Holiday Music Recordings recordings available at Public Radio MusicSourse Where do you go for memorable recordings of holiday music? Philadelphia, for starters. That's one place that turned up when we polled Minnesota Public Radio's Music staff for their recommendations on holiday discs. In fairness—though there are a couple of classic discs that hail from Philly—we also received suggestions that range from Baroque to brand-new, and from pop to opera. The favorites:
Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love must have some special affinity with holiday music, judging by the enthusiastic endorsement for two discs produced there in the 1960s. Host Bob Christiansen suggests Joy to the World, a collection of familiar carols with the Philadelphia Chorus and Orchestra, led by Eugene Ormandy. Joy to the World
Host John Zech and Craig Curtis, director of marketing research, are fans of A Festival of Carols in Brass, by the Philadelphia Brass. Curtis recalls, "The first time I met [trombonist] Henry Charles Smith, I told him how much I admired the album. He smiled modestly and said, ‘I guess we sounded okay.' That was the understatement of the decade for me." A festival of Carols in Brass
Handel's Messiah. Of Neville Marriner's recording, host Tom Crann says "I have returned to this disc each and every holiday season for about 20 years. It's a great balance of the authentic period sensibility and modern instruments. Soprano Elly Ameling is superb. Marriner has the perfect touch for one of history's perfect pieces". Handel's Messiah
Assistant Music Director Amy Hoelmer picked a version with another conductor very familiar to Minnesota audiences, Nicholas McGegan. Handel: Messiah
Dale Warland Singers: December Stillness. Host Brian Newhouse enjoys this recording for the "stunning performances and surprising repertoire that sometimes goes right to the core of Christmas, but for the most part simply suggests the holiday, letting the listener fill in the gaps". Dale Warland Singers: December Stillness
The Passion of Scrooge. Here's a much newer piece of music theater for holiday time, recommended by Web Producer Preston Wright. This "concert drama," as its composer Jon Deak calls it, was finished in 1997. It's a tour de force for one singer, the baritone William Sharp, who takes all the parts in this retelling of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. "Surround sound finally lives up to its name in the amazing aural sculpting by Curt Witig. Audiophiles will love it, " says Wright. The Passion of Scrooge
Hänsel and Gretel. Humperdinck's opera has nothing to do with Christmas, but it's linked to this time of year all the same. Maybe it's the gingerbread house. Music Director Rex Levang is partial to the classic recording with conductor Herbert von Karajan and soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Hänsel and Gretel
Pop Perennials. The world of popular music has produced a wealth of holiday standbys. Mike Pengra, producer of The Morning Show, says that at his house, a "schmaltzy but sentimental favorite" is Ray Coniff's Christmas Album (Sony 38300). Host Lynne Warfel-Holt mentioned one of the great stylists of American popular song, Mel Tormé ( Christmas Songs, Telarc 83315). Host Julie Amacher nominates the Roches' disc, We Three Kings, both for listening and singing along (MCA 10020).
Lessons and Carols. The annual broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge, has become a familiar on-air tradition. But you may not realize that it's also available on compact disc. The entire Music staff recommends a version of the service recorded in 1999 (EMI 73693). A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
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