Nestled in the Foothills of My Record Collection

(Special thanks to Bob and Jean Beard for looking through their collection and providing a picture of the cover)


I have no idea as to the date of this LP, as it came to me in a plain white sleeve. [edit: 1971]

Due to 1) the second side (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) it can be dated to after 1969, and 2) listing Harry Harter as director it can be dated no later than 1981, but that's as close as I can get.

Maryville College Concert Choir 1971 Live

Side One
1. O Mon Ame
2. Sicut Cervus
3. Ascendit Deus
4. Jesus and the Traders
5. O How Glorious
6. Twenty-Third Psalm
7. The Lord Bless You and Keep You

Side Two
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

The Dozenth Day of Blogmass

Back before radio, records, or even player pianos there were music boxes that functioned a little bit like record players - you could change out discs.

Here's a classic two-disc machine working through some holiday music.

It's frankly a little unsettling in spots - the sync is not quite what we've become used to in this quantized world.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
 
The Porter Twin Disc Music Box - Music Box Christmas

1. Still Night/Holy Night (Silent Night)        
2. Monastery Bells        
3. O Sanctissma
4. Joy To The World        
5. Adeste Fideles        
6. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen        
7. Greensleeves        
8. Jingle Bells        
9. Angels We Have Heard On High        
10. O Tannenbaum        
11. Ave Maria        
12. Come Hither Ye Children        
13. Good King Wenceslas        
14. O Holy Night        
15. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing        
16. Deck The Halls        
17. The First Noel        
18. Auld Lang Syne

It Goes To Eleventh Day of Blogmass

One of the many albums of its type, I like this one specifically because it belonged to my grandparents, and was a holiday tradition on their Silvertone console stereo. It was originally released in 1958 (I think) and has had a couple of reissues since.

Apparently there is a red vinyl edition, which fuels my OCD.


Robert Rheims - Christmas in Carols (Organ and Chimes)

Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen/From Every Spire on Christmas Eve
The First Noel/Joy To the World
Deck the Halls/The Christmas Chimes are Pealing
Away in a Manger/I Saw Three Ships
Silent Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Good King Wenceslas/Angels we Have Heard on High
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear/O Christmas Tree
We Three Kings of Orient Are/I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
O Holy Night

On The Tenth (Grade) Day of Blogmass

Here's our second visit to North Central High School. The first album is here. Definitely better cover art on this one. Probably a stock photo/painting, but I like it. Too bad there's no credit for it.
Pauline Brothers, Richard Laughlin, and Don Martin Directed. Recorded by Elvis Hughes for Century Custom Recording Service. This is the steroe version, though a mono version is also listed as available.



North Central High School - Music In The Air (date unknown)

Carol of the Drum - The Counterpoints
Jingle Bell Fantasy - The Bell Choir
Do You Hear What I Hear?  -  The Counterpoints
Mary's Lullaby - The Girls Ensemble
Stars Lead Us Ever On - The A Capella Choir
Lullaby of the Christ Child - The A Capella Choir
Santa Claus Is Comin' - The Bell Choir
How Silent Is Our Village - The Music Men
Carol of the Bells - The Madrigals
Go Tell It On The Mountain - The A Capella Choir

Shepards [sic] and the Inn - The A Capella Choir
Children, Go Where I send Thee - The Music Men
Pin A Star To A Twinkling Tree - The Girls Ensemble
Winter Wonderland - The Bell Choir
Riu Riu Chiu - The Counter Points [sic]
Carol of the Angels - The Girls Ensemble
Torches - The Counterpoints
The First Noel - The Bell Choir
Virgin Unspotted - The Counterpoints
Christ Came To Bethlehem - The A Capella Choir

On the (Actual) Ninth Day of Blogmass

A mildly amusing collection humorous songs and poems from children's poet Jack Prelutsky.
I assume that they would be of more interest to non-crotchety old curmudgeons.
This cassette is intended to accompany the book of the same name. Unfortunately, I'm not able to convert that to an MP3, so...

 Try it with your little kids.
 
Jack Prelutsky - It's Christmas

On The Eighth(ish) Day of Blogmass

I ended up with a lot more cassettes this year.
This one is as overblown as you would expect from the MTC.

Hallmark Presents - Carols of Christmas

Hallmark Presents Carols of Christmas Featuring The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Sarah Vaughan, and Samuel Ramey.

1. O Come, Let Us Adore Him
2. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
3. March Of The Toys
4. Deck The Halls
5. Do You Hear What I Hear?
6. Hallelujah Chorus
7. Bless This Day
8. White Christmas/Happy Holidays Medley
9. We Three Kings
10. What Child Is This?
11. O Holy Night

On The Seventh Day of Blogmass...

 

 I don't know why this hasn't been posted before - this comes from my childhood collection when my Dad (an employee of Goodyear subsidiary The Kelly-Springfield Tire Company) would bring one home from work every year.

This one is really un-hip, adult/MOR listening. Very cool gate-fold lp cover, though.


Goodyear - Great Songs of Christmas 9 (1969  Columbia Special Products)

The Happiest Christmas (Petula Clark)
Secret of Christmas (Bing Crosby)
Twelve Days of Christmas (Joan Sutherland)
The First Noel (Connie Francis)
O Come All Ye Faithful (Richard Kiley)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Richard Kiley)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Lawrence Welk)
Good King Wenceslas (Lawrence Welk)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Lawrence Welk)
In Dulci Jubilo (London Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinstone, Conductor with The Roger Wagner Chorale)
O Holy Night (Mantovani and His Orchestra)
Silent Night, Holy Night (Petula Clark)
Winter Wonderland (Lena Horne)
Skater's Waltz (Mantovani & His Orchestra)
O Little Town of Bethlehem (Connie Francis)
Panis Angelicus (Richard Kiley)
Jingle Bells (Lena Horne)
O Sanctissima (London Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf Conductor with the Roger Wagner Chorale)
A Christmas Tale for Children (Vladimir Horowitz)
Ave Maria (Joan Sutherland)

On The Sixth Day of Blogmass

I never get tired of these Goodyear/Firestone Christmas albums...

Ella opens and closes the set in a jazzy mood, Sammy brings some finger-snappin' hip, and Pete Fountain takes Jingle Bell Rock through the Vieux Carré. This set is really a bit of a retreat back into the adult/MOR sounds of the early years of these sets.

Goodyear - The Many Moods of Christmas (1973)

SIDE ONE

White Christmas - Ella Fitzgerald

Christmasland - Tony Bennett
Winter Weather - Jo Stafford, accompanied by Paul Weston
O Little Town of Bethlehem - Barbra Streisand
Christmas Waltz - Pat Boone
Whatever Happened To Christmas? - Frank Sinatra
Jingle Bells / It's Christmas Time All Over the World - Sammy Davis, Jr.

SIDE TWO

The Christmas Song - Tex Beneke
Toyland - Doris Day
Jingle Bell Rock - Pete Fountain
Christmas Is - Bing Crosby
O Come All Ye Faithful - Julie Andrews
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Andy Williams
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Ella Fitzgerald

On The Fifth Day Of Blogmass (That Happened Yesterday)

whoops - let a day slip by.

This is exactly what you would expect from the title - no more, no less. A nice listen if you like brass.



Galliard Brass Ensemble - Carols For Brass Vol 2 (1983 Musical Heritage Society MHS 4806)

Side 1:
Joy to the World
Rejoice and Be Merry (Gallery Carol)
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Once in Royal David's City
Deck the Halls
Wexford Carol
Ding Dong Merrily on High

Side 2:
Hosanna to the Son of David (Thomas Weelkes)
Rejoice in the Lord Always (Anon, 16th Century English)
Quem Vidistis Pastores? (Tomas Luis De Victoria)
Boston (William Billings)
Judea (William Billings)
Puer Natis in Bethlehem (Samuel Scheidt)
Hodie Christus Natus Est (Giovanni Pierluigi da Pasestrina)
Hosanna to the Son of David (Orlando Gibbons)
In Dulci Jubilo (Samuel Scheidt)

On The Fourth Day of Blogmass...

Nice instrumental renditions performed on acoustic folk/country instruments.

Folk Like Us - An American Christmas (1994)



1. Deck The Halls
2. The First Noel
3. Joy To The World
4. Silent Night
5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
6. Snowbird on the Ashbank/Snowflake Reel
7. A Merry Christmas/Joy Be With You/Apples in Winter
8. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
9. Away In The Manger/O Come All Ye Faithful
10. Saw You Never/We Three Kings
11. The Good-natured Man/Good King Wenceslas/Good Christian Men Rejoice
12. Frosty Morning
13. Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
14. The Holly and the Ivy
15. Angels We Have Heard on High
16. Jingle Bells

On The Third Day of Blogmass...

Uh oh, here's a series that I didn't know existed. It appears that there are at least 40 volumes in the True Value set. This one manages to add a little Motown soul.


True Value - Happy Holidays 24
 MCA Special Products 15044, 1989

 
Side 1

Give Love on Christmas Day: The Jackson 5

I'll Be Home for Christmas: Jack Jones

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Burl Ives

My Favorite Things: Diana Ross and the Supremes

Deck the Halls: The Trapp Family Singers

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: Bing Crosby

Side 2

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow: Lee Greenwood

Noel: The Miracles

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town: Bing Crosby

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: Eddie Fisher

The Christmas Song: Roger Williams

Ave Maria: Raphael Mendez

On the Second Day of Blogmass...

More unaccompanied Christmas piano, though a little more ornamental than yesterday's offering from Dino.

Emile Pandolfi - Sleigh Ride

1     Sleigh Ride
2     Frosty the Snowman
3     Silver Bells
4     A Marshmallow World
5     My Favorite Things
6     Here Comes Santa Claus
7     Winter Wonderland
8     Jingle Bells
9     Let It Snow
10     Baby It's Cold Outside
11     It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

On The First Day of Blogmass...

Nice, mellow, unflashy background Christmas piano. It's a little weird to hear the Little Drummer Boy without actual, you know, drums...

Dino Kartsonakis - A Christmas Gift of Love (1984)

1. Carol of the Bells

2. What Child is This

3. Little Drummer Boy

4. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

5. Angels We Have Heard On High

6. A Christmas Gift

7. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

8. Sleigh Ride

9. Christmas Medley-Joy To the World, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, The Hallelujah Chorus