It's not Christmas until I hear.......

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: JedMarum
Date: 24 Dec 12 - 04:34 PM

Banjos We Have Heard on High

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Crowhugger
Date: 24 Dec 12 - 12:06 PM

A rousing gospel version of "Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow." Not the hideous muzak versions I hear in piped-in seasonal mixes.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: freda underhill
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 05:43 PM

cicadas...

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 05:20 PM

The Greentrax BAH HUMBUG CD will be out again, plus some Kipper family - "Arrest these merry gentlemen" and "Gaudy Tree" for some "alternative" Christmas songs. (Many of these in the DT or on searchable threads).
Mike Oldfield's "In Dulce Jubilo" for sheer exuberance and way-out guitar.
Some Maddy Prior and the Carnival band.
Then in my "classical" collection. The Praetorius Christmas Mass, and the Czech one by Jacob Jan Ryba, and Handel's Messiah.
And somewhere we have a CD of my daughter's High School choir, ca 1992, with a lovely rendering of "O Holy Night".

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 04:06 PM

Until I hear my favorite recording of The Messiah: Otto Klemperer conducting, w/ Nicolai Gedda, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, and the great Jerome Hines, bass.

-Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: fat B****rd
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 03:50 PM

Right with you there,Elmore.
I love that version.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Mysha
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 01:40 PM

... the bells of our church.
                                                                  Mysha

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Elmore
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 10:16 AM

White Christmas by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: JJ
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 08:11 AM

Leroy Anderson's "A Christmas Festival."

And "Amahl and the Night Visitors."

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Marje
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 05:44 AM

There are some of Pascha's carols on Spotify, so thanks for that, Codger, I'm enjoyng them now.

The one track I need to play every year is this one from Rachmaninov's vespers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPJ3wxBxjAo Listen to those low bass notes!

I also have a tape of Yorkshire pub carols that will be played every year as long as I have a cassette player.

Marje

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: mg
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 03:01 AM

Christmas Rose and Bing Crosby singing.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: JennieG
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 01:31 AM

Chanteylass, I have just watched the San Francisco Ballet's production of The Nutcracker (or the crutnacker as Himself calls it) - a superb production, the dancing was amazing and the costumes were scrumptious! It was shown on TV this afternoon.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Artful Codger
Date: 23 Dec 12 - 12:58 AM

More thread creep...

Q, if you go to Amazon, select the Music store and enter "Edmund Pascha", they have at least four recordings obtainable in CD form (in the US--I can't speak for Canada, but I doubt they could not be shipped there). Though most are from resellers, one of them (by Musica Bohemica) is handled directly by Amazon rather than resellers or partners.
http://www.amazon.com/Edmund-Pascha-Christmas-Mass-Carols/dp/B003WJRPAE

I was going to mention the Ryba mass as well, but though quite tuneful, it doesn't grab me as much, and figured anyone listening to the other clips would notice it in the suggested clips list. If you want to explore further afield for Czech Christmas music, I suggest searching for the playlists "Ancient Czech Christmas Music" (43 clips, which include the Pascha/Zrunek and Ryba masses and carols) and "Czech and Moravian Carols" (23 clips, with multiple songs in each clip).

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: gnu
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 11:35 PM

... me say, "Thanks again. It was a delicious meal, as usual. Goodbye. Let's do it again next year. See you then."

And then, as I ride out of sight, "BAhhhh, humbuggers!"

I hate Kissmeass these days. When there were wee ones on the go, I loved it... top notch. Now, when I hear any carols, I cringe... I grinch.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 11:19 PM

Artful Codger and Leeneia, enjoyed the Christmas Mass and the Pascha carols. New to me.
I went hunting for the Mass on record. All Pascha (or Zrunek) are difficult to locate. I found the Christmas Mass (plus carols) through Amazon.com, but delivered from a dealer in Spain, $27.95.
My usual suppliers (Europadisc and Crochet) came up dry.
Used copies are available but not for delivery to Canada (or U.S.?)

I have downloaded from youtube, but I wanted a cd copy.

I noticed that youtube has the Ryba. I have a copy, another great work.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: LadyJean
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 11:12 PM

"The Chieftains Bells of Dublin"

I heard "People Look East" today, which is my favorite advent hynn.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 11:04 PM

Thanks, Artful, for the info about the Czech music. I shall explore that further.

I've just returned from visiting family because my husband's mother died. The funeral was yesterday. Sometimes, I would slip away from the group and play mountain dulcimer:

Angels we have heard on high
Little drummer boy (a work in progress)
Jingle Bells (for the resident 11-year-old)
Pastorale from the Messiah (still learning it)

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Mike in Brunswick
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 10:59 PM

Nowell Sing We Clear

Mike

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 10:26 PM

The Nutcracker Ballet.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Artful Codger
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 09:37 PM

...a Walmart blue light special for an animated trophy bass singing "All I Want for Christmas" and "Santa Baby".

My find for the season was the Christmas Mass in F, previously accredited to Edmund Pascha (in whose musical collection it appeared) but now identified as the Missa pro festis Natalitiis by Father Gregorius Zrunek (1736-1789). It's a delightful melange of baroque mass and Czech folk tunes, with some interesting folk instrumentation. Notable is the frequent use of Lydian mode. It's usually recorded along with a selection of carols from another Pascha collection, which are also quite delightful--wish I could find the words to some.

Some Czech carols from the Pascha collection:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jz_NrrjBf8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUzZ36sMKVk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6J1ewM-JEY

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Joe_F
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 08:37 PM

"O little town of Bethlehem" with honest harmony.

Some years ago, I was in someone's car, and he put on a tape & remarked that it wouldn't be Christmas without Frank Sinatra singing Christmas carols. It was my first intimation that that ******** ****** ******** ******* was *allowed* to sing Christmas carols. It was a business occasion, so I kept my peace.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: pdq
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 08:22 PM

"Merry Christmas From the Family" by Robert Earl Keen, Jr.

"Two-Step Around the Christmas Tree" by Suzy Bogguss

"Somebody Stole My Santa Claus Suit" by Dan Hicks

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: oldhippie
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 07:59 PM

Christmas In The Trenches

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 07:35 PM

Willie K sing O Holy Night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAMwsBPfRIc

(Willie Kahaili'i)

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Greg F.
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 03:42 PM

Santa's Gone On A Sleigh Ride by The Blenders.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: alex s
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 03:37 PM

Slade.
I'll get me coat...

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 12:59 PM

The sound of the annual pre-Christmas Morris meet at the Bird In Hand, Mobberley, Cheshire. Which, I'm pleased to say, means that Christmas starts at noon tomorrow!

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 12:52 PM

As I read this thread I am playing a long list of Christmas music (MP3s) from The Deller Consort.

It may well become my standard.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 12:34 PM

It's not Christmas for me until I hear my wife complain because I never play any Christmas music.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 12:23 PM

For me it's the Boston Camerata's A Medieval Christmas. This has been my Christmas record since the 70s. It's not Christmas until I've heard Orientis Partibus.

Mick

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 12:22 PM

Hail Smiling Morn.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Valmai Goodyear
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 11:57 AM

The Mellstock Band's CD of West Gallery carols Under the Greenwood Tree. I have the original CD, but it's downloadable now.

The other essential for me is Coppers at Christmas from the Copper Family.

Valmai (Lewes)

Subject: RE: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: fat B****rd
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 11:47 AM

Carols from King's on UK tv on Christmas Eve.
The mass whinging about commercialization/muzak.

Subject: It's not Christmas until I hear.......
From: Wesley S
Date: 22 Dec 12 - 10:53 AM

It's not Christmas until I hear.......

The Waverly Consort's Renaissance Christmas recording. What's Christmas until you've heard some Krumhorns and recorders? And then after that Diana Krall's Christmas CD for something cool and jazzy.

What's on your "must hear" Christmas list?