No comments about The Thanksgiving Song/the Chanukah Song Parts 1 & 2 (Promo).

No comments about Daddy's Lullabies.

No comments about Thank You, Teacher.

No comments about The Hanukkah Lounge.

4 comments about A Child's Hanukkah.

1. Nice sounding renditions of the traditional holiday favorites. Some songs are in english and some in hebrew or yiddish. There is a bit of patter with brief hoiday explainations which would make this a good CD for non-jews but I found the patter annoying after a bit. My kids (4 and 9) enjoyed trying to mimic the accents. I liked Just In Time For Chanukah (Margie Rosenthal and Ilene Safyan) better.



2. We bought this on the recommendation of a friend and my daughter loves it. We got it when she was 3, but her interest in it has definitely grown over the past couple of years. She listens to it year round, and I like it too!!



3. A friend sent us this CD and all of us (children were 3 and 6 years old last year) love it. Musically beautiful, and fun for the children, too.



4. What a mechayah! This CD is a great mix of old and new Hanukkah songs, in the form of a family home celebration that is not some tedious preachy trip. The kids joke around with each other, explain a lot of things to the adults, and vice versa, in normal conversation.
   
   As for the songs, there's a nice rendition of the Dreydel song with FIVE VERSES (in English) that explain the meaning of each letter in the game. Plus you can learn to count to 8 in Ladio with "Ocho Candelitas." Other songs are in Hebrew and Yiddish, while their original new song, "Hanukkah at Home" is in English with an Israeli-sounding tune.
   
   Among the other new songs are "In the Darkest Days," which tells how we light the candles in that long nights of the winter solstice, at the dark of the moon. Think about it -- Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev, so Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) of the month of Tevet always falls in the middle of the holiday. Even if you live in the Southern Hemisphere (where it is summer at Hanukkah time) you still light the menorah at the dark of the moon. I'd never even thought about that until I heard this song. What a great insight!
   
   Another winter song on this CD is "In The Window," which tells how Jews in the villages of Europe (and also today) lit thier menorahs on the windowsill. The song goes through lighting the eight candles of Hanukkah and how they reflect onto the newly-fallen snow in a mellow, reflective tune that is very catchy. It's another counting-to-8 song, too.
   
   Not all the songs are so serious. There's plenty of fun and some silliness here, too. The "Hanukkah Waltz" is "lighter than latkes and smoother than schmaltz," and you can "kiss the maydl with the ladle" (Mom in the kitchen?) before you do "The Hanukkah Hop." If you are a gullible little kid who falls for the tale of the "Dance of the Leftover Latkes" your older siblings tell you, then at least "We've Gotta Lotta Latkes."
   
   The last number on this CD, "Hanukkah Remembered," is an instrumental medley of all the old favorites -- enjoyed by the parents after the kids have fallen asleep at last. All in all, it's a wonderful CD -- highly recommended!

No comments about Credo.

1 comments about Holidays a Cappella Live.

1. If you like to listen to a well-rounded presentation of holiday music and want a break from the overplayed popular holiday tunes, this is an absolutely wonderful CD. I was introduced to Chicago a cappella several years ago by a friend and have been a subscription series holder ever since. They are an incredibly talented group of singers. They have a unique combination of humor and artistic talent which they balance very well. When I listen to O Magnum Mysterium, I have to close my eyes to take in all of the blended nuances of the piece. It is absolutely beautiful. It was after hearing them perform this piece live at Christmastime that I quickly purchased this CD during intermission. I cannot recommend this group enough, and of all the CD's I currently own by Chicago a cappella (four in totem), this is truly my favorite and truly demonstrates their diversity and talent. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this CD, and if you're in the Chicago area, come and see them live. They are truly a treasure!

1 comments about Traditional Jewish Songs.

1. I bought this cd for my father as a birthday present. He loved it! It contains many melodies that he heard growing up in Brooklyn New York. Many of the songs are associated with weddings and bar mitzvahs; times when the family would come together and celebrate. It brought backa lot of good memories of all of us sitting around and listening.

No comments about Chanukah!.

3 comments about Oy Chanukah!.

1. This tape was a Chanukah gift (what else?) from my sister some years ago, and has livened our Chanukah parties every year since. There is nothing better than eating latkes and playing dreidel than eating latkes, playing dreidel and letting the soulful klezmer clarinets wind their way into your heart.

   The tape includes a beautiful rendition of the Chanukah blessings, with a grandfather and grandson singing together. Between musical cuts, you will also hear a few stories of Chanukah in Eastern Europe, before the War--about lighting candles, making latkes, and celebrating in the shtetls. By now the elderly story-tellers may be gone, making these cuts the more important.

   Some music, like Chanukah, Chanukah, is quite traditional. But you will also be treated to the chants of Chasidim, and the stories and songs of the Chanukah heroes and heronies.

   When the stories and blessings are done, ask your children to put on their dancing shoes. You will love the Conservatory Band's special holiday tape. Alyssa A. Lappen




2. Oy Chanukah! is heard throughout our home before Thanksgiving and continues for a month. It is filled with joyful celebratory music, wonderful stories and thrilling Klezmer. Anyone wishing to relive the story of Chanukah as well as learn how it was celebrated in the shtetels of Europe will enjoy this tape. It is a great gift for a child as well as an adult. I am thrilled from hearing the first Klezmer notes to the last moving poem.



3. this recording is a ball to listen to with kids. It's got lots of lively kletzmer music and good hannukah stories. Kids will get up and dance (guaranteed).