CiJ 2025-Day 19

Day 19, what is that, almost two thirds of the way through, but not quite. We've come a long way but we still have a ways to go. My favorite track today is a swinging version of March Of The Toys. It's a rerun from past years, but I still enjoy it and I'm sure you will, too. That's a nice version of Feliz Navidad in there, too, but I think it's a rerun as well. Lemme know what you think down in the comments.

1. The Big Swing Band Sound Of Charles Bud Dant Featuring Singing Instrumentals By The Clark Sisters-March Of The Toys (The Turn Of The Century Swings, 1959)
2. Niles Township High School East-Concert Choir-Richard Rusch, Director-Deep Is The Silence (Winter Music Festival, 1967)
3. Mike Green, Catherine Slonecki, April Inyard, Scott Jasnow And Kelly Kaneblet-Feliz Navidad-Puerto Rico (Holiday Songs Around The World, 1994)
4. Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir 1990-1991-James A. Bogey, Conductor-Christmas Oratorio: Wherefore, Do The Heathens Clamor? (Songs Of '91, 1991)
5. Miami Girls Choir-We Wish You A Merry Christmas (World Of Music-Sample Recording K-8, 1988)
6. Jim Borden-Mary Had A Baby (Jim Borden Sings Folk Songs-Christmas Carols, 1964)
7. The Naasko Singers-Joy To The World (An Evening With Song, 1975)
8. Jenson Publications-Christmas Tidings (New Music For Concert Band-Volume 27-Easy Edition, 1990)

MEGA (FLAC)

CiJ Years Past-Day 18

Day 18, day 18, day 18, day 18... Links, links, links, links, links, links.

2024

2023

2022

2021 (Nothing...)

2020 and 2020

2019 and 2019 and 2019 

CiJ 2025-Day 18

The eighteenth day of July. Nothing too special about this day, I don't think. Lemme check and see if this is some official day. National Tropical Fruit Day, National Caviar Day and National Sour Candy Day, that's what it says. I don't know who gets to make these things up, but there you go. For our purposes, it's just another day in July for some Christmas song sharity. The highlight of the share today is a little off-Broadway ditty by Ceil Cabot (her coin is upper left on the cover above) from a show sponsored by Julius Monk at his Upstairs At The Downstairs club in NYC. There was a short series of these LPs released at some point in I believe the sixties, of which I think two had Christmas-related tracks. I've shared them out before, but I spotted a new copy of this one at some point recently so I'm bringing it to you again. The song in question is called Seasons' Greetings and it covers a lot of holidays, not just Christmas. Everything else today is icing on the cake, I promise. Enjoy!

1. St. Mary's Choir-Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head (In Remembrance...)
2. Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir 1990-1991-James A. Bogey, Conductor-Christmas Oratorio: Glory To God In The Highest (Songs Of '91, 1991)
3. John Gart At The Conn Electronic Organ With The Minute Men-The Parade Of The Animals (Organ On The March, 1959)
4. Kenneth Bloomquist Conducting The Michigan State University Wind Ensemble-Holiday In Montreux (Significant New Literature For Concert Band-The Best Of '79, 1978)
5. Ceil Cabot With William Roy And Carl Norman At Plural Pianos-Seasons' Greetings (Julius Monk Presents "Pieces-Of-Eight")
6. Jim Borden-A La Nanita Nana (Jim Borden Sings Folk Songs-Christmas Carols, 1964)
7. Northern Illinois University Wind Ensemble-Stephen Squires, Conductor-Christmas March (Alfred Young Concert Band Music (1988), 1988)
8. Jenson Publications And Purifoy Publishing-Good News, Good News (Choral Celebration Vol. VI, 1984)

MEGA (FLAC)

CiJ Years Past-Day 17

Day 17, in which I share with you links to all the old Christmas in July posts that are still alive from this day in blog history.

2024

2023

2022

2021 (The seventeenth day, so the best of 2017 for you)

2020 and 2020

2019 and 2019 and 2019

 

CiJ 2025-Day 17

Hello, and welcome to day 17 in which absolutely nothing happens. Well, nothing except for eight more Christmas songs in the sharity pile. Today's track worthy of note is Bugler's Holiday, a not-really-Christmas song from the privately pressed (and autographed) LP above. I think these guys had a few major-label releases in their discography, but this one was likely only ever available at their gigs. Glad I was able to score a copy. I get pretty excited when I see a unique release like this and find something I can shove into the Christmas category. I'm weird that way, I guess. Enjoy the music today!

1. Bette Stalnecker With The Keyboard Artistry Of John Bos And The Bob Cline Singers-The Christmas Spirit (Christmas/Spirit)
2. Larry Groce, Musical Director: Rick Powell-Blest Christmas Morn (The Glad Sound-Songs About Christ Jesus From The Christian Science Hymnal, 1973)
3. Ithaca College Band-Walter Beeler, Director-Toyland (Flying High)
4. Clear Springs Chorus, Directed By Miss Shari Steffen, Accompanist: Mrs. Patricia Paul-Behold That Star (Clear Springs Chorus Sings)
5. The Four Saints-Buglers' Holiday (The Many Sounds Of The Four Saints, 1962)
6. Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir 1990-1991-Kate Barnes, Soloist-James A. Bogey, Conductor-I Sing Of A Maiden (Songs Of '91, 1991)
7. The Naasko Singers-Deck The Halls (An Evening With Song, 1975)
8. Jenson Publications And Purifoy Publishing-Little Altar Boy (Choral Celebration Vol. VI, 1984)

MEGA (FLAC)

CiJ Years Past-Day 16

I don't even know what to talk about anymore. It's just another collection of old links. Enjoy!

2024

2023

2022 (No Christmas in July this day, but a collection of Christmas 78s from the Internet Archive)

2021 (No share today, I guess I shared everything out the previous two years...)

2020 and 2020

2019 and 2019 and 2019

CiJ 2025-Day 16

OK, day 16, the true halfway point (because I always overshoot the end of July by at least a day, sometimes much, much more...). And I'm breaking with tradition here by burning through a lot of tracks by the same artist, or at least the same publishing company. I've got far too many tracks in the stack by Jenson Publications to share them out one a day so I'm going to dump seven of them all here at once. The other track in the stack is a surprising song-poem thing I found during that very special day at The Book Rescuers in St. Pete. I didn't know what I had until I got it home and looked a little closer. Someone spent good money to submit their special song lyrics to a company and have them matched up with music and sung by the anonymous Steve Jennings. There are numerous albums featuring Steve and a few other singers, but this was the only Christmas track I spotted in the discography at Discogs. Happy to share a little oddity like this, I'm sure you won't find it anywhere else.

1. Jenson Publications-Russian Christmas Music (New Music For Concert Band-Volume 27-Easy Edition, 1990)
2. Steve Jennings-No Christmas (Our World In Song)
3. Jenson Publications-Greensleeves: A Symphonic Setting (Sound Ideas For Concert Band Vol V, 1979)
4. Jenson Publications-The Spirit Of Christmas (Superior New Works For Concert Band-Vol. XVII Easy Edition, 1985)
5. Jenson Publications-White Christmas (Sound Ideas For Concert Band Vol V, 1979)
6. Jenson Publications And Purifoy Publishing-Do You Hear What I Hear? (Choral Celebration Vol. VI, 1984)
7. Jenson Publications And Purifoy Publishing-Venite Adoremus (Choral Celebration Vol. VI, 1984)
8. Jenson Publications And Purifoy Publishing-Silent Night (Choral Celebration Vol. VI, 1984)

MEGA (FLAC)

CiJ Years Past-Day 15

Movin' right along, here's a set of links to historical Christmas in July posts for the 15th day of the month. Enjoy!

2024

2023

2022 (the 5th second-best collection)

2021 (a best-of from 2015)

2020 and 2020

2019 and 2019 and 2019

CiJ 2025-Day 15

Fifteen days in, that's pretty close to the halfway point. I think it's a pretty good season so far. Today I'll highlight another polka track just because. (Sorry, scottische, not polka. What's the difference?) The LP cover features people in bird outfits, so that's just icing on the cake. This one is a rerun from 2007, but I can't believe it's taken this long to bring it back. What a classic, and on the K-tel label! Now, onto the download!

1. Hal Leonard Concert Band-The Saints' Hallelujah (Hal Leonard Concert Band 1990 Easy Edition, 1990)
2. Lafayette College Choir-Dr. John Raymond, Director-Baritone Solo: James R. Hobbs, '59-The Lost Chord (By Special Request) (Annual Spring Concert May 1959, 1959)
3. The Columbus Boychoir-Directed By Donald Hanson-Epiphany (The Columbus Boychoir Performs Zoltán Kodály, 1975)
4. Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir 1990-1991-James A. Bogey, Conductor-Christmas Oratorio: In My Heart, I Believe (Songs Of '91, 1991)
5. Jenson Publications-The Thirteen Days Of Christmas (New Music For Concert Band-Volume 27-Easy Edition, 1990)
6. Clear Springs Chorus, Directed By Miss Shari Steffen, Accompanist: Mrs. Patricia Paul-Stille Nacht (Clear Springs Chorus Sings)
7. The Emeralds-Holiday Schottische (Bird Dance, 1982)
8. Jim Borden-Gloria In Excelsis (Jim Borden Sings Folk Songs-Christmas Carols, 1964)

MEGA (FLAC)

CiJ Years Past-Day 14

Another day, another set of old shares from this day in history. Once we get to the end of the month, you're going to have so much Christmas music you'll have to start listening in April to get it all through your ears by December 31st.

2024

2023

2022

2021 (nothing...)

2020 and 2020

2019 and 2019 and 2019

CiJ 2025-Day 14

Nothing much special I can think of about the 14th. Not quite the middle of the month, but certainly not the beginning. Oh well, can't say something witty every day, I suppose. The highlight track of the day is a nice version of Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year by Patty Weaver. I just thought this was another pretty girl singer, but when I looked her up at Discogs, I was surprised to find that she was a long-time soap opera actress and she has an interesting looking Christmas CD out there that I need to keep an eye out for. She sings a Christmas song about Elvis on there, and that's right up my alley. I even shared out a single by her at Christmas last year and didn't make a connection. (Apologies for leaving the shrink wrap on there when I took the picture. I didn't think it was going to be that bad, yet it's that bad...) In the meantime, download and enjoy another eight tracks of Christmas fun!

1. Aled Jones-Organyyd Huw Tregelles Williams-Ave Maria (Ave Maria, 1984)
2. Choir Of St. Andrew's Collegiate Church, Steyning, West Sussex, Music Director: Neil A. Page, Soloists: Nigel Newman, Ian Mumford, Melanie Lumsdaine, Kate Goddard-Matins Responsory (I Was Glad, 1985)
3. Patty Weaver-Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year (Patty Weaver Sings "As Time Goes By", 1976)
4. Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir 1990-1991-Men Of Tomorrow-James A. Bogey, Conductor-Little Innocent Lamb (Songs Of '91, 1991)
5. The Naasko Singers-Ring Christmas Bells (An Evening With Song, 1975)
6. Northern Illinois University Wind Ensemble-Stephen Squires, Conductor-Christmas Processional (Alfred Young Concert Band Music (1988), 1988)
7. Jim Borden-Polish Lullabye (Jim Borden Sings Folk Songs-Christmas Carols, 1964)
8. Jenson Publications And Purifoy Publishing-Mary Had A Baby (Choral Celebration Vol. VI, 1984)

MEGA (FLAC)

CiJ Years Past-Day 13

Struggling a bit here to keep up with these posts, got a lot going on at work and there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done I want to do, but I'll make it work.  Here are more links to Christmas in July shares on this day of the month that are still available for download. It's more music that you can shake a stick at, I guarantee!

2024

2023

2022 (a best-of from 2010)

2021 (a best-of from 2012)

2020 and 2020

2019 and 2019 and 2019 (!)

CiJ 2025-Day 13

Lucky number 13! I hope nothing bad happens to you if you download today's shares, but I can make no guarantees. Perhaps everything will be OK since it's a Sunday and not a Friday, but you never can tell.  Today's highlight is from an LP not titled "First Place Again" Playboy as you might think. No, it's just a plain old self-titled LP from Paul Desmond and he does a great instrumental version of Greensleeves with his friends. As you likely know, the music for Greensleeves is the same as What Child Is This, so as long as they don't sing the words, it's the same song. Now I need to track down a stereo version. It's taken me this long to dig up a mono copy, so how hard could a stereo copy be to find?

1. Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir 1990-1991-James A. Bogey, Conductor-Processional-Kyrie Christe (Songs Of '91, 1991)
2. Anton Brees-Angels We Have Heard On High (A Spiritual Message From The Singing Tower)
3. Paul Desmond And Friends-Greensleeves (Paul Desmond, 1960)
4. Mike Green, Catherine Slonecki, April Inyard, Scott Jasnow And Kelly Kaneblet-Lippai-Austria (Holiday Songs Around The World, 1994)
5. Clear Springs Chorus, Directed By Miss Shari Steffen, Accompanist: Mrs. Patricia Paul-I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (Clear Springs Chorus Sings)
6. Jenson Publications-The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) (New Music For Concert Band-Volume 27-Easy Edition, 1990)
7. Jim Borden-Childrens' Carol (Jim Borden Sings Folk Songs-Christmas Carols, 1964)
8. Hal Leonard Concert Band-Feliz Navidad (Hal Leonard Concert Band 1990 Easy Edition, 1990)

MEGA (FLAC)