1 comments about Charpentier: Messe de minuit pour Noël / Poulenc: Motets.

1. If one has an appreciation for a fine SATB piece of music, this is a sure winner. I haven't heard the whole CD, only the pieces written by Charpentier (as I sang them) and they are simply breath-taking. A knowledge of Latin helps since the songs are entirely in Latin, but they are a pleasure to listen to anyway.

3 comments about Little Drummer Boy: Christmas Favorites by the World Renowed Vienna Boys's Choir.

1. This is another great CD by the Vienna Boys Choir. I love to listen to it at Christmas, or any other time of the year.I think You'll love it too.



2. As expected, the Vienna Boys Choir would make an excellent Christmas offering, as usual, this is not an disappointment. The production is excellent and the singing is, as usual, the highest quality.



3. The music is good and I love the Waltz. The Kaiser-Walzer reminds me of the SchubertChor in their concert. The whole CD is good, it is worth to own it. Their voices are almost angels.

5 comments about Roomful of Christmas.

1. This is the CD I dust off every year and play as long as I possibly can! Sugar Ray Norcia and band are just fabulous! You'll be wishin' Christmas lasted longer too! Buy it, play it and you'll enjoy the holiday shopping and stress much more! And don't forget the champagne and egg nog! Cozy up by the fireplace with this hot CD and it'll be the best blues Christmas ever!



2. For not being nationally known these guys have sustained for a very long time. You won't hear me complain about their longevity. If you just want to stick this disk in your machine and listen intently, or turn it down and have it as background music, it's just good to hear. When it's Roomful of Blues, you can count on some great sounds.



3. Roomful of Christmas is Roomful of Blues at their best---full of soul, full of horns, full of sound--and the incomparable Sugar Ray Norcia is singing lead!!! How good can it get? Just start with "The Christmas Song", quiet and ever so soulful, the famous horns giving Sugar Ray and his silken vocals all the room they need. Fabulous!! Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" is given a fresh, new workout, while "Christmas Celebration" features the classic Roomful arrangements and sounds as if it's been taken straight from their classic 1994 release Turn It On! Turn It Up!! Outstanding! "Let It Snow..." finds Sugar Ray and Co. at their most romantic and funloving, while "White Christmas" is given a New Orleans style treatment and a falsetto intro. (The falsetto is unnecessary; I think the song works better without it.) Best of all is Roomful's cover of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," first sung by Judy Garland in the movie Meet Me in St. Louis and featuring Sugar Ray crooning with all his might (and considerable polish, to boot!). Wonderful, simply wonderful!!! So, get Roomful of Christmas quickly before the holidays end, and fill up your rooms with their soulful yuletide sound!!!



4. The previous reviews are certainly better than mine in giving you the various technical & artistic reasons as to why you should purchase or not purchase this CD. IMHO, I recommend purchasing this CD. While I don't give out 5 stars to anything, because I view it as a theorectical limit that can only be approached but never achieved, this CD is, without reservation, a 4.5 star CD.
   
   Hello Marketing People .... read this... downloaded both of the free "Roomful of Blues" Christmas MP3s *and* decided to buy the CD! I was just going to purchase the CD single. But I took the dive and purchased the "Roomful of Christmas" CD, absolutely no regrets. I have been playing it every morning since I received it 2 days ago. I have been playing the free MP3 tracks longer than that.
   
   Just good, solid, & pleasant...just wanted I wanted in a Christmas but not sugar-cuteness. Good music is timeless and worthy to be played and sung by different artists. For whatever reason, I love their spin on "White Christmas".
   
   They are excellent muscians. The vocals are greats and love the brass! Can't wait to share with my son the budding trombone player!
   
   I can't wait to buy another "Roomful of Blues" CD, but which one....
   
   Marketing People Read : Free MP3 downloads work.



5. Room Full of Blues, one the great roadhouse bands, serves up a sampling of Christmas tunes R&B style. While I have enjoyed this album and found it a nice addition to my collection I was a bit disappointed with how safe they played it. Most of the tunes are very close to the originals, which we have all heard too many times. Also, a few of the songs are over sung given it a bot of a lounge act feel. Horns are excellent on the album however. Check out Alligator's great Christimas album instead if you are looking for a blue Christmas with some unique style.

3 comments about Thomas Kinkade Christmas Treasures.

1. This DVD is a lovely blend of classic Christmas song recordings by original artists, and dreamy visuals of Kincaide classics evoking Christmas in small-town America. The most fascinating aspect of the DVD is how the cinematographer managed to pan through the paintings in ways that complement the musical selections and give this whole work much more 'action' and visual interest than you'd suppose possible. The camera takes you into the pictures. The music takes you back to the time of the paintings. Kincaid's special feature art lessons are great for the art lover or just art interested. He trains the viewer's eyes in a very relaxed way, focusing in on specific works and the little extra details you might not first notice in them. I liked this so much I got 3 more to give as Christmas gifts.



2. I received my copy of this DVD in time for a xmas gift.This seller is one of the fastest deliveries I have ever got of the internet. Will use this seller again.



3. This DVD is wonderful for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations. The pictures are beautiful and the music is very relaxing. Just put it on and enjoy it with family and friends.

5 comments about Christmas Songs by Sinatra.

1. This is a collection of Christmas songs by Young Blue Eyes, by his first record label, Columbia. Sinatra certainly had a good voice, but he hadn't quite developed the great phrasing that he later became famous for. Also, the arrangements of the songs aren't really all that interesting. For some reason, a lot of the songs are alternate takes, instead of the master takes. There is also a "V-Disc" and three songs performed live on the radio. This is a decent enough collection, but Sinatra's later Christmas recordings are better.



2. Before he was the Chairman of the Board and made words like cool and swingin' synonymous with himself, Frank Sinatra was a skinny young singer working as a Columbia Records recording artist attempting to follow in the footsteps of his personal heroes like Bing Crosby. He was yet to have his fall from popularity, his return to prominence or attain his eternal hepcat status at the centerpiece of the Rat Pack. "Christmas Songs By Sinatra"-released once again for the holidays-collects all of the smooth holiday standards recorded by the young king of cool during his Columbia Records period.
   Enjoy lovely classics like "White Christmas," and "Silent Night, Holy Night." Don't be shocked, or even mildly surprised by the fact that this album never decides to swing. This would be the wrong recording period for that kind of originality in Sinatra's Yuletide cheer. No, this set of tracks celebrates the great Christian Christmas standards, from "Jingle Bells" to "Joy To The World." If you love a traditional lilt to your Christmas music, this would be the collection for you.
   The liner notes in the accompanying booklet are excellent, relating the history of the recordings and giving their appropriate release time stamp-a real treat for music aficionados. Placed alongside Rat Pack Christmas singles, this album allows the listener to chart the growth of a singer, and honestly enjoy some great music.



3. This is a great cd, I bought it for my boyfriend who is a HUGE Frank fan and he loves the cd as well so it was a very good purchase.



4. While I love the carol, 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas', the rest of the album has too much spoken word to enjoy.



5. Excellent compilation. Enjoyable classic christmas vocals. Use with my yamaha disklavier piano, which is fantastic.

4 comments about Jingle All The Way: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

1. This collection kicks off with the Brian Setzer Orchestra's EXCELLENT version of Jingle Bells-these guys really rock out, and when they're joined by the marvelous Darlene Love on Sleigh Ride & Deep In The Heart Of Xmas-look out! While rest of the album includes the usual Merry Christmas Baby by Charles Brown; Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry & the ultimate holiday rock song Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms, Setzer & gang carry it home. Now if only The Brian Setzer Orchestra would do an entire album of Christmas tunes!



2. There are 12 songs on this soundtrack. The 4 songs on here with the Brian Setzer Orchestra - AMAZING. Those songs along justify buying the whole thing!! That rendition of "Jingle Bells" has to be the best ever recorded. Upbeat with the horns and Setzers magnificent guitar playing - this is meant to be played at full volume when you're in your car making a mad dash to the mall for those last minute Christmas shopping items.
   
   The song "So They Say It's Christmas" with the late, great Lou Rawls is a slow, mellow tune featuring Brian Setzer on acoustic guitar and Lou's rich baritone vocals. A winner.
   
   Next we have "Sleigh Ride" with Darlene Love's vocals. This is another quick-paced numbe with horns and Setzer's fancy fretwork. Refer to the notes for "Jingle Bells" - the same applies here.
   
   We all know are likely familiar with most of the next 8 songs - some classics here we never tire of during the holidays.
   
   Former Montose / Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar makes a surprise co-writing appearance on the final track - "Deep In The Heart Of XMas" with Darlene Love teaming up with Brain Setzer Orchestra again. A great way to end the CD. This is one of my favorites Christmas CD's ever. The Brian Setzer Orchestra has recorded two other Christmas CD's that are also excellent - check out BOOGIE WOOGIE CHRISTMAS and DIG THAT CRAZY CHRISTMAS. "Jingle Bells" on this soundtrack is also recorded on BOOGIE WOOGIE CHRISTMAS, but the two tracks sound slightly different and I prefer the movie version of that song. I recommend you get them all.



3. I guess it is easy to get carried away and want a soundtrack when you are watching a movie.... Some of the track makes NO sense without the movie.
   Anyway , there are some decent songs to make Christmas feelings flow.



4. This is the soundtrack to a terrible Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Being a Christmas movie, the soundtrack features Christmas music. There were four new songs recorded for the movie by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Three of the four songs feature lead vocals by Darlene Love or Lou Rawls. Three of the four Brian Setzer Orchestra songs later appeared on the group's first Christmas album, but with Brian singing them rather than Darlene or Lou. Either way, they are good songs. There are also six classic Christmas songs by the likes of Chuck Berry, Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole on the album. I should mention that Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas, Baby" is not his original hit version, but is rather a remake he recorded several years later (still good, though). So far so good, but there are two boring tracks of the movie's instrumental score. But if you skip those tracks this is a pretty good CD.

3 comments about Celtic Christmas (Silver Anniversary Edt).

1. So why am I reviewing a Christmas album the day AFTER Christmas? (Because it was half price the day after Christmas!) The silver anniversary edition features all new recordings and if you're familiar with earlier volumes, this one will not disappoint. Each track has a soothing, haunting quality to it. And since none of these songs are recognizable as Christmas songs, you can enjoy this music all year. There are only four vocals here--tracks 1, 3, 10 and 13--and only "On a Winter's Day" is sung in English. The Gaelic vocals and celtic instrumentation provide a wonderful alternative to more traditional holiday fare. This is very enjoyable and calming music. [Running time: 53:14] RECOMMENDED



2. As pointed out in another review, there are only three vocals here, each a lovely female Celtic voice, and only one in English. But it's not the words but the feeling evoked here. The instrumentals include sounds of accordian, guitar, fiddle, harp, flutes, pipes and whistles. Almost half of them are traditional Gaelic or Breton melodies.

   This is indeed fine music for one's Christmas mood with the Celtic flavor. There's nothing you can likely sing along with the performers on, but there are haunting melodies and enchanting rhythms here.




3. Brian Dunning & Jeff Johnson's version of Christ Child Lullaby is quite striking and meditative, and just might be worth the purchase price in and of itself.
   
   Sliabh Na mBan, on the other hand, although Liam O'Flynn does a very nice job with it, what's it doing on a Christmas album?? With my lack of Irish, I can't tell what the other Irish-titled songs are, but I'm really having doubts as to whether this is truly a *Christmas* album.

4 comments about English Medieval Christmas.

1. This recording may be almost 50 years old, but it still resounds as the classic that alerted an unsuspecting public to the beauty and joy of medieval music. The New York Pro Musica would go on to record much more medieval and Renaissance music (including re-recordings of these selections), but this is now the only of their recordings in print. Until the entire output is restored to the catalog, this lone example must suffice. It is hauntingly beautiful and rousing by turns. This is a recording that should please a wide range of music lovers, but particularly those who already have found a place in their hearts for music of the medieval court and countryside.



2. As another reviewer points out, this CD is based on a recording made ALMOST 50 YEARS AGO. The sound quality is very nasal and brittle, and lacks the fullness that modern listeners have come to expect. So, unless you're interested in this CD as an artifact of musical history, you may be disappointed. If you're looking for somethng "listenable", there are any number of contemporary groups that specialize in music from this period.



3. The New York Pro Musica Antiqua, founded in 1952 by Noah Greenberg, gave many Americans their first taste of medieval and Renaissance music, both vocal and instrumental. Their work introduced a public generally ignorant of any composers who lived prior to Baroque to the sound of sackbutts (sp?!), rebecs, krumhorns, lutes, viol da gambas, and other staples of music-making between 1200 and 1700. Their recording of the 12th century liturgical drama, The Play of Daniel, was groundbreaking, their later LPs of Elizabethan madrigals and court music were a joy to the ear. In the Pro Musica's early days, they were fortunate to have on board the countertenor Russell Oberlin, a graduate of Juilliard, whose voice, bell-like and true in both the upper and lower registers, was devoid of the shrillness often heard in falsetto.
   
   Mr. Oberlin is one of the fine vocalists in this early recording, and it is unfortunate that the quality of the transfer from LP to disc leaves something to be desired. The medieval christmas "carols," sung for the most part a cappella, are a pleasing combination of lively and quietly meditative songs, and it is easy to see how the Pro Musica served as a model for the many early-music groups that emerged between the 1970s and the present day. This disc is a must for the serious collector, or student of medieval music, and, even with the uneven sound quality, we can appreciate the excellence of the performers.



4. Nowell Sing We Clear with John Roberts & Tony Barrand. There are several versions of their Christmas albums available at GoldenHindMusic dot com. Quite lovely acapella and musically accompanied male singers. Will transport you back in time.

5 comments about Pops Christmas Party.

1. The Boston Pops have always made orchestral music more appealing to a wider audience, and Arthur Fiedler was the genius behind that success.

   Released in 1959, this album is full of everything from traditional selections from "The Nutcracker" to sing-along favorites like "White Christmas," "Rudolph" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" to the most famous recorded version of "Sleigh Ride," a Boston Pops classic.

   This is the kind of CD you listen to while drinking egg nog beside a fireplace with family as you watch the snow fall in the early evening. My Grandparents had a copy of the original vinyl releae and I was so glad to see BMG release the original RCA/Victor "Living Stereo" edition complete with full liner notes and the original cover art.

   The perfect album for your next holiday cocktail party appealing to classical and pop music fans alike.




2. What more can I say but "Wonderful"?

   The greatest orchestra (and conductor).

   The incredible Leroy Anderson versions of "Christmas Festival" and "Sleigh Ride". (Wow the memories of playing these two every year in high school band. The director tried to introduce something new but we would have nothing to do with that!!!)

   And finally music from my favorite record (and my first as a kid) "The Nutcracker".

   The fact that these were recorded 40+ years ago doesn't detract from the timeless appeal of these songs and the sound is terrific!

   A must have for your Christmas music collection.




3. For the people of Boston, Christmas music is synonymous with the Boston Pops, and its legendary conductor Arthur Fiedler. This compilation contains Pops classis arrangements including Leroy Anderson's medley of Christmas carols "A Christmas Festival. It also includes the Pops rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and the authentic rendition of Anderson's "Sleigh Ride." It also includes Fiedler's interpretations of excerpts from THE NUTCRACKER, HANSEL AND GRETEL, and Leopold Mozart's "Sleigh Ride."

   This is a re-release of an RCA Living Stereo recording. The collection has a nostalgic feel to it, and the cover, from an earlier Boston Pops recording, adds to the magic of this collection.




4. POPS CHRISTMAS PARTY, like Santa's bag of goodies, has a little bit of everything. You'll find traditional carols (Joy to the World, Deck the Halls, Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, etc.), popular Christmas favorites (Sleigh Ride, Rudolph, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, White Christmas), and classical Christmas pieces (selections from `The Nutcracker,' `Hansel and Gretel,' etc.)

   Whether you're listening while writing Christmas cards, trimming the tree, hosting a Christmas party, or any of a hundred holiday activities, POPS CHRISTMAS PARTY is a great way to bring you into the Christmas spirit.

   TOTAL TIME 72:38




5. First let me say that I was overjoyed to see that the original Vinyl album artwork was kept . This is an expertly recorded CD being it was recorded in the late 50's. The sound quality rivals any today. Authur Fiedler did an outstanding job with the arrangments on this recording.

5 comments about Harmony: The Christmas Songs.

1. If you want a CD of very ordinary, though pleasant Christmas music done in a basically elevator-music style, you may like this album. If you love the Nylons, as you are accustomed to hearing them on albums such as One Size Fits All, you'll wonder who the heck is singing. Only Carol of the Bells is actually done as the Nylons do what they do; the rest are very generic, stereotypical light-jazz treatments with lots of over-sweetened strings in the backgrounds. The accapella work and sense of rhthym and excitement that make the Nylons so wonderful are missing, except for Carol of the Bells.



2. My absolute favorite holiday CD. A capella sound is clear. Songs sung with feeling and verve. I always listen to the entire CD; never skipping a song as is my usual habit. It's also my favorite holiday CD to gift to friends. I enjoy it's simplicity...being mindful to the lyrics and melody, not trying to create a new song by brutalizing an original score like so many other artists do.



3. I love the Nylons, and when I discovered this CD, I was no less impressed with it. My favorite Christmas song through the years has been "little Drummer Boy", and the Nylons sing it better than any one else I've heard so far. I also love "Carol of the Bells", and "Secret of Christmas". This is the one Christmas CD I can't wait to listen to, and usually start the day after Thanksgiving. As a matter of fact, I recently moved and my CD is in a box somewhere. After several days of searching with no results, I decided I'll just have to buy another one. I couldn't go without listening to the Nylons even for one year!



4. I wish I had taken Bobbbb's review to heart before I bought this album. I agree wholeheartedly that, while this isn't bad, and may be something different to those unacustomed to a capella groups, it is NOT the innovative sounds of the Nylons when they were the original group. I'm a big fan of their early work, but anything from the 90's on just is not the Nylons. I was very disappointed in this album, and I'll be playing my "Rockapella Christmas" album by the group Rockapella over and over again instead of this one. Rockapella has the spark and the fun that the Nylons used to have, in spades.



5. These guys outdid themselves with this very special, all-time Christmas album. Their unique style is especially appropriate for the Christmas season.
   
   Find it and buy it! You'll be glad.