There has been Christmas music ever since there has been Christmas. And there have been Christmas albums ever since there have been albums. Before albums, of course, there were single cuts. In 1916, Caruso recorded “Cantique de Noël,” which we Anglos know as “O Holy Night.” The great Italian sang it in French. But we can go back farther than 1916. Olive Fremstad, the Swedish-American soprano, recorded “Silent Night” — actually, “Stille Nacht” — in 1911. And Charles Gilibert, the French baritone, recorded “La Vierge à la crèche” (Périlhou, not Franck) in 1907. You can find both of these cuts on a Masterworks Heritage disc, The Christmas Album. Gilibert comes through with amazing vibrancy.
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One thing about Christmas albums, they almost always sell well. Otherwise, they wouldn’t continue to be made. A few years ago, I said to a well-known soprano, “Why haven’t you made a Christmas album? I think you should.” She said, “A record exec once told me that you know a singer is on her way out when she makes a Christmas album. It’s a last stop, a last gasp.” Well, sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t.
Let’s run through a few Christmas albums, including a new one. I will be far from exhaustive. I will leave out many of your favorites, and some of mine. And I think we’ll stick to classical artists. Jimmy Durante singing “Frosty the Snowman,” Eartha Kitt singing “Santa Baby,” Mel Tormé singing his “Christmas Song” — all wonderful. I appreciate Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” too. I admit, though, that I’ve never seen the point of Bruce Springsteen shouting “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.”
And before we leave the popular world, let us bow our heads to Bing Crosby and “White Christmas” — the best-selling Christmas song penned by a Russian-born Jew, Irving Berlin. It appeared in the 1942 movie Holiday Inn. (The motel chain later named itself after the movie.) Many a classical singer has recorded “White Christmas” — and not just baritones, and not just men, either. Do you know the verse of this song (as opposed to the chorus, which we all know)? It’s seldom done. And it tells you why the person is dreaming of a white Christmas. I first heard the verse from Marilyn Horne, the great American mezzo-soprano. It goes,
The sun is shining, the grass is green,
The orange and palm trees sway.
There’s never been such a day
In Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it’s December the 24th
And I’m longing to be up north . . .
I have a feeling that one of the reasons Horne sings the verse is that she did much of her growing up in Southern California.
She made her Christmas album in 1983, just before she turned 50. She did so with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, no less. So this is a grand album, with all the bells and whistles, or many of them. It is not schlocky or absurd, however. Horne has too much taste, and too much musicality, for that. The noble power with which she sings “The First Nowell” is thrilling. And there is also on this album a rarity: a homely little carol called “The Bethlehem Babe,” which she learned in grade school. Just about no one else had ever heard it. And Horne has given it a certain immortality. She sang this carol, by the way, in Carnegie Hall two Christmases ago. At 74, she still sounded like Horne.
I grew up in the 50s looking forward to hearing Perry Como crooning carols each Christmas. Those songs and that voice mean Christmas to me just as much as does the hearing The Messiah and I wouldn't doubt that's true for countless others. Perhaps he's merely a popular parochial talent but he deserves an acknowledgement, if only in passing.
Lovely article, thank you. Inspired us to get some Christmas music rolling.
Top 3 for Christmas:
1) Once in Royal David's City, St.Paul's Cathedral Choir/Dearnley.
2) Guardian Angels, Christmas Hymns and Carols, Mario Lanza. The sincerity with which Mario Lanza sings this and the other tracks on this album combine with a beautiful voice at its best. Can't be Christmas if we don't hear this!
3) Vox Patris Caelestis, Wm. Mundy, Tallis Scholars. Celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. When it finishes, you will still hear the echo of the voices. Sounds like angels. Heavenly. Might not be strictly Christmas, but fits very well.
Hold the egg nog - forgot to include a link to a rousing and happy version of Handel's 'Hallelujah Chorus' - one of those not very spontaneous food court eruptions, but very good. You'll definitely play it twice...or more.
A couple wonderful commercial albums still define Christmas music for me: Fred Waring's "The Sounds of Christmas" (lots of bells and train whistles), and the two Ray Coniff Christmas albums, both of which have a nice early '60 sensibility about them, in addition to being seasonally joyous.
I am a longtime collector of Christmas music. Nordlinger is great, but this misses the point. Carols are supposed to be FUN, not arty. The three best Christmas albums I ever heard are Sinatra's Jolly Christmas, Streisand's, and anything by Crosby. Best choral album is King's College Choir "O Come all Ye Faithful" - great dynamics. Best "Nutcracker" is the Philadelphia with Ormandy. Finally, I differ on Rutter - I find the Pipe carol forced and unmelodic and difficult to sing, and it will be fotgotten in twenty years.
Jay - I loved the column - and I know you were staying away from "popular" performers, but a popular performer who had excellent musical skill was Perry Como, who must have recorded a ton of albums and whom Richard Carpenter of the Carpenters just released a total compilation. His musical ability and talent far transcended the typical pop artist.
Second - if you are going to discuss choirs/choruses and mention acappella and not mention Norman Lubhoff, well their recording from the late 50s/early 60's is superior to anything done by the groups you mentioned - just isn't close.
Thanks for the write-up, I really love almost every form of Christmas music own almost 50 CDs with another 50 or so still on vinyl. One thing I don't have much of is that of soloists that you mentioned, I will have to see about adding a few of those you mentioned.
Somehow my comment yesterday never made it in but as with JEM, my first thought was "how can he leave out Perry Como?". Perry was for years and years the sound of Christmas to millions. The sense of joy he stirred in us came not only from his voice but from his personality, one perfectly suited for the season, humble and gentle.
1. My favorite is one you mentioned yourself, Caruso's 1916 "Cantique de Noel." My copy is on a CD of recordings from the first half of the 20th Century called "The Spirit of Christmas Past," part of the defunct Nimbus Records' Prima Voce series. (I'm glad he sang the original version rather than "O, Holy Night." Like Pavarotti, Caruso never sounded too good singing in English.)
2. From the same collection, two tracks from 1943 and 1944, which the editor has caused to segue movingly: Charles Laughton's recitation of the Christmas story from St.Luke and the Celebrity Quartet's recording of "The Coventry Carol," as arranged by Stainer.
3."The Cherry Tree Carol," performed by The Baltimore Consort, with soprano soloist Custer Larue. The album is "Bright Day Star" on the Dorian label.
My favorite version of Handel's Messiah was done in 1992 and entitled "A Soulful Celebration." It incorporates black music through the ages - from African rhythms to spirituals, jazz, ragtime, and hip hop/rap. Produced by Quincy Jones, the singers include Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, Take 6 (an acappella group) among others.
Their version of "For Unto Us a Child is Born" is the most joyous I've ever heard and includes this rap:
"THIS is the story 'bout the birth of a baby boy,
bringing to the world love, peace, and heavenly joy
He inspired 'Handel's Messiah' from this inspiration a Soulful Celebration"
Just happy, beautiful, and true to the spirit of Isaiah's poetry.
The best Christmas album ever made, to me, is The Little Drummer Boy, by The Harry Simeone Chorale. This beauty was released in 1958, and my Grandma listened to it, then my Mom and now me. It's just beautiful.
Favorite cut is either O'Holy Night or The Little Drummer Boy.
My favorite song, other than anything on the above album, is David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing Little Drummer Boy (see a pattern here?). It was recorded for a Christmas special, "Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas", on Sept 11, 1977. Bing died just over a month later.
Then there's also Jimmy Smith playing Christmas tunes on a nice little Hammond B-3 organ. Christmas 64 is an amazing album. Everything on it is just magic. A little funky, but way fun.
Merry Christmas!
I also grew up on Perry Como (and Ray Conniff) and the Messiah and the Nutcraker are wonderful, depending who does them, but the choice between the two best Christmas albums is either 'Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets' followed closely by 'A Christmas Gift for you from Phil Spector'
Please don't forget Nat King Cole. "Sing Sweet and Low" is one of my favorites. And one of the most fun albums in recent years is from "Straight No Chaser."
OK, when did the spelling get changed to "nowell"? First time I saw it was on Tori Amos' Christmas album, and now here. I know Nordlinger didn't use it by accident...
The Elvis Christmas album folks, Ble Christmas by the King means the season has started...the album from Canada also includes a great version of Mama Liked the Roses
Disney - I know the Harry Simone Chorale album is one of the biggest selling chorale christmas music ever. But I would argue not nearly of the quality of Luboff, and certainly not equal to Fred Waring's efforts. And if we wanted to start adding in Jay's proclivity of more classics styled music, the Choir of King's College and some other very nice choirs with much less known but very religious themes are areas to explore.
Note to Grinch: Jay didn't include Jussi Bjoerling's surpassingly beautiful recording of "O Helga Natt" ("O Holy Night" in Swedish). Tsk tsk. And tsk tsk yet again.
By the way, many of the selections listed in this article can be found on YouTube. How did people live before YouTube?
Compared to the selections in Mr. Nordlinger's column, as well as in the comments, this will seem as fingernails on a blackboard, at least at first.
Ahem.
Manheim Steamroller.
Okay, okay, put away the sharpened candy canes and let me clarify. The vast majority of their music is, obviously, loud and jarring, especially when put up against the likes of Crosby, Como, Pavarotti, et. al. But there is a song which has become required listening on Thanksgiving Day, when we beckon to the blessed holiday season's beginning: Stille Nacht. The quiet voices at the beginning give way to one of the sweetest violins I have heard; it brings a tear. Alas, the child's xylophone near the end lends a jarring note, but the rest is so beautiful, so moving, it can perhaps be overlooked?
