12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Twelve

Sure, you can get this bit of materialistic Xmas cash-in on CD, but right here on this blog you can hear it in it's mono, scratchy glory as it might have sounded coming out of your Dansette.

Paul and Paula - Holiday For Teens (Philips ‎– PHM 200-101)

A1	Holiday For Teens	1:49
A2	White Christmas	1:57
A3	Jingle Bell Rock	2:01
A4	Silver Bells	2:05
A5	A New Year, A New Ring	2:41
A6	The Happy Holiday	1:48
B1	Holiday Hootenanny	1:59
B2	Blue Christmas	2:47
B3	Winter Wonderland	2:10
B4	(There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays	2:37
B5	The Christmas Song	2:31
B6	I'll Be Home For Christmas	3:04

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Eleven

Direct from Athens, Greece, it's Mimis Plessas conducting chorus, soloists and orchestra - Marsha Moussourou, soloist, Vassilis Tenidis, guitar.

Mimis Plessas (Greek: Μίμης Πλέσσας; born October 12, 1924) is a Greek composer born in Athens. He began his career in 1952 and has since written music for over 100 films, television and radio programs, and theatrical events. He has worked with such notable Greek singers as Giannis Poulopoulos and Marinella. Plessas combined the traditions of entehno and laïkó with considerable success. In 2001 he was honored with the Gold Cross of the Order of the Phoenix.



Mimis Plessas - Christmas Carols of the World (PETERS INTERNATIONAL PI-LPS 28)

Merry Christmas
Deck The Halls
Der Tannenbaum
Angels
The Pilgrim
Coventry Carol
The Virgin

Emmanuel
Noel Nouvelet
Thy Birth
Stille Nacht
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Rise Up Shepherd
Happy New Year

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Ten

An epic four disc set that contains quite a few songs that don't get played much these days.
Lush, choral, and occasionally peppy, this set should get you through wrapping all of your gifts (or a full-course Christmas dinner).


Longine Symphonette - Christmas at the Fireside

White Christmas
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Christmas Song
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
Silver Bells
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Twelve Days of Christmas
Babes in Toyland
Boar's Head Carol and Here We Come A-Wassailing
Lullay, Lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child
Angels From the Realm of Glory
Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly and Jingle Bells
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Good King Wenceslas
Whence Comes This Rush of Wings
March of the Kings (Marche des Rois)
Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming
Home for the Holidays
We Wish You a Merry Christmas, I Saw Three Ships and Christmas Is Coming
Hansel and Gretel (Prelude)
Masters in this Hall
Bring a Torch for Jeannette
The Little Drummer Boy
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Foom, Foom, Foom and Patapan
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
O Holy Night
Oxen and Sheep and Infant So Gentle
Rocking and Glory to God (Messiah)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
O Sanctissima
Ave Maria (Schubert)
For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Adoramus Te Christe
Good Christian Men, Rejoice
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
We Three Kings of Orient Are
Ave Maria (Gounod)
What Child Is This
While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks by Night
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Away in a Manger
The First Noel
Jesus of Nazareth
Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light
Joy to the World

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Nine

This is a peppy little number. I'll definitely be on the lookout for volumes 1-8.


Lester Lanin - Christmas Dance Party Vol 9

A1     Jingle Bells 2:58
A2     White Christmas/I'll Be Home For Christmas/Home For The Holidays/Happy Holiday 3:56
A3     Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairies 2:46
A4     Here Comes Santa Claus/Frosty The Snowman  2:36
A5     Silver Bells/Oh, Christmas Tree/We Wish You A Merry Christmas 3:09
A6     Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer 2:34
B1     Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town 2:11
B2     Deck The Halls/the Wassail Song/Good King Wenceslas 2:43
B3     Christmas Night In Harlem 2:29
B4     The Christmas Song/I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day/Christmas In Killarney 2:57
B5     Winter Wonderland 2:38
B6     Sleigh Ride 2:57
B7     Let It Snow/Auld Lang Syne/A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight 3:34

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Eight

Jesse starts things off with a relative sprint through O Holy Night. In fact, Jesse mostly avoids lugubriousness throughout - that's a good thing. His chimes seem to be in better tune with the organ than some similar albums, as well.


Jesse Crawford - Organ and Chimes For Christmas

A1	O Holy Night
A2	The First Noel
A3	Jingle Bells
A4	Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
A5	It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
A6	Deck The Halls
B1	Adeste Fideles
B2	Joy To The World
B3	Oh Come All Ye Faithful
B4	Silent Night
B5	God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
B6	O Little Town Of Bethlehem

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Seven

Here's the first in the Grant's department stores album series from 1967.
This volume contains a number of tracks that aren't endlessly repeated on other compilations, including a nice Simon and Garfunkel piece.

Grants A Very Merry Christmas Volume One

The Little Drummer Boy (Ray Conniff and Singers)
Jingle Bells (Jimmy Dean)
Santo Natale (Patti Page)
The Star Carol (Simon and Garfunkle)
O Holy Night (Johnny Mathis)
We Three Kings of Orient Are (Jimmy Rodgers)
Sweetest Dreams Be Thine (Theodore Bikel and the Pennywhistlers)
Medley: The First Noel, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, O Come All Ye Faithful (Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra)
Touch Hands on Christmas Morning (Mike Douglas)
Der Tag, Der Ist So Freudenreich (E Power Biggs, Organ)
The Twelve Days of Christmas (Burl Ives)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Andre Previn)
Do You Hear What I Hear (Bobby Vinton)
Handel: Hallelujah Chorus (The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Richard P Conide, Director., The Philadelphia Orchestra)

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Six

As I finish up collecting all of the tire company Christmas albums I'm beginning to expand into the department store versions. Here's the 1974 eighth (and last) in the series from Grants. Many of our old friends from other collections appear here.

Unfortunately this disc has some outer edge physical damage that I could not eliminate.

Grants A Very Merry Christmas Volume Eight  (Capitol SL6954)

Do You Hear What I Hear (Bing Crosby)
The Christmas Waltz (Peggy Lee)
Sleigh Ride (Fred Waring and The Pennsylvanians)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Tennessee Ernie Ford)
For Unto Us A Child Is Born from "The Messiah" (Charles Mackerras conducting The English Chamber Orchestra with the Abrosian Singers)
The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole)
Gesu Bambino (The Roger Wagner Chorale)
Blue Christmas (Glen Campbell)
Silent Night (Dinah Shore)
A Christmas Medley For Children: Toyland, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, O Christmas Tree, Toyland, March of the Toys, Jingle Bells, Up on the Housetop (The Hollywood Pops Orchestra)

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Five

 I wonder how many different organ and chimes Christmas records were produced? Is there a collector somewhere who is trying to acquire an example of each?

Regardless, this is another, not particularly better or worse than any other (though I've heard better-tuned chimes on other discs).

Great cover art on this edition, though. (Like all of these albums, it has been reissued with different art and track lists several times on different budget labels).

Note: this is not the same Fred Kirby who was first a country singer and then a Charlotte-area kids TV host.


Fred Kirby - Christmas Favorites

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Four

Decca Hi-Fi (but not stereo) from 1959. I wonder if those are featured soloists Ted Detwiler and Tad Lyon down front?

 
Columbus Boychoir - Joy To The World 1959 Decca DL-78920

A1     O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)    
A2     Silent Night
A3     Joy To The World
A4     Lullaby Of The Christ Child    
A5     Here We Come A-Wassailing    
A6     Coventry Carol (Soloist – Ted Detwiler)
A7     The Holly And The Ivy    
A8     Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella  (Soloist – Ted Detwiler)
A9     Carol Of The Bells
A10     O Holy Night (Soloist – Tad Lyon)
B1     Angels We Have Heard On High    
B2     Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming (Soloist – Tad Lyon)
B3     Deck The Hall    
B4     I Saw Three Ships (Soloist – Ellery Temple)
B5     Pat-A-Pan    
B6     Carol Of The Birds (Soloist – Tad Lyon)
B7     Jingle Bells    
B8     What Child Is This?
B9     Fum, Fum, Fum  (Soloist – Carl Jeschke)
B10    Good Christian Men Rejoice/Come, Ye Lofty, Come Ye Lowly/The First Noel    
B11    We Wish You A Merry Christmas

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Three

This is certainly not your peppy-shopping-mall Christmas music.
Don your finest 9th century clothing and settle in for some monophonic plainchant.
Personally, I find it rather soothing.

(link repaired)

Choir of the Vienna Hofburgkapelle - Gregorian Chants For Christmas

1     Introduction: Die Geburt            1:41
2     Recitative: Es Bagab                3:16
3     Intermedium I: Fuerchtet euch nich        3:11
4     Recitative: Und alsbald            0:19
5     Intermedium II: Ehre sei Gott            2:36
6     Recitative: Und da die Engel            0:18
7     Intermedium III: Lasset uns nun gehen        1:40
8     Recitative: Und sie kamen            3:07
9     Intermedium IV: Wi ist der neugeborn        2:14
10     Recitative: Da das der koenig Herodes        0:39
11     Intermedium V: Zu Bethlehem            2:40
12     Recitative: Da berief Herodes            0:33
13     Intermedium VI: Ziehet hin            2:14
14     Recitative: Als sie nun den Koenig        2:33
15     Intermedium VII: Stehe auf, Joseph        2:01
16     Recitative: Und er stund auf            3:36
17     Intermedium VIII: Stehe auf , Joseph        1:57
18     Recitative: Und er stund auf            2:12
19     Conclusion: Dank sagen            2:45
20     Introit for the 1st Sunday in Advent        3:53
21     Introit for the 4th Sunday in Advent        3:19
22     Communion for the 3rd Sunday in Advent        1:12
23     Intriot for the 3rd Sunday in Advent        4:37
24     Offertory for the 4th sunday in Advent        2:36
25     Hymn for Christmas Vespers            2:28
26     Intriot for the 3rd Christmas Mass        3:32
27     Alleluia of the 3rd Christmas Mass        3:03
28     Communion for the Feast of St. Stephen        1:18
29     Gradual for the Feast of the Holy Confessor    3:41
30     Offertory for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany        4:01
31     Communion for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany    1:50

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day Two

C'mon, it's Chet (and look at that cover). Nothing that I can say will improve upon the experience of listening to this.

This has come out on CD, but the warm vinyl is still the best.


Chet Atkins - Christmas With

1. "Jingle Bell Rock" (Joe Beal, Jim Boothe) – 1:51
2. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) – 2:49
3. "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" (Traditional) – 2:13
4. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) – 2:20
5. "Blue Christmas" (Billy Hayes, Jay Johnson) – 2:53
6. "Jingle Bells" (James Lord Pierpont) – 1:50
7. "Silver Bells" (Madden, Wenrich) – 2:09

1. "The Little Drummer Boy" (Davis, Onorati, Simeone) – 2:29
2. "Medley: The Coventry Carol/God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" (Traditional) – 3:25
3. "The First Noel" (William B. Sandys) – 1:46
4. "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Wesley) – 1:55
5. "O Come All Ye Faithful" (Oakeley, John Francis Wade) – 2:19
6. "Deck the Halls" (Traditional) – 1:11
7. "Silent Night" (Josef Mohr, Franz Xaver Gruber) – 2:01

12 Days of Blogmass 2014 Day One

Pretty typical mellow choir recording with organ accompaniment. The stereo is pretty wide - the male voices are in one channel and the female voices in another, allowing for a "music-minus-one"-type experience for you singers at home.

This album has gone through several different printings, labels art, track listings, etc.

Canterbury Choir - Favorite Carols

A1	Silent Night
A2	Joy To The World
A3	O Come All Ye Faithful
A4	The First Noel
A5	Good King Wenceslas
A6	Rejoice The Night
A7	We Three Kings
B1	O Holy Night
B2	Hark The Herald Angels Sing
B3	Twelve Days Of Christmas
B4	Jingle Bells
B5	It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
B6	Deck The Halls
B7	O Tannenbaum
B8	God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen