Might Make You Gigue-le

It's a 1994 release.

01. Rage Over O Come All Ye Faithfull (3:38)

02. Gigue on What Child Is This? (3:06)

03. Bouree on Hark the Herald Angels Sing (3:01)

04. Three-Part Sinfonia on Away in a Manger (2:46)

05. Prelude on Angels We Have Heard on High (2:46)

06. Two-Part Invention on O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (4:28)

07. Nocturne on O Little Town of Bethlehem (3:12)

08. three-Part Invention on Joy to the World (2:18)

09. Bouree on While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (3:28)

10. Sonata on It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (2:25)

11. Three-Part Invention on We Three Kings (3:07)

12. Barouque Impressions on Slient Night, Holy Night (5:12)

It's a whole lotta fun.  Don't cry foul about the title -- these Christmas arrangements are not solely Bach-based.  For example, Track 1 emulates Beethoven's "Rage Over a Lost Penny."

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

See you on Thursday.  Until then, don;t forget to rejoice!

  

Go State!

This is a fine 1980 cassette from Musical Heritage Society.

01 - Fantasia - Adriano Banchieri  (1:07)

02 - Magnificat - Dietrich Buxtehude  (9:58)

03 - Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn - JS Bach  (3:22)

04 - Make We Joy Now in This Fest - William Walton  (2:29)

05 - Dance of the Ishmaelites - Hector Berlioz  (4:13)

06 - When Christ Was Born – Reginald Jacques  (1:21)

07 - Noël de Saintonge - Jean-François Dandrieu  (2:06)

08 - Joy to the World - GF Handel  (0:57

09 - Coventry Carol - Traditional  (2:52)

10 - In Dulce Jubilo - JS Bach  (1:33)

11 - Ideo Gloria – Gerhard M Cartford  (3:04)

12 - Magnificat - Jean-François Dandrieu  (7:18)

13 - How unto Bethlehem – Traditional  (1:24)

14 - Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming -M Praetorius  (1:12)

15 - Once in Royal David’s City – JH Gauntlett  (3:21)

16 - Carol – Prelude on Greensleeves – Searle Wright  (2:07)

I ain't come across the (I presume) earlier two volumes, but I hope they're this varied and well done.

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

Merry Christmas, one and all!  See you on Monday for the wrap-up of this year's SPOCKY CHRISTMAS!

  

Yer Gonna Luv This One

Or my name isn't Rumpelstiltskin!

If you love the Beatles, and you love Christmas, then you're going to double-love these Beatlesque arrangements of Christmas songs.  Not EVERY LITTLE THING is perfect, but ... YULE LOVE IT.

01. Jingle Bell Rock (2:13)

02. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (2:31)

03. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (2:31)

04. Last Christmas (3:04)

05. Feliz Navidad (3:08)

06. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (2:08)

07. Jingle Bells (2:36)

08. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (2:28)

09. Mary's Boy Child (2:50)

10. White Christmas (3:25)

11. Silent Night (2:55)

12. A Bairn Is Born in Beatlehome (1:20)

And you'll be able to tell which song (or songs) are being emulated.

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

See you Thursday for some Christmas wrapping-up!  Still two more entries to go!

  

Fun Cheese!

As you might expect from our postmodern survey, atop the heights of jaded culture, this stuff is CHEESY.

But it's still FUN!

01. Winter Wonderland (2:37)

02. Jingle Bells (2:50)

03. The Christmas Song (2:50)

04. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (2:18)

05. Santa's Got a Brand New Bag (2:21)

06. Jingle Bell Rock (2:34)

07. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (2:58)

08. White Christmas (2:34)

09. I'll Be Home for Christmas (2:36)

10. Little Saint Nick (2:15)

11. Do You Hear What I Hear? (2:13)

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

PS:  Yes, the conductor is THAT Stu Phillips, later of Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century fame.

See you on Monday.  Have fun with this most glistening and manically cheerful album!

  

Fashion: Old. Message: Eternal

This 1987 release is a nice mix of peppy and reverent.

01. Fanfare - Gloria (0:55)

02. Once in Royal David's City (3:07)

03. Ding Dong! Merrily on High [Brass Instrumental] (2:28)

04. Ding Dong! Merrily on High [Vocal Version] (2:06)

05. The Holly and the Ivy (2:01)

06. Good King Wenceslas (2:52)

07. Here We Come a-Wassailing (2:30)

08. Silent Night (3:26)

09. Deck the Halls! (2:52)

10. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing [Vocal Version] (3:16)

11. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing [Brass Instrumental] (2:19)

12. We Wish You a Merry Christmas (2:23)

13. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (2:48)

14. Joy to the World (1:50)

15. In the Bleak Midwinter (2:08)

16. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (2:36)

17. Torches (1:28)

18. We Three Kings (2:02)

19. The First Noel (5:02)

20. O Come All Ye Faithful (3:47)

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

Of course, our topic at hand is just about as peppy as can be!

Stay pepped, and I'll see ya on Thursday.

  

Don't Say It Doesn't Mater

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

It's a 1992 release.

01. Wsórd Nocnej Ciszy (0:46)

02. Hej w Dzien Boskiej (3:27)

03. Lulajze Jezuniu (1:40)

04. Wiwat Dzisiaj Boskiej Istnosci (3:31)

05. Cicha Noc (1:33)

06. Bóg Sie Rodzi (3:34)

07. Jezusa Narodzonego (1:19)

08. Gdy sie Chrystus Rodzi (3:27)

09. Wykrzyknijmy Wiwat! (1:45)

10. Przy Onej Górze (3:03)

11. Dzisiaj w Betlejem (1:50)

12. Gesu Bambino (3:56)

13. W Ziobie Lezy (2:54)

A few notes ... Track 3 is 1:40 in length.  However, the first 1:40 of Track 4 is Track 3 again.  Then a new song starts.

Track 5 “Cicha Noc” is “Silent Night.”  Track 12 is indeed the familiar “Gesu Bambino.”  Track13  is recognizable as “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.”

It's at least partly charming, to this guy in the New World.

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

See you Monday!

  

All Things Being Equitable

This is a cute little EP. Found at an OKC thrift store, of course.

01. O Holy Night (2:21)

02. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (2:14)

03. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (2:33)

04. The First Noel (2:04)

05. Joy to the World (2:01)

06. O Little Town of Bethlehem (2:13)

07. Away in a Manger (2:07)

08. O Come All Ye Faithful (2:26)

09. We Three Kings of Orient Are (2:27)

10. Silent Night (2:35)

There's something to be said for simplicity.  This was playing in the car yesterday and the beautiful wife actually complimented me on my musical taste.

This is basically the aforementioned chimes (sounding like big ole GONGS in my opinion), backed very lightly by organ chords.

And the copy I bought was a gift.  Maybe Milt Asfahl worked for Equitable?

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

See you on Thursday for something from across the sea.

  

A Pablumated Christmas

It's a 2004 release.

01. Christmas Bells: Ding Dong Merrily on High / I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (2:52)

02. I Wonder as I Wander (3:38)

03. Still, Still, Still (2:29)

04. How Great Our Joy (2:32)

05. Silent Night / Prelude in C (2:53)

06. Reflection on Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (3:47)

07. Gigue on In Dulci Jubilo (2:43)

08. Advent Carols: Of the Father's Love Begotten / O Come, O Come Emmanuel (4:05)

09. The Birthday of a King (3:01)

10. Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head (3:23)

11. The Manger Song Medley: Away in a Manger / Coventry Carol / Infant Lowly, Infant Lowly (3:21)

12. Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne (4:06)

It’s a spoonfed Christmas.  So mushy you may prefer a real-life, sometimes colicky baby.  For those who prefer reverence in the easy-listening style.

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

See you on Monday for a listen to some Christmas from across the pond!

  

A Brassy Welcome to Spocky Christmas!

This month, as with every year during SPOCKY CHRISTMAS here at the Record Round-Up, you'll encounter moving and maudlin, stirring and sappy renditions of Christmas music.

This 1994 cassette is one of the gooder ones.

01. Angels from the Realms of Glory (1:31)

02. Joy to the World (2:58)

03. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (3:02)

04. What Child Is This? (2:47)

05. Go Tell it on the Mountain (2:04)

06. Carol of the Bells (2:41)

07. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (2:09)

08. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (2:37)
09. Angels We Have Heard on High (2:29)
10. Deck the Halls (3:50)
11. Silent Night / Away in a Manger (2:20)
12. We Wish You a Merry Christmas (1:39)

THIS LINK GOOD FOR THREE DAYS.

PERMANENT LINK.

See you on Thursday!