2 comments about Chant Noel: Chants For The Holiday Season.

1. In the 1990s, an album of Gregorian chants by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos called Chant became a multi-million selling worldwide hit. That success inspired the release of several "sequels", including this Christmas album. The chants on this album were actually recorded several years before the CD came out. The entire album is in Latin. I don't speak Latin, but the CD booklet does include English translations. Several of the chants don't seem to actually be about Christmas, but I'm not sure that makes much difference, since all the chants sound pretty much the same anyway. It is pretty monotonous, but I suppose it would be relaxing to listen to this while you meditated (not that I would ever meditate). New Age music fans will enjoy it more than I did.



2. I love this CD. Their diction and everything is amazing and I love the sonorous, beautiful sounds that they create. It's amazing to listen to and you could do much, much worse than to buy this CD.
   
   There are three things that I have to say about the technical details of this CD: (1) the recording quality is high and there are no recording glitches; (2) their diction is great - you can hear all of the words; (3) they recorded in a great facility and there are no annoying echoes or other issues.
   
   Plus - the $$'s for this CD go to a good cause - a Benedictine order that deserves the support.

4 comments about A Choral Christmas - The Trinity Choir, Boston.

1. A splendid collection of seasonal treasures for choir, this CD is a must for anyone who appreciates choral music. The recording is balanced in terms of sound reverberation and beautiful blend of accomplished voices lead by knowledgeable and sensitive director, Brian Jones. Compositions and arrangements by a variety of composers from Holst to Rutter make this anthology playable not just during Advent and Christmas, but thoughout the year.

   There is a warmth from this recording that envelopes the listener in a sound (as in "What Sweeter Music") that rivals anything from choirs of England or Vienna, but there is a brightness too as in "Sing We to This Merry Company" by John Rutter. Let the remarkable quality of this stunning recording wash over your senses and enjoy the wonderful artistry of this unforgettable choir.




2. This CD is full of accessible Christmas music, beautifully sung by the superb Trinity Choir. The sound is blended, clear, and nuanced, with the dynamics and phrasing for which the choir is justly known. Those who have attended the Candlelight Carols services at Trinity over the last years will recognize some of the selections, as will anyone who has ever sung in a church choir at Christmas. The pieces range from the light and fun "I Saw Three Ships" to the traditional to the unexpected "God is With Us".

   "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is a staple of any Christmas recording, especially for Trinity, since the author was once rector there. One delight on this recording is the morphing from the traditional tune to one that is less familiar -- it makes the words fresh and alive. Nicely done!

   Any recording with "Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day" and "What Sweeter Music" deserves a permanent spot on the CD player during the Christmas season. You will find gems here to brighten your holiday season.




3. A CD which gets one into the Christmas spirit ... magically, and, amazingly, keeps on being magical no matter how many times it is played! This CD is an inspiration, not only for the casual listener, but for music directors, choir members, et al. As with the other CDs in this Trinity Church Boston series, there is a big, full, precise sound; choir is in-tune, enthusiastic, yet controlled: a cohesive sound! The organ is thrilling, complementing the other instruments well. CD contains a broad spectrum of carols--both old and new, heard and seldom-heard, but never jarring, nor totally unfamiliar. All are "traditional" in that they satisfy, esp. for the Christmas holidays. From a compositional point of view, these carols are "complex," and yet Brian Jones (and the choir) make them "sing" and sound "easy." Special attention should be paid to the arrangement by Alan Murchie of "Go, Tell It on the Mountain": fresh, vibrant, new, and charming! Beautifully packaged CD; well recorded; 66+ minutes of music. A great gift; valuable addition to one's musical library; a perfect accompaniment to writing cards/wrapping gifts. Surely worth the wait, if out of stock.



4. A magnificent recording, from the performance to the engineering. The choir sings like angels and the percussion player is alive! Who is that flutist?-- he's great!!!

5 comments about Disney's Family Christmas Collection.

1. I BOUGHT THIS AND BABY SANTA AT THE SAME TIME AND MY DAUGHTER LIKES THIS BETTER THAN THE BABY SANTA. BABY SANTA HAS A LOT OF VERY SHORT SONGS, AND THESE HAVE MORE SONG TIMES. THEY ARE SO PEACEFUL AND GREAT TO LISTEN TOO ALL YEAR LONG!



2. I purchased this album expecting all songs to be sung by Mickey and co., but I was wrong. An overwelming majority of the songs are just by no name singers. Some of the arrangements are fun, but if they were all by Mickey it could have been even more fun.



3. Not all of the songs are sung by the disney characters but all the songs are really enjoyable. My girls ages 2, 4, 6 love to listen to it over and over in the car. I like the cd too.



4. It was in great shape. It was exactly the way it was supposed to be...



5. I purchased this CD for my 7 year old daughter. She loves music and singing. I thought she would play this cd a lot more during the holiday season. I even thought she'd use it with her karaoke cd player. She did not. I'm not sure why. I thought it was a nice sounding cd. I'm a Disney lover so I'm not disappointed. I just thought it would get a little more playtime.

No comments about The Night Before Christmas, Vol. 2.

3 comments about Christmas on the Bandstand: Best of the Big Bands.

1. One of the best vintage collections ever. If you are from this era it will bring back great memories...if you aren't, it will make new ones and be a real conversation piece at your holiday parties. Highly recommend.



2. This is a wonderful collection that leaves you wanting more. I'm in my mid-40s & have enjoyed the music of the 30s & 40s for as long as I can remember. You don't have to be from the Greatest Generation(anyone that lived through The Depression & WW2)to appreciate these holiday hits. So many great bands are on here, such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Kaye Kayser, Les Brown, etc. and all do a terrific job in making merry music for your Christmas celebrations. If only there were a 2nd volume to add to this. Very highly recommended.



3. This is a good album, though not a classic. Especially fun are "Hello, Mr. Kringle" that ought to get a chuckle out of anyone, and "Waht are You Doing New Year's Eve?" The other songs are alright.

2 comments about The Reason for the Season.

1. This is the best Christmas Album that I have listened to. Not too many traditional songs that everyone else does and they made the ones that they did in their own style. God Bless America this Christmas and Light up all the candles says it all in these times we are living.



2. GREAT CD OF TRADITIONAL SONGS THE BELLAMY BROS VERSIONS
   RECOMMEND TO ANYONE TO ENJOY - THEY ARE THE BEST

No comments about Celebrating the Heart of Christmas.

1 comments about Liberace Christmas.

1. Liberace could play the piano like no other. I remember some of these songs from my childhood. The only thing that bugs me is the sound quality. It just doesn't sound remastered. It sounds like they put on some of his old records and just put those on a cd. it adds that vintage feel I guess. I still recommend this album to anyone who likes great piano music or liberace.

No comments about What About Christmas.

No comments about Magical Christmas.