3 comments about Joy to the World!.

1. This album despite the notes above was released by Capitol circa 1956. It either was recorded in very primitive stereo or "electronically reprocessed" by Capitol using its "duophonic process.
   The instrumentation is spare with the focus being upon the vocal harmonies and tone.
   It is a pioneer Christmas album in many senses:-
   It is "believed" to have been one of Capitol's first stereo albums (Capitol had just been taken over by EMI)
   It focused on carols that included European carols as well as the English and American favourites.
   It is credited by many to have been the recording to thrust "O Holy Night" (Cantique de Noel) into the popular consciousness.
   It also had two memorable soloists:-
   Harve Presnell (a baritone who had an unusual "tenor" timbre) and who was to be thrust into prominence in the 60s in the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" and then in the last decade as a character actor in "Fargo" and "Saving Private Ryan" as well as being Lois' Dad in the TV show "Lois and Clark".
   It is Harve who is the soloist who carries "O Holy Night"
   Harve was to appear on several Roger Wagner Chorale albums as soloist in the 50s.

   The other Soloist is Salli Terri who within 2 years was to win a Grammy for her classical recording of Spanish music. She is a national treasure.
   Her rendition of "Jesus Rest Your Head" is definitive. Her voice is distinctly American and has beautiful diction.

   Keeping in mind that this was recorded in the mid 50s, the sound is clear but without much ambience and is a bit "dry" (except in "O Holy Night" and "Jesus Rest Your Head" wherethere is an aural "spread").

   Nevertheless the Roger Wagner Chorale is most impressive. I have alway returned to their "Coventry Carol" as a definitive version that combines discipline with emotion.

   An essential recording!!




2. The choral arrangements in this collection of carols are unique in the lush simpliciy of their execution. Roger Wagner was probably at his best when he and his chorale originally recorded this album in the 1950's, and the settings and arrangements he creates have yet to be surpassed in their elegance and majesty. To my great joy I happened to find a CD of the original vinyl release quite by accident in 1991, but have found no other since. It's my deep wish that this CD, as it was originally recorded and arranged, will somehow be re-released next year.



3. This is easily the finest overall recording of Christmas music that I have heard. It has many great memories for me, from the late 1950s or early 1960s when my family first had a copy of it. The simplicity of execution of each carol, along with the unique harmonies of the Roger Wagner Chorale, are unforgettable. I was able to get my own record of it several years ago, which is still in very good condition. I just finished making a pretty good recording of it to cassette tape. Unfortunately, I missed getting a CD copy this season from Amazon.

3 comments about The Christmas Hope.

1. Last year, I was listening to the radio, making christmas cookies and enjoying the season. All the sudden, "Christmas Shoes" (which is on this album) started to play. It completely put me out of the happy mood I was in.
   
   It is about a little boy buying a pair of shoes that his mom wished for. The mother is very sick, and is probably going to die on Christmas. The chorus goes:
   
   "Sir I want to buy these shoes, for my momma please. [...] I want her to look beautiful, if mommy meets Jesus tonight."
   
   Personally, I jump to try to turn this song off every time it goes on the radio since its so depressing. I can't comment to the rest of the album, but that song alone makes me steer clear.



2. Of course, nothing compares to a live performance of the same-said music (the reason I ordered the CD). The music is lively and well produced. Voices are really good, with guests that compliment the band.
   
   NewSong has been around quite some time - and even with some changes in the lead voice, the group maintains a standard of quality from release to release.
   
   A touching Christmas album.



3. Great Album.
   
   The whole point of the cd is to remind us what Christmas is all about. Giving, being compassionate, putting other people first. Wanting to make a good impression to Jesus(from this little boys perspective). Great song/cd.

5 comments about Ho! Ho! Hoey!, Vol. 3.

1. Although by now some of his rhythm choices are getting a little repetitive, Gary Hoey's third collection of Christmas songs is still an enjoyable listening experience. He rocks as hard as ever on "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "Joy to the World". His soulful string bending on the fifties styled "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is particularly impressive. Even if you already have the first two, this third one is still well worth buying. It might be more of the same, but when the "same" is this good, you don't want to miss out!



2. Another great Christmas album by Gary Hoey! He continues to entertain with his third Christmas CD of rock guitar instrumentals. I really hope that he continues with this series for years to come.



3. There are millions of Christmas albums out there--why would I get this one?

   The only reason I can think of would be for the novelty. I'd heard a couple of Hoey's more intense Christmas songs (Grinsch, and Joy to the World) via "illegal" file sharing and thought it would be cool to make my parents listen to my Christmas music after listening to their lifeless drivel all those years growing up. I purchased "Ho Ho Hoey" 2 and 3 from amazon. Unfortunately this CD seems to have more than it's fair share of lifeless drivel. I guess I'll have to make a compilation CD of the few good songs and be happy with that.

   I guess it depends on what your expectation for the CD are. I'll probably buy one of Hoey's real CD's one of these days because he is a fantastic guitar player. This just strikes me as a novelty disc with a staggering lack of novelty.




4. Alright let's face it, xmas and it's music comes but once a year. At that time we tend to get a little more into the spirit by playing some xmas tunes as tradition dictates. If you like to change the tradition of the "regular" xmas music you might give a listen to guitarist extraordinaire Gary Hoey. He is the type of guitar player that if you here one track on the radio you might be inclined to go out and get a CD. You won't be dissapointed as he makes some clever arrangemnts and provides for some rollicking good fun music. He plays the traditional songs but with a rock 'n roll flair that swings and cuts deep with some excellent jam solos. His blues lines on "Let it Snow" are reminiscent of the best guitarist in rock. Not all of the songs are of the rock guitar frolicking licks as some are more in keeping with the more gentle side of the xmas spirit. Hoey's version of "Little Town of Bethlehem" is a toned down slow number with a dreamy guitar that sounds like a subdued Santana caught somewhere under a California palm tree on a sunny beach. The songs chosen are all those that you may have been forced to listen to as a child so the memories will stay alive but with a new twist. The classic corny xmas song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" has a rippping guitar that plain out rocks. Again by contrast "The First Noel" is more in keeping with the spirit of xmas and features a blistering but soothing guitar that has that Hoey magical arrangement that distinguishes it from the usual xmas fare. All in all as xmas albums go this rates right up there. If you have not yet heard of Hoey give him a try, especially if you like rock guitar. Buy it and throw a cure ball on the usual Bing Crosby, Manheim Steamroller, Nat King Cole(stil the best) and Mormon Tabernacle Choir xmas music.



5. Got some funny looks when we first played it, but it grew on us. Very tallented and versatile guitarist and the songs are quite good in moderation.

5 comments about Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas Album.

1. This collection of Christmas carols and hymns may not be the most exciting or jazzy Christmas collection, but the genre is well-suited for Ella's beautiful, simple, and well-articulated vocals. Some of the background arrangements may a bit dated, such as "We Three Kings," but since this album is full of "traditional" songs one can look at it as an evocation of nostalgia. (Then it's fun to listen to with a cup of hot cider and a warm sweater.) I would definitely recommend this to Ella fans, especially ones who may not mind when she isn't a purely jazz singer. In any case, the compilation makes for a good variety in a Christmas CD collection.
   The CD ends all too soon: the total running time clocks in at just under 30 minutes. I recommend purchasing Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas, too. You'll definitely want more Ella to keep you in that holiday spirit after hearing her lovely voice singing some of your favorite Christmas songs.



2. Ella had perhaps the most beautiful voice of the 20th century, and she brings a wonderful glow to these traditional carols. You can feel the warmth that she radiates... perfect for the Christmas season, or ANY rainy day. I give it only four stars because it's too short! But the music itself gets five. :D



3. Each year we tend to make Christmas dreams harder to achieve as we place higher expectations on material goods. If you find yourself stressed this Christmas, make yourself a good cup of joe, light a fire, put Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas Album on, and then snuggle with a loved one. Ella's masterful styling mixed with an unobtrusive choir, reminds us that Christmas is simply about family and Love come down to earth.



4. Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas Album is now my favorite holiday album.Ella has never sounded better on such gems as Silent Night and O Holy Night but my favorite song is The First Noel.Listening to this album will take you back to a simpler time when Christmas meant Our Lord's birthday. No overblown production values just pure,beautiful singing by one of our national treasures,the late Ella Fitzgerald. Definitely 5 stars!!!



5. This is a recording of Ella singing Christmas standards and singing 'em straight. It is NOT jazz. And it most definitely is not Ella at her best.
   
   Ella enhances the Christmas standards with her clear beautiful voice, and some of the tunes here are done beautifully - "The First Noel," for example. "God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen" comes off all right too, even if Ella isn't allowed to swing it.
   
   The choral arrangements backing her on many other tunes are a real annoyance. The additional voices just get in the way.
   
   This is a disappointing collection, in all. For Ella's genius was as a jazz singer, and little of that genius comes through here. "Joy to the World" is a glimmering exception, where Ella was afforded just a little leeway in her phrasing, and manages briefly to get out in front of an otherwise overbearing chorus.
   
   But if what you want is a jazzy rendition for the holidays, one that lets Ella swing things a bit, check out Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas, remastered and re-released with six more songs as Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas [Remastered]
   
   Eric Alan Isaacson

4 comments about Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio).

1. This is the 1965 recording with Karl Ritcher and the Munich Bach
   Orchestra with a line up of soloists that most modern conductors can only dream of. It would be nice if DG would reissue this recording in their Originals series.



2. Music-lovers of a certain age will have grown up listening to Richter's near-definitive (for their time) traversals of the core Central-European oratorio repertoire. It is a wonderful thing to have this Weihnachtsoratorium available on CD. The solo quartet could hardly be improved upon - Gundula Janowitz (be still my beating heart) and Fritz Wunderlich alone would be worth the purchase price. The very young-sounding chorus has that distinctively cool German tone which somehow seems so "right" in this music, while sounding at the same time so enthusiastic as to almost invite singing along on the choruses (especially #54). The only quibble I have with Richter's interpretation is the abrupt tempo change on "und Friede auf Erden" in the chorus "Ehre sei Gott" in the second cantata. In short, while this recording is very much a product of its time, enshrining as it does a very mid-20th Century, mondern-instrument, largeish chorus, pre-"historical performance" vision of what Bach should sound like, it is much the best of its sort. The only way to better it would be to find one on historical instruments with specialist perfomers.



3. This is one of the best recordings of the Weinachtsoratorium (actually a set of six Kantaten written for the first three days of Christmas 1734, New Year's Day 1735, the Sunday after New Year's Day 1735, and Epiphany [6 January] 1735). It stands alone with the 1999 recording led by Helmuth Rilling and the 1958 recording led by Kurt Thomas (featuring the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig).



4. If you want a traditional as opposed to an authentic performance, I doubt if you could find a better one than this. The soloists are excellent as are the orchestra and choir with one exception. The opening drumming could be more emphatic and the choir could sound more joyful. Apart from this I have no problems,

3 comments about Swingle Singers.

1. As might be expected with a compilation, this is a little inconsistent. It also lacks the more swinging tracks they recorded with a jazz rhythym section, but it's still a great and very inexpensive introduction to this great a cappella group, who were a staple of movie soundtracks in the 60's.



2. I remember this music when I was growing up,it was great to get the chance to hear it all again. It is good to play it in the car when driving on a long journey



3. This CD is kind of a sampler for the famous a cappella singers, so it has a little jazz, gospel, folk and Christmas mixed in with the classical tracks. On some they sing the words, although the group became famous more than 40 years ago for singing only the notes. Either way, there is a lot of talent displayed. I was a fan early on, buying several of their Phillips LP's, but my favorite was always their Christmas record. For unknown reasons, that one, singing the notes to a couple of dozen carols in medleys, has never been fully and faithfully transferred to compact disc. Some of my friends find the Swingles style irritating, but I think more of their selections are just full-out lovely. Buy this as an introduction, because their work on CD usually is a bit pricey.

2 comments about Christmas with the London Brass.

1. Great, fantastic recording. I have played this CD every Christmas for the last 5 years. Highly recommended for background music at Christmas celebrations & parties!
   The technical performance, especially on Vivaldi's Four Seasons: Winter is superb and will wow you. Don't miss out on a festive Christmas celebration.



2. Excellent playing combined with wonderful arrangements make this a "must-have" Christmas album. A great companion to this CD is the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass' "A Christmas Concert."

1 comments about A Country Superstar Christmas, Vol. 2.

1. Various artists Christmas collections usually contain plenty of old chestnuts, but there are not many here. That suits me fine, though whether the casual buyers at whom this is targetted will appreciate it, I'm not sure.

   The most famous songs are Little drummer boy, I'll be home for Christmas and It's the most wonderful time of the year. Most of the other songs are original, though Nothing but a child (Leaa Ann Womack) was written by Steve Earle. My favorite track here is Two step round the Christmas tree, a song Suzy Bogguss co-wrote. The version here is her first solo recording of the song. Suzy also recorded it as a duet with Michael Martin Murphey (that version can be found on his first Christmas album, and also on Volume 4 of this series) and later re-recorded it for her own Christmas album.

   There are many other great songs here, some of which can be found on Christmas albums by the individual singers, but not all. For example, the excellent Brooks and Dunn song, Cabin in the valley, can only be found (at the time of this review) here or on another great Christmas compilation, Star of wonder - when they eventually released a Christmas album, this song was not included.

   This is a wonderful Christmas collection, especially for those who are tired of hearing the same old songs.

1 comments about A New World Christmas featuring Stevan Pasero.

1. The music on this CD is absolutely beautiful, with a mystical, Middle Eastern feel to it. I can't imagine why it hasn't gotten more traffic that I should be the first to review it. This is by far my most-played CD at Christmas. Light some candles, pour a little red, and be transported!

5 comments about Christmas Memories.

1. This is my favorite album of Christmas music. The songs are Christ-centered, and Evie has a beautiful voice. The first time I heard her version of Oh Holy Night it instantly became my all-time favorite Christmas song. That was over 20 years ago and I haven't changed my mind.



2. My parents have been fans of Evie for almost as long as I can remember, so I grew up listening to most of the songs on this CD every Christmas. When I moved out, I bought this CD so I could keep hearing them. It never fails to put me in the Christmas mood, even in the summer, and I joking say it's not Christmas until you've heard Evie sing "Come On, Ring Those Bells."

   This CD takes most of the songs from her two Christmas records and combines them with 4 new songs written and performed for this collection. These new songs are good, but still don't match up to the "classics." My biggest complaint is that they didn't include all the songs from side 2 of "Come On...."

   The majority of the songs are traditional carols, but the original or rarer songs are magnificent. Aside from the one I've already mentioned, I love "No Room," "A Tiny Little Baby," and "A Thousand Candles," a Swedish carol that Evie translated into English. The arrangements of the traditional carols are marvelous as well, especially "O Holy Night" and "O Come, O Come Emmanuel."

   This CD is a great way to put yourself in the holiday spirit. It's one of my favorites from my Christmas collection and I recommend it to anyone.




3. I have never before or since heard the songs of Christmas sung with such clarity and beauty. Evie can hit the high notes and sing O Holy Night like nobody can. Just relax and let the Spirit of the Living God bless you as you listen to these precious songs.



4. This music reminds me of Christmas as a child before I knew about the commercialism! Evie sings every song just a bit differently and with more feeling than other artists on Christmas recordings. Some of the songs I had never heard before and I find myself humming them year-round!



5. Being a born again Christian and accepting god as my savior in 1982 I always loved this Holiday record as a child when my mom purchase it for Holiday 1977. It was fun and upbeat and different form our classic holiday records. It was such a meaningful Recording as we prepared to move from Snowy cold Burlington, mass to sunny super hot Phoenix in Spring of 1978. I purchased the cassette tape in 1987 when Evie renamed it from 77's Come on and Ring those Bells with a whole additonal recording added to the original record. I wore it out and had been looking with not much luck for about 5 years for the Cd. I had to buy it for over $50 but It was so worth it. I love it's message so much I play it year round. I hope that someday soon Her entire Cataloque will be released.