3 comments about Christmas at St. Olaf Vol. VI What Wondrous Love.

1. Featuring the five choirs from St. Olaf College and the spectacular college orchestra, this recording brings all that Christmas means in music and word. The singing is unparalleled in the college choir world, and the orchestra is phenomenal. What is particularly moving, however, is the relationship between texts -- piece to piece, hymn to hymn. The entire program weaves a thoughtful, deliberate tale of hope and love. This is truly a spiritual recording in every sense. Enjoy!



2. As a choir director, I am constantly looking for pieces to add to our library, and for excellent examples of choral work. St. Olaf's choir recordings never fail to deliver on both those points. From the rhythmic beauty of Andre Thomas's African Noel, to the classic Candlelight Carol of John Rutter, and the wondrous harmony of Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming, listeners will enjoy the rich warm tones of one of the finest choirs on earth.

   This recording features the five choirs and orchestra of St. Olaf's, and this is a recording to be played over and over and over again.




3. A beautiful recording of sacred and spiritual Christmas music by highly talented and gifted singers and musicians. If you love choral music and celebrate "Christ" at Christmastime, then St. Olaf is for you. A wonderful reminder of the reason for the season.

3 comments about Country Superstar Christmas 4.

1. I loved it...it was the best Christmas mix I've heard in a long time!



2. This volume of country Christmas songs draws exclusively on songs previously available - no new recordings here - but it's still a great collection, with not many old chestnuts.

   The version of Two step round the Christmas tree included here is actually a duet, although Suzy Bogguss is not credited on the album - it originally appeared on Michael's first Christmas album (one of my all-time favorite Christmas albums).

   John Berry is in fine voice on Christmas morning, and I also particularly enjoyed Up on the housetop. Dolly's Hard candy Christmas isn't really a Christmas song, but by having the word Christmas in it's title, it will always be a candidate for inclusion in these compilations.

   Overall, this is a great collection, well up to the standard I've come to expect from this series.




3. There's little argument here...this is a true country collection and a quite welcome one. George Strait's "I Know What I Want For Christmas" is a good kick-off, and Toby Keith's playful "Blame It On the Mistletoe" is another welcome cut.

   As has been pointed out, Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" from "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" doesn't quite fit here, but it's okay. And the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band sounds good on the mainstream standard, "Silver Bells", giving it a satisfactory Nashville flavor.

   The placing of Steve Wariner's "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" before Vince Gill's "It Won't Be The Same This Year" is quite effective...the standard "happy" song followed by a heart felt tribute to the brother who won't be here this year. Travis Tritt's singing of a familiar Christmas Carol rather fits in too, giving a cohesiveness to the three cuts...a happy one, a sentimental one, and a traditional carol sung often by families together.

   Michael Martin Murphey's "Two Step 'Round The Christmas Tree" and Dwight Yoakum's "Come On Christmas" provide a light touch before Kathy Mattea's performance of what has become a country standard to this season, "There's A new Kid In Town". And then Sammy Kershaw's "Up On The Housetop" brings the set to a peppy and satisfying close.

   My one feeling of lack about this CD is the preponderant 10 male singers to 2 female singers ratio. All in all, though, if you are a country fan, chances are you'll want this collection.

5 comments about Gregorian Christmas: Chants & Motets.

1. This is a beautiful collection of soothing Christmas chants and motets...Put this in your CD player and you'll have trouble getting upset about the person who just cut you off for the last parking space at the mall! An excellent-quality recording for an amazing price...



2. Beautiful musical rendition of Christmas music. Soothing and lilting, it'll help you get centered or reconnected or whatever it is you need for stress relief. A fantastic CD at a great price!



3. Not technically Gregorian, because of some polyphony. But this is one of the best selections of this kind of music that I've heard. Compare to expensive monastery or convert CDs, and others, and this is one you put on the CD changer more than the rest. Found it in a bargain bin at Fry's. Amazing CD.



4. The play list is correct, the one with the ability to listen to clips. This CD has 14 tracks, beginning with "Puer natus est nobis" (the Introit) and ending with "Magnificat anima mea Dominum." The list that says ON THIS CD is a totally different list of chants. I do not know what it is doing on this page.
   There is no Mozart. There are sparse credits in the liner notes. The recording appears to be of a group calling itself Capella Gregoriana, although nothing is said about them. Predominantly chant, there are times when the selections move to motets, the natural outgrowth of chant, being simutaneous independent plain songs as it were, combined to form a melodious and rhythmic whole much as partner songs do. Highly recommended, this is an excellent budget album. Just be sure that you understand that you are getting the 14 tracks that you can listen to, not the list that says other tracks are on the CD. As for the Christmas feel, it is certainly reverent and soothing. It is not festive. If you like chant, you will appreciate this album. I certainly do. If you are looking for festive type Christmas music, find another source.



5. I've used this for years as part of my meditation regime and never realized that I've never done a review for it.
   
   When I listen to it just after my morning meditations, it always bring up solem divine feelings in me that bring some tears to my eyes.
   
   The people who perform this work really capture the divinity in it. I'm really not interested in who the creators or performers are. All I know is that what they did work for me.

2 comments about Christmas Collection: 20th Century Masters.

1. I stumbled across this album over 10 years ago (it's a re-issue of an album originally titled "This Christmas" from 1990) and it has become my FAVORITE holiday album ever since.



2. Patti puts all of her heart and soul into this Christmas collection of songs. This remastered version was produced very well. No Christmas should go without Patti's cd playing non-stop.

4 comments about 20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection: The Best of Loretta Lynn.

1. Here's a great Christmas present for country fans, Loretta Lynn's classic 1966 album COUNTRY CHRISTMAS is back in print on CD!! This album brings back special memories for country music fans around the world for all the many years families have played it during the holiday season. Of note of the four Loretta originals including the excellent title song and two with classic Loretta sass "To Heck With Ole Santa Claus" and "I Won't Decorate Your Christmas Tree." Loretta does a fine job too on "Silver Bells" and "White Christmas" (two songs rarely recorded by country stars on their Christmas albums), the moving "Christmas without Daddy" and the church Christmas pageant staple "Away in a Manager". She also tackles kiddie Christmas favorites "Frosty the Snowman" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with charm. This 39-year-old album is sure to win over new fans who have never heard it before and for the veteran fans, it's like a long-unseen loved one coming home for Christmas.



2. This is a hard to find CD, and it was great!



3. It was years I was looking for this cd - to no avail!
   Christmas just wasn't Christmas without Loretta Lynn's classic tracks, but all I had was a worn out cassette recording of my parent's original record.
   Christmas without Daddy was our song when Daddy when to Vietnam and then to the Sinai desert; Blue Christmas was the song my big sister sang when she was broken hearted; Country Christmas was the spirit of our tradition, with all our family gathered round that pretty Christmas tree...
   I'm so excited I ordered 4 copies: one for each sister.
   Have a very merry Christmas!



4. This album was originally released under the title COUNTRY CHRISTMAS in 1967. It features an equal mix of traditional Christmas songs and new Christmas songs. The originals are good, especially the nostalgic "Country Christmas" and the humorous "To Heck With Ole Santa Claus". And Loretta sings the traditional songs well, too. A solid Christmas album the Loretta Lynn fans will love. But it would have been nice if Loretta's rare 1974 single "Shadrack, the Black Reindeer" b/w "Let's Put Christ Back in Christmas" had been included as bonus tracks.

5 comments about Bright Day Star: Music for the Yuletide Seasons.

1. Had enough of animated snowmen and over-sweetened carol arrangements? Here's a hugely enjoyable recording of songs and dances done with flair by the Baltimore Consort. There are a few familiar tunes, such as the lilting arrangement of "Ding, Dong Merrily On High" and a beautiful solo flute version of "Lo, How a Rose 'Er Blooming." But most the songs are off the beaten track, and are therefore fresh and new despite their antiquity. Custer LaRue brings feeling and energy into the songs. This has become the most played Christmas CD in our household.



2. 'Twas the day after Thanksgiving, and all through the house, Christmas spirit was stirring and starting to rouse feelings of joy and expectation in the hearts of the people who were there. Beautiful music and Custer LaRue's singing filled the air.

   Wonderful songs, written by people long dead, caused pictures to form and stories to dance through each listening head. Stories of a virgin bearing a child, stories of the little Savior's entrance into this world...meek and mild.

   Each song is sung with such haunting beauty and care. The Consort's playing could not be more wonderfully fair. Each song is a masterpiece--"The Cherry Tree Carol," "In dulci jubilo," and "Quem pastores laudavere." Each song's focus is on the true meaning of Christmas--no appearance made by St. Nick--but with singing like this, in your head they are sure to stick.

   More beautifully than snowflakes this music drifts down. In sheer loveliness, "Christmas Is My Name" deserves the crown. Oh but each tune is strong--like "Ding Dong Merrily" and "The Wren Song." Most come in at under three minutes each, none is overlong. Each is stunning...how can the listener go wrong? How they twinkle...they are most merry. One even makes mention of Cherries.

   (...)

   I highly recommend this disc.




3. A perfect way to celebrate the Christmas spirit any time of year with some truly "old" favorites, performed with spirit and heart by the Baltimore Consort. Period selections imbued here with the consort's singular sound and creative improvisations include "Ding Dong Merrily on High", "The Old Year Now Away is Fled", "The Cherry Tree Carol", "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day", "Es ist ein Ros", "In Dulci Jubilo", and many more that may charm you for the first time. The Baltimore Consort is: Mary Anne Ballard, viols and rebec; Mark Cudek, cittern, guitar, viols and bandora; Custer LaRue, soprano soloist; Larry Lipkis, viol, recorder and gemshorn; Ronn McFarlane, lutes; and Chris Norman, wooden flutes and pennywhistle; with Webb Wiggins on organ.



4. This might be my favorite holiday album. It's one of the first I pull out in November and doesn't get put away until February.



5. I purchased this CD after listening to another work by the Baltimore Consort. The quality of the recording, of the music and the vocals are all top notch. After listening to this CD for a few days, my wife and I decided it would be an ideal gift for other music lovers. Each person who has since received it has also thoroughly enjoyed it. While the CD is themed for the yuletide season, I don't know that it has to go away with the garland and tinsel.

5 comments about Christmas with the Rat Pack.

1. Great CD for decorating the house. It was good to hear some of my favorites singing the holiday songs. It's very nostalgic!



2. Album is outstanding. Wanted to share it with my daughter. Delivery was extremely fast and dependable.



3. Really enjoyed this CD. Had a great variety of different tunes and was upbeat, even on the slower numbers. This will definitely be a new Christmas tradition to be played year after year.



4. The beautiful voices of Frank, Dean and Sammy live on with this wonderful CD. A must for anyone who enjoys listening to beautiful holiday music.



5. A sublimely classy Christmas album, this has Messrs. Dean, Sam and Frank singing all the standards of the season with the smoothness of the finest brandy-tipped eggnog. This doesn't rollick, it swings, sways and steps easy---and the signature Rat Pack repartee is priceless:
   
   "Thanks for being here tonight, Frank."
   "You're welcome, Marvin."
   
   A cool, bright album for your cool, bright holiday season!

1 comments about A Passover Seder Festival.

1. Religiously--
   I can imagine that this recording is very meaningful to listeners who are of the Jewish faith. For those of us who are not, it walks us through the Passover Festival and helps us understand its importance to those who are.
   Musically--
   This is not lieder or opera; it is a totally different genre. Nor is it a language we are accustomed to hearing. Still, we can enjoy the beautiful choral work and, of course, the fabulous voice of Richard Tucker.

1 comments about A Tenors Christmas.

1. This album was clearly a "pickup group" put together for the commercial Christmas Season. Having said that, it is an enjoyable experience to hear these three gentlemen harmonizing so fluidly. Although Mr. Carreras's power can't equal the two giants singing with him, the engineering successfully levels the signal.
   
   I love Christmas albums, and this is no exception. There is nothing controversial, experimental, or challenging. What you get is a lovely seasonal collection of masters who truly sing like angels.

5 comments about Secret of Giving.

1. I love Reba's first Christmas CD! But her second one (this one), misses the mark on most counts. When the sounds of the season come on at Christmas I want to hear sleigh bells and chimes and something that makes me feel like its snowing outside (even if it isn't)so that I can curl up by a warm fireplace and watch the Christmas lights glow in the dark with beautiful music in the background. This CD does not do that for me, unfortunately.



2. This CD, a supposed Christmas CD, im most cases does not resemble anything Christmas at all except the theme of the songs. The production values and content here are NOT CHRISTMAS! I'm going to listen to "Bing Crosby's White Christmas" for a taste of what REAL CHRISTMAS music is!! I'm sorry Reba.



3. You really have to like Reba in order to get this CD. Its really awful. More pop ditties with a couple of Christmas classics thrown in there for good measure. This is one of the worst CDs I have ever heard in my life. If you want to hear Reba do Christmas get her first Christmas CD "Merry Christmas to You" because that one, while not outstanding by any means, at least has some Christmas sounds on it. This one does not.



4. She's crosseyed on the CD cover and she must also have been crosseyed when she picked out the songs for what is supposedly a Christmas CD! That's a laugh.



5. Between this album and Reba's first Christmas album, "Merry Christmas to You," you have all you need for the holidays! The first album has more traditional Christmas favorites, and this one has a couple with a lot of great new material that captures the true spirit of the holiday.
   
   1. This is My Prayer for You--This is a great way to start off the album. With a great country up-tempo, it may not have snow and sleigh bells, but it does offer the hope for a season filled with joy, peace, and love.
   
   2. I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus--A Christmas favorite that Reba's voice is perfect for; very enjoyable song!
   
   3. One Child, One Day--An upbeat country tune that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas--Christ coming into the world!
   
   4. Mary, Did You Know?--This has always been a favorite song of mine, and Reba's voice is PERFECT for it. It really helps you to reflect on not only the significance of Christmas from the lens of Christ's birth, but also from Mary's courage in saying "yes" to God and allowing all of this to happen.
   
   5. Up on the Housetop--Another Christmas favorite with a really upbeat tempo that is a lot of fun to listen to!
   
   6. The Angels Sang--Another great song that focuses on the true meaning of the Christmas season....and the children's chorus is a nice touch!
   
   7. Santa Claus is Coming Back to Town--The saddest song on the album, telling the story of a divorced couple and the mother who decides to let her ex-husband play Santa Claus for the kids despite how hard it will be on her to have him there. While it may not be the most uplifting song in the world, Reba's voice is crisp, clear, and beautiful as always and it captures the reality of a lot of family situations around the country. Beautiful.
   
   8. The Secret of Giving--Perhaps the most "un-Christmas" song on the album in tone, but it's another song that captures the true spirit of the season----giving from the heart!!
   
   9. This Christmas--Probably my favorite song on the CD. This song really captures three big things about the season: 1) The courage of the Wise Men to seek the Christ child despite the fact that "logic told them it was crazy," 2) Mary's courage in facing the long, winding road ahead of her, and 3) the love Christ felt for the world even though he came into it knowing people would not believe him. Wonderful.
   
   10. 'Til the Season Comes 'Round Again--The best way to end the album! The first song on the CD was a great opener, and with this song, it all comes to a nice, complete circle. This beautiful lyrical song focuses on the beauty of having family and friends around you during the holiday, and the hope that we can all retain that love through the new year...until the season comes around again! "One night, holy and bright, shining with love from our hearts! By a warm fire, let's lift our heads high, and be thankful we're here until this time next year."
   
   This album has faced a lot of criticism on here because it does not have a lot of traditional Christmas carols. While I love the traditional Christmas carols as much as the next guy, I am so grateful to have a Christmas album that is so full in faith, hope, and love. Reba McEntire delivers another masterful work with ten songs that in different ways all capture the true spirit of the Christmas season, and I find it to be very inspiring. Her voice is as wonderful and beautiful as always, adding her special touch (her own brand of holiday magic!) to a collection I will cherish forever.
   
   And I will certainly be pulling this one out all season long and I will do the same "when the season comes around again!"