when it showed up, and really unhappy in the occasional months when an issue got lost in the mail. I can remember writing to them to let them know that we hadn't got last month's magazine and got excited when I got a letter saying they were sending out a new copy ASAP. We also had a huge stack of back issues in a cabinet beside my mom & dad's bed. I'd lay on the bed and try to find an interesting date to read for hours on end. When I got older and had a little disposable income, I'd buy older issues at the thrift stores, trying to find the oldest dates I could because I thought those would be the most interesting. Even after I made it to college, I can remember going to one of the huge libraries at UF and finding their archive of National Geographics and flipping through copies that came out way at the very beginning of the magazine from before they included color photographs. Long story, but I figured it is a proper introduction to this record that was put out by the National Geographic Society as part of a series of records in the late 70's. This would have been my peak time for reading and enjoying the magazine, but I don't recall knowing anything about these records at the time. Not sure who the band is here, but I seem to recall seeing a famous name in the credits. Lemme go take a look. Oh, yeah, arranged and conducted by William Pursell. He had a pop hit with Our Winter Love in 1963 before heading off in other music directions like this one. I think you'll enjoy this one, I certainly did. Huge triple gatefold package here (with custom printed inner sleeves as well), you'll see it in the package, it's massive! This is The Christmas Festival Chorale And Orchestra-An American Christmas (National Geographic Society 07799, Stereo, 1977). Oh, I forgot about the first time I ever went to DC. I trekked all the way into town to visit National Geographic's headquarters there. Not much to see and I think I was the only person there, but I was glad I made the trip.

1. We Wish You A Merry Christmas; O Come, All Ye Faithful
2. What Child Is This
3. Deck The Halls
4. Away In A Manger
5. Silent Night
6. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
7. The Twelve Days Of Christmas
8. We Three Kings
9. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
10. O Holy Night
11. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
12. Joy To The World

MEGA