Upon A Midnight Clear

Editorial Reviews
Keyboard
"Serrie evokes timeless feelings, anchors us in the familiar and gives himself plenty of room to play with new sonorities."

Product Description
Upon a Midnight Clear is where the seasonal magic began. this album is a classic and is unlike any seasonal album you've experienced.

Upon A Midnight Clear

Upon A Midnight Clear,Jonn Serrie,First Light Music,Christmas / Chanukkah,Christmas Music,Pop,Xmas Vocal

Tracks:

We Three Kings
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Fairytale Of New York
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Mille Cherubini In Coro
O Holy Night
Silent Night
Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth
Winter Wonderland Medley
Mary's Boy Child
Panis Angelicus
Pie Jesu
How Great Thou Art
The Lord's Prayer
Battle Hymn Of The Republic
America The Beautiful

Amazon.com

There's a commercial inevitability to holiday song collections that can tempt music fans to mutter "humbug" under their breath. Yet while this collection (released in conjunction with the Tenors' Christmas Spectacular tour of 2003) is no less market savvy, in the end the trio's earnest, energetic performances earn their fair shair of respect. The trio's Celtic shadings impart considerable warmth to "Fairytale of New York" and other performances, but it's the range of influences they (also in solo and duet turns, all solidly backed by the Czech National Chamber Orchestra) bring to bear elsewhere that adds compelling new dimensions to these holiday favorites. Anthony Kearns' "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" may be solidly traditional, but Ronan Tynan imparts "I'll Be Home For Christmas" with some deft, jazzy drama while Finbar Wright gives "Mary's Boy Child" an unexpected Carribean spin. Elsewhere, the folk-classical influences behind "We Three Kings," "O Holy Night," and the gospel traditional "How Great Thou Art" span renaissance, baroque, and modern with a grace missing from the on-the-sleeve sentiments of the closing duo of patriotic warhorses--what would the Prince of Peace make of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," anyway? --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

We Three Kings.......2007-01-16

The 3 Irish Tenors are a joy to listen to in the Christmas season. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it.

3 Tenors Christmas.......2007-01-12

This was VERY disappointing - too noisy & just the wrong type of music for these guys. I played it once & will try to get someone to take it off my hands - I love listening the them, usually, but this album is just a dud.

Beautiful and Amazing.......2004-12-18

When I fist listened to the clips from this CD on Amazon I wondered why on earth they put the patriotic songs at the end, and also wondered a little at the other non christmas songs. After listening to it several times however I realized why. They don't leave Jesus in the manger, but take him all the way up to today! Wow. To me that is totally amazing. There arn't many christmas CD's that do that, but I think it really balances things out. I really enjoyed the Drummer Boy, and all of the rest of the songs. I would definantly say that this was a good buy.

These Three Kings Rule!.......2004-04-24

This recording is a wonderful addition to any Christmas collection. It has power, charm and just enough reverence! Anthony Kearn's "Lord's Prayer" is magnificent! Finbar Wright's "How Great Thou Art" is awe-inspiring! After four years with the "Irish Tenors" poor Mr. Wright still must endure the ignorance of a few "fans", being constantly compared to John McDermott. Finbar took the "Irish Tenors" to a new level, as acknowledged by both Kearns and Tynan. I wonder how long "Ringo" had to endure being compared to Peter Best? Get over it people!

Another Winner.......2003-12-22

In their second Christmas album, the three Irish tenors have another very lovely collection of Christmas favorites and a few not so well known. The duets are particularly beautiful and, while I, like other reviewers, would have preferred an all-Christmas album, the American anthems are stirring and well done. My only caveat is the absence of John McDermott, whom I miss. His voice added something less homogenized to the mix and although Finbar Wright has a more operatic tenor voice, I would prefer McDermott if I had my druthers. Nonetheless, this a a grand Christmas album and I recommend it enthusiastically.

Average customer rating:

Superb Christmas Album
Love Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza - fantastic
Christmas Hymns & Carols: You Do Something to Me
Pure hymnal power.

Christmas with Mario Lanza

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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You'll Never Walk Alone

ASIN: B000003EP6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Deck The Halls
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
Joy To The World
O Christmas Tree
I Saw Three Ships
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Ave Maria
O Holy Night
The Virgin's Slumber Song
Pieta Signore
The First Nowell
O Come All Ye Faithful
Away In A Manger
We Three Kings
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Silent Night
Guardian Angels
I'll Walk With God
The Lord's Prayer

Customer Reviews:

Superb Christmas Album.......2007-02-19

Mario Lanza infuses his characteristic beautiful vocal intensity into this collection of carols and Christmas songs.
The result is an outstanding album which will bring a lump to your throat and tears to your eye.
The recordings are old, but the Lanza magic makes this album a must-buy

Love Mario Lanza.......2007-01-28

I love Mario Lanza. He is in my top favs. I have wanted this album for ages and it is just as great as I knew it would be. I'll be back to buy more of Mario Lanza.

Mario Lanza - fantastic.......2007-01-15

Fantastic voice, wonderful classic Christmas songs. My all-time favourite version of O Holy Night - spine tingling.

Christmas Hymns & Carols: You Do Something to Me.......2007-01-12

Wonderful songs, great selections of songs sung by the greatest singer, Mario Lanza.

Pure hymnal power........2006-12-20

I have just spent the past six hours listening to snippets of every Christmas CD that I can find on Amazon, and this is the best by far. It's the purest rendition of the best Christmas hymns that are sung in church on Christmas Eve. No inane flourishes, no ignorant alterations, no arrogant amendments, just pure hymnal power. Don't agree? Type "christmas" in the Amazon music search box, listen to all the renditions of all the classic hymns such as "O Come All Ye Faithful" and when you are done you cannot but agree that Mario Lanza is not surpassed.

Update: I am now listening to the full CD and it is better even than I had hoped for. The beauty of Lanza's voice brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

A Festival Of Carols / Robert Shaw Chorale

Average customer rating:

Traditional Christmas Music
The quintessential Christmas recording
A Top List Christmas CD
The best
How do you describe perfection?

A Festival Of Carols / Robert Shaw Chorale
Robert Shaw Chorale
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Festival of Carols in Brass

ASIN: B000003EPA
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Medley: Good Christian Men - Rejoice - Silent Night - Patapan - O Come - All Ye Faithful
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Shepherd's Carol
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
Medley: O Sanctissima - Joy To The World - Away In A Manger - Fum, Fum, Fum - March Of The Kings
I Wonder As I Wander
We Three Kings
My Dancing Day
Medley: What Child Is This? - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Bring A Torch - Jeanette - Isabella - Angels We Have Heard On High
Coventry Carol
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Carol Of The Bells
Medley: Break Forth - O Beauteous Heavenly Light - The First Nowell - O Little Town Of Bethlehem - I Saw Three Ships - Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly

Customer Reviews:

Traditional Christmas Music .......2007-01-24

If you love traditional Christmas music, done in traditional style (i.e., no rock or jazz influence), this CD is for you. The Robert Shaw Chorale, the "gold standard" of quality choral music, sings much loved carols, with some lesser-known pieces as well. Some are a cappella; some include a full orchestral accompaniment. My favorites on this CD are "We Three Kings," "Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella," and "I Saw Three Ships."

The quintessential Christmas recording.......2005-12-09

This recording seems to elicit universal and heartfelt praise. Who am I to dispute that? The performance is terrific, just as described by the other Amazon reviewers, no doubt about it.

However, I do have one bone to pick with this recording. There just isn't enough of it. With material as good as this, that is a real loss!

A Top List Christmas CD.......2004-12-28

I bought this cd long ago, and have enjoyed it immensely each year. It is the perfect blend of celebration and meditation. Orchestra and choir combine in four distinct groupings, and a capella arrangements complete the masterful collection. The orchestral arrangements will make the hairs on your neck stand up, and your stomach quiver with all the excitement you ever felt as a child at Christmas. Adeste Fidelis is performed as few other ensembles have ever come close. The a capella arrangements will all, without exception, be on your yearly list of must-hear holiday arrangements. Truly a top list Christmas CD, essential for every family who celebrates this feast.

The best.......2004-01-02

I own approximately 35 Christmas choral CDs - including choirs and groups such as the Cambridge Singers and the King Singers. I also own two Christmas albums with Robert Shaw and the Atlantic symphony. This performance with the Robert Shaw Chorale is old but it is still my favorite. The arrangements are magnificent, the sound is brilliant, and the choir and orchestra are precise with wonderful volume control. Buy and enjoy!

How do you describe perfection?.......2003-12-14

This is my favorite Christmas CD. Nothing comes close. I thoroughly enjoyed learning much of the music in high school choir over 30 years ago. The music has never left me. The four medleys are the arrangements of Robert Russell Bennett titled "The Many Moods of Christmas". The arrangements seem to have a freshness about them even after listening numerous times.

Interspersed with the medleys are a cappella carols.

All of this music is wonderfully performed by the Robert Shaw Chorale, the a cappella selections recorded in 1957 and the medleys in 1963.

Four decades have proven that this is the standard in choral music. The clarity of text, the richness of tone, the beauty of harmony combine to present the message of Christmas in the manner that only music can do.

Tracks:

Deck The Halls With Broughs Of Holly
Lo, How A Rose E're Blooming
Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
The First Nowell
Angels We Have Hard On High
We Three Kings Of Oreint Are
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O Sanctissima
O Tannenbaum
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Good King Weceslas
Silent Night, Holy Night
Joy To the World
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Conventry Carol
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Good Christian Men Rejoice
O Holy Night
What Child Is This?
Wassial Song
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Away In A Manger
We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Customer Reviews:

Nice music but..........2007-03-08

I liked the music and the performances a lot, but there is no booklet to depict the performers, nor analyse the music or the arrangements, which are superb

Great CD.......2007-02-16

This is a great holiday CD. We used it for several holiday dinners this year.

A Noble and Festive Christmas.......2007-01-21

This is the best Christmas album you could ever get. It is the most stable as you do not have to think about it. This is the album you really sing along to. Brass makes everything festive, grand and noble; so will your Christmas! A gem for every year!

Meat and Potatoes.......2007-01-18

Since the release of this fine recording in 1967 there have been many fine
brass groups:The Canadian Brass, the Empire Brass, just to name a few.
Whereas these latter groups have all resorted to "gimmicks" such as unique arrangements to sell their albums this group of brass players from the Philadelphia Orchestra give us an album of good old "meat and potatoes" playing spiced with fine tone,good ensemble playing, and good tempos.

Totally Awesome.......2007-01-12

I love listening to this cd at christmas. The brass is so crisp, almost like being right there. You have to add this to your holiday collection, and for those of you who like brass, you will love it. I play the french horn and I esp. love hearing the french horn in it.

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle

Average customer rating:

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle
One of the most beautiful Christmas albums
A Christmas Collection For The Ages
Kathleen Battle, My Madam Christmas
Pure Joy

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle , traditional/various , Leonard Slatkin , and Orchestra of St. Luke's with New York Choral Artists & Harlem Boys' Choir
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002ROL
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

O Come All Ye Faithful
O Holy Night
Bring A Torch, Jeannette Isabelle
Fum, Fum, Fum!
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Ave Maria
Gesu Bambino
Medley: I Saw Three Ships; The First Nowell; The Holly And The Ivy
Away In A Manger
Silent Night
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Mary's Cradle Song
Zither Carol
I Wonder As I Wander
Mary Had A Baby
Rise Up, Shepherd
What Child Is This?
Ave Maria
Finale and Reprise: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel; It Came Upon A Midnight Clear; O Little Town Of Bethlehem; Silent Night; O Come All Ye Faithful

Customer Reviews:

A Christmas Celebration: Kathleen Battle.......2007-01-19

what can i say about the best of the best? As always, Miss Battle makes me wonder how anyone else would dare to sing this music after her rendition. A beautiful CD

One of the most beautiful Christmas albums .......2005-11-22

I love Kathleen Battle's voice, and to get such a great collection of beautiful sacred music, it was like a dream come true. She sings many traditional carols like Holy Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, which is possibly my favorite here, you may think you have heard this song so many times, but Kathleen's voice really shines in it. Her English diction is so incredible, you can understand every word, which is not something many opera singers can achieve. Her singing is always so natural and lovely. Many other songs are oustanding on this album, I love the two version of Ave Maria and the Italian song Gesu Bambino. If you are looking for a really beautiful collection of Christmas music, this album is a great choice.

A Christmas Collection For The Ages.......2005-11-13

If there is one performer I miss hearing on a regular basis, it is Kathleen Battle. Anytime I knew that she'd be in a Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast, I knew it would be a performance to remember and more often than not, I was correct. She has a light voice that reaches the upper reregisters with ease and has as a gorgeous sound. She not a regular at many opera houses these days, and in likelihood, if she still did perform on the world's opera stages, we'd be hearing critics say her voice was not what it once was, but thanks to her recorded legacy, her voice will, always have that youthful, energetic sound.

Overall I believe that Ms. Battle performs better in complete opera recordings than recital albums, but most of her recital recordings are of at least good quality and this Christmas collection is outstanding. She handles all of the works with apparent similar ease, but since the recording is so varied, this is a compliment to her skill as a performer. She begins and ends with "O Come All Ye Faithful" where she does a few vocal acrobatics but it's never overdone. Each time I think of what the bets part of the collection is, my mind changes. She brings her skills from the operatic stage in her renditions of "O Holy Night," "Gesu Bambino" (only Pavarotti sings this better, but it's a very close second), and "The Zither Carol" which sounds so much like something that could come from the mouths of Oscar from UN BALLO or Zurbinetta from ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, two of her signature roles. The music from the African American Spirituals tradition and American background are well done and the accompaniment of the Harlem Boys Choir, used to great advantage here adds so much.

With so many Christmas collections from the world of opera available, choosing one can be difficult, but this is one collection that has proven to be a joy for almost fifteen years and will continue to give holiday pleasure for years to come.

Kathleen Battle, My Madam Christmas.......2004-12-28

I probably have 50 Christmas albums. I love many of them. This is my favorite. Leaves me astounded and breathless every time I enjoy it.

Pure Joy.......2003-12-07

In a world where disturbing things are all too common, Christian scripture guides us to dwell on that which is lovely. Kathleen Battle's blessed voice is most certainly one of those lovely things.

I bought this CD in the early 1990's, and I am here to buy it again because I have worn out the original with scratches, etc. I only listen to it during the Christmas season, but I enjoy it enough to hear it all year.

The 'Christmas Celebration' CD should be enough to convince you to also purchase Kathleen's 'A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert'. Ms. Battle's wonderful soprano voice is joined by that of the mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, and the blending is more than memorable. There are a couple of songs which are on both CD's, but you'll want to hear both. In fact, the video of the PBS special is also available, and I recommend buying all three. You won't regret it.

Some of my favorite selections from 'Christmas Celebration' include 'Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabelle' and 'Fum, Fum, Fum', both of which are from a culture different from my own. I found such glimpses into unfamiliar favorites to enhance my own enjoyment of the Christmas season, as long as all of my traditional American favorites were included. They were. "I Wonder As I Wander" and "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" are there among the other favorites.

Tracks:

Joy To The World
Silent Night, Holy Night
Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
Good King Wenceslas
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
The First Noel
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming/O Little Town Of Bethlehem
O Holy Night
The Holly And The Ivy/Here We Go A-Caroling
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)

Customer Reviews:

Family tradition.......2007-04-02

I grew up listening to this album on vinyl every Christmas. It was a staple in our family and I'm happy to have it on CD now to share for years to come.

A Christmas Classic.......2007-01-28

My father bought this album on reel-to-reel back in the '50's and it has been a part of my Christmas ambience ever since. I absolutely love it, can't have Christmas without it.

Recommended for those who love Orcastrated Music.......2007-01-09

This is a classic CD for those who love orcastrated music. It brings the spirit of Christmas in their homes. It takes you back of the Christmases long ago when it was more relaxed without the hussel and bussel, and without people being so angry. I give this 5 stars and will pass the CD down for future generations!

Love this CD.......2006-12-31

This is an album I grew up with. It holds great memories..Percy Faith IS Christmas in my home. The strings are beautiful.

A Christmas Classic!!!.......2006-03-16

This is my all-time favorite Christmas album. Some like the schmaltzy sounds of Johnny Mathis and Bing Crosby for Christmas, which is fine. But Percy Faith has a pristine ambient beauty of the wordless choir which soars to emotional heights beyond any other Christmas album.

Average customer rating:

Not worth the effort
Fabulous
Classic Christmas as you remember it
Mancini is Magical
A Classic

Merry Mancini Christmas
Henry Mancini
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Christmas Is...
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ASIN: B000002W4Q
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

The Little Drummer Boy
Medley: Jingle Bells/Sleigh Ride
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
Medley: Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells
Medley: Frosty The Snowman/Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
White Christmas (From The Paramount Picture 'Holiday Inn')
Carol For Another Christmas - Henry Mancini, His Orchestra
Medley: Silent Night/O Holy Night/O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Medley: God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman/Deck The Halls/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Medley: We Three Kings Of Orient Are/O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
Medley: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/Away In A Manger/The First Noel

Amazon.com

Like his good friend Esquivel, Henry Mancini mixed some mean orchestral Christmas cocktails. But where Esquivel was possessed by wackiness and whimsy, Mancini played things fairly straight and still managed to create a sound that defined his career and an era. Sadly, the selections here are pedestrian, even by the well-trodden holiday boulevard standards. "White Christmas," "The Little Drummer Boy," and "The Christmas Song" all benefit nonetheless from Mancini's genius for timing and dynamics. Even the mundane "Frosty the Snowman" gets some new life breathed into him thanks to Mancini's arrangement, and "Carols for Another Christmas" is a good example of Mancini's hip restraint. Merry Mancini Christmas, while not the maestro at his best, still imparts some of that madcap, martini-era holiday spirit as only Mancini knew. --Steve Gdula

Customer Reviews:

Not worth the effort.......2007-01-27

I just love Christmas music and I love Mancini's Pink Panther and others. I thought this might be a good addition to my collection and it turned out to be a dud. Nothing special at all.

Fabulous.......2006-02-23

This is the Christmas album you are always saying "who is this" when listening on the radio. Perfect for all ages.

Classic Christmas as you remember it.......2005-10-04

This album is for all those baby boomers out there who grew up listening to the great Mancini. Someone said this album was pedestrian. They couldn't have been farther from the truth! This will rekindle childhood memories of Christmas like it used to be. Pull up a chair by the fire, grab that warm apple cider, turn the Christmas lights on and enjoy!

Mancini is Magical.......2004-12-15

I come from a very large family and since the mid-sixties when my parents bought it we'd play this album during the holidays. We played it until you could hardly hear some of the songs without the crackling and skipping the LP's were notorious for. By the time it was totally inaudible the LP wasn't being made any longer. We were all crushed because our Christmas mainstay album was gone. (Particularly because we lost both parents some years ago within 2 months of each other and we always listened as a family to this album.) When the CD came out we were overjoyed to say the least. I ALWAYS cry as do all of us in my family when "Carol for Another Christmas" plays because it holds such dear memories of my parents listening to us massacre that song on our instruments EVERY SINGLE CHRISTMAS!!! But they always swore we played beautifully.

A Classic.......2002-07-13

Tasteful, traditional orchestral Christmas music. More importantly, "Carol for Another Christmas" may be the most beautiful Christmas composition of the 20th Century.

Average customer rating:

The Little Drummer Boy
Little Drummer Boy
Good but not great
Still looking for my favorite album
Mom's Recording: The Little Drummer Boy.

The Little Drummer Boy

Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001F93
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Medley: Sing We Now Of Christmas/Angels We Have Heard On High/Away In A Manger/What Child Is This...
Go Tell It On A Mountain
Medley: It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/Good King Wenceslas/We Three Kings/Villancio/Hark...
Medley: Bring A Torch, Isabella/Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Medley: Deck The Halls/Christian Men Rejoice/Master's In The Hall/O Tannenbaum
O Holy Night
The Little Drummer Boy
Medley: Conventry Carol/Rise Up Shepherds/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/O' Little Town Of Bethlehem...
Medley: Ding Dong/While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night/The First Noel/The Friendly Beasts
Medley: Silent Night/Adeste Fidelis/A Christmas Greeting

Customer Reviews:

The Little Drummer Boy.......2007-01-19

I was trying to purchase the original Harry Simeone Chorale's Drummer Boy and received this. It was okay, a mixture of songs, but I treasure the original one. Very short album, but price was good, so I was not disappointed.

Little Drummer Boy.......2007-01-10

Listened to the album every Christmas growing up. Recording is the same. Very good Christmas music with terrific attention to Christmas story.

Good but not great.......2007-01-10

I too was hoping this was going to be the gorgeous rendition of the music I grew up with. It wasn't, but it did help cheer up the holidays this year anyway.

Still looking for my favorite album.......2006-12-31

I have this cd and I love it because I love choral singing at Christmas but I am still looking for the first Harry Simeone Chorale album I ever bought. It is also titled " The Little Drummer Boy" , was released in 1981 by Holiday Records, a product of Phoenix Entertainment and Talent, distributed by Audiofidelity Enterprises, Inc. Why do I eagerly search the Christmas cd releases every year? I'm looking for 'A Simple Prayer', the absolute best version of the Prayer of St. Francis I have ever heard. (actually the only commercial version I have ever heard, although I get to sing a different song based on the same prayer at my church every once in a while). The man who sings the actual prayer on my album has a wonderful voice that makes me shiver every time I hear the song. I know it's not a 'Christmas ' song but I keep hoping it will show up one of these days. In the meantime, I keep and play my lp every year. Jo Haase

Mom's Recording: The Little Drummer Boy........2006-11-09

This record was done by my Mother, Frances Wyatt, and a group of her musical buddies from the old "Voice of Firestone" days. She is the one singing the soprano solo's on the album and can be heard above the others in the choral works. Mom was one of the lyric sopranos soloists on the "Voice of Firestone" ABC-TV program who became easily recognized here on the streets of NYC in the late 1950's and early 1960's. She also toured with Fred Warings Pennsylvanians extensively. Pretty cool!

I am proud that so many people have enjoyed this album over the years!

We, her family and children, grew up listening to this album along with her many Fred Waring recordings.

This one simple album, through years of continued sales, rocketed off the charts eclipsing all sales of LP's by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and every Pop musical group from L.A. to London. It made it into the Guinness Book of World Records! : A distinction it held for over 20 years!

When The Guiness people called us at home, we of course though it was some kind of prank. It wasn't.

I hope you truly enjoy this album and pass it on to your kids.

My mother died October 30, 2006. I will never forget her voice.

John Wyatt

Average customer rating:

A Christmas Tradition for the Ages: Leontyne Price & Xmas
DECEMBER 1965 IN CHICAGO

Christmas With Leontyne Price (Dig)

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Leontyne Price Christmas Songs Chants de Noel.Weihnachtslieden Wiener Philharmoniker Herbert Von Karajan
The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs
O Holy Night / Luciano Pavarotti / Special Deluxe Edition (Decca)
Lakatos
Verdi: Aida/Il trovatore/Puccini: Madama Butterfly/La Rondine/Tosca/Turandot

ASIN: B0002JZ28Y
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Tracks:

Silent Night
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
We Three Kings of Orient Are
Angels We Have Heard on High
O Tannenbaum
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
It Cam Upon a Midnight Clear
Von Himmel Hoch, Da Komm Ich Her
Sweet Li'l Jesus
Ave Maria
O Holy Night
Ave Maria
Alleluja [From Exsultae, Jubilate]

Customer Reviews:

A Christmas Tradition for the Ages: Leontyne Price & Xmas.......2006-05-26

This Christmas is THE Cd to own above all others, as most anyone who's heard it will tell you - critics worldwide included.

Without a doubt, the singing of soprano Leontyne Price -"La Splendissima" - is incomparable here. There has never been a soprano with a timbre so incredibly distinctive & beautiful that also infuses her music with a rare humanity and humility. Every Christmas is inauguarated with this recording at my home, and those fortunate enough to receive this CD as a gift from me, are infinitely grateful & astounded by Ms. Price's gifts.(especially those not inclined to Opera singers!)
Her collaboration here with Maestro Von Karajan is just as rewarding as all of the others including "Carmen", "Tosca", the Verdi "Requiem"(VHS/DVD), and a legendary "Il Trovatore". These (2) musical 'giants' seem to derive inspiration from each other that ignites a passionate response from each as well. Nowhere is this more evident than in their now 'classic' rendition of the Schubert "Ave Maria". Listen to the ethereal, voice-like intro of the orchestral strings that precedes Ms. Price's celestial vocalism. It's magical! The programme is diverse and deeply satisfying for the Season. Miss Price's singing, whether in this rep, singing Spirituals, the recital stage, or Grand Opera, is almost always an inveterately soulful experience. It is no less so here. Celebrate the Season (any Season you like) with "La Splendissima" Leontyne Price singing classical 'Soul' music at Christmas. Get this!!!!!!!! Note: This particular packaging includes the original picture and liner notes from the original 1960 Decca release. Its so nostalgic, and makes this collection all the more treasurable. Enjoy.

DECEMBER 1965 IN CHICAGO.......2005-12-21

The group of bored fifth grade boys are huddled into the public school library. The weeks drag on before we break for the holidays, of spending time at home with our families and the anticipated loot we'll get for Christmas. The librarian/teacher insists on playing Christmas music on the record player. We sit and giggle about the long-haired musical arrangements and the high soprano voice singing. The librarian tells us all to shut up and listen "to one of the greatest voices in the world". We do. And at that tender age I first heard the voice of Leontyne Price and this beautiful Christmas album that has been part of my holiday music ever since.

Nothing is amiss in this collection. The Price instrument was young and spontaneous, the arrangements are spectacular and von Karajan is (for once) taking a back seat to his soloist. Thank you, Mrs. Farrell, for the introduction to this wonderful album. All I have to do is put this CD on and I'm transferred back to the public school library, my classmates eagerly waiting for Christmas to come, and to my family and Christmas home in Chicago.

Average customer rating:

Historical Snapshot
Hard to take
Has not aged well
The "Fox Style" of Bach playing
Legendary Organist gives Legendary live performance

Heavy Organ At Carnegie Hall 1973

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Virgil Fox Encores
Bach: Great Organ Works
The Art Of Virgil Fox
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The Bach Gamut

ASIN: B000003G9V
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Spoken Introduction By Virgil Fox
We All Believe In One God, BWV 680
Spoken Introduction
Rejoice Beloved Christians, BWV 734
Spoken Introduction
Finale From St. Matthew Passion
Spoken Introduction
Prelude In E Minor, BWV 548
Fugue In E Minor, BWV 548. 'Wedge'
Toccata In D Minor, BWV 565
Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565
Spoken Introduction
Passacaglia In C Minor, BWV 582
Fugue In C Minor, BWV 582
Spoken Introduction
Fugue In G Major, BWV 577, 'Gigue'
Spoken Introduction
The First Nowell
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Customer Reviews:

Historical Snapshot.......2005-06-04

This CD is significant in that it is so far the only Heavy Organ performance to make it to CD. Virgil Fox's Heavy Organ tour did a lot to popularize classical organ music and bring it to a wider audience. Although the Rodgers "Black Beauty" touring organ sounds a bit dated by the standards of today's digital instruments, it was state of the art for analog organs in its day. So the sound might not knock your socks off, but this is as close as you'll get to imagining what it must have been like to see Fox live at the peak of his popularity.

Hard to take.......2003-02-02

This is not the best Virgil Fox CD- the Rodgers Touring organ is unable to perform at the level of larger organs. I recommend earlier recordings of Virgil Fox's in his Aeolian-Skinner 5-manual at Riverside Church, NY. That aside, this is still Fox, and is reason enough to buy this CD.

Has not aged well.......2002-11-17

I grew up on Virgil Fox. But this CD really butchered the performance. The old vinyl Heavy Organ series was actually cleaner sounding, had less of Fox's peculiarities and over-talk. A disappointment.

The "Fox Style" of Bach playing.......2000-11-03

This recording was originally issued as Volume 2; another Heavy Organ at CArnegie Hall album was made a year before this one and hopefully will be reissued on CD at some point. This album is a good example of Virgil Fox's approach to Bach's music. One hears kaleidoscopic registrations (a performance trademark of Fox's that was always controversial) and a dramatic, fiery style of playing. There are fewer quiet works on this album -- one, the final St Matthew Passion chorus, really doesn't come off well due to the overused tremolo and an articulation that doesn't allow the music to flow well. But I think the best track on the album is the shortest: Fox's performance of "Rejoice, Beloved Christians", shows phenomenal technique and lightning speed, yet is utterly delicate and graceful -- a rendition that is simply unassailable. The Wedge Prelude and Fugue, though containing some mistakes, is a very dramatic and noble interpretation. This record is far, far superior to Fox's first Heavy Organ album from Fillmore East, which suffers from numerous wrong notes and mistakes.

Legendary Organist gives Legendary live performance.......2000-01-14

Want to hear a performer really communicate with his audience? This is the CD for you. A diverse and impinging introduction to the music of J.S. Bach, as well as Virgil's musical stylings, make this CD a must-have for anyone interested in classical organ, Bach, or how to give a successful live performance of classical music. Although the crowd's boistreous enthusiasm occasionally interrupts the flow of the show, there isn't a single bad cut on the entire album.

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