My Favorite Christmas Music

My Favorite Christmas Music...

I am not too keen on the canned elevator Christmas music played on most radio stations during the holidays. As far as I know, no one's grandma has ever actually been run over by a reindeer. :-) My preference is for the religious Christmas music. It has so much meaning. But even the secular music sung with love and style is appealing. Following are a few of my favorite artists and the Christmas albums they've produced.

CONTEMPORARY SOLOISTS:

• Julie Andrews: Christmas with Julie Andrews (1982)
• Julie Andrews: The Sounds of Christmas 1990, Hallmark Cards
  
• Kiri Takanawa: Kiri Te Kanawa - Christmas With Kiri  1986
• Denyce Graves: A Cathedral Christmas 1997
  
• Dolly Parton: Once Upon a Christmas by Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers (CD, Sep-2005, Sony BMG)
• Jessye Norman: Jessye Norman Christmas Tide England Ely Cathedral
• Kenny Rogers Christmas Collection, 1981 Liberty Records; Christmas Wishes
  
• Michael MacDonald: In The Spirit-A Christmas Album; The Christmas Collection (2001)
  
• James Taylor: James Taylor at Christmas by James Taylor
• Natalie Cole: Christmas With You 1998, Hallmark Cards

CLASSICAL

• Baroque Christmas Music, 1990 Delta Music
• Voices of Angels, Bach arias for boys voices: 1993 Teldec Classics
• A Sacred Christmas, 2002 BMG Special Products/ Readers Digest Music
• The Messiah by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (complete)
• Chanticleer: Our Hearts Joy, Chanticleer Records CR-8803
• Christmas Goes Baroque, 1989, CSSR State Philarhominc Orchestra, MVD Music
• Christmas Concertos, 1995, Musical Heritage Society 513986L
• A Christmas Concert 1993 Pilz Entertainment, Catalog #446257-2
• A Waverly Consort Christmas, 1994 Virgin Classics, Waverly Consort D108831
• Sing We Now of Christmas: 6 centuries of European Christmas music, 1991 Revels Records
• Hark, How the Bells, UCLA Madrigal Singers 1998 Columbia River Entertainment
• A Classical Christmas: Baroque Premium Music Collection 1998
• Joy to the World (4 cd set classical and traditional Christmas music) 1993 Regency Music
• The Magic of Christmas (2 cds) Recorded in Latvia RIGA Radio Choir 1995
  

CHORAL/GROUP MUSIC

• Any Christmas album by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
  
• Norman Luboff Choir: The Songs of Christmas  1992 Sony Music (Catalog #A16819)
  
• Robert Shaw Chorale: Festival of Carols (1957, 1963, 1987)
  
• Harry Simeone Chorale: The Little Drummer Boy 1990, 1978
• Harry Simeone Chorale: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• Christmas Around the World (various choirs), 1995 Delta Music
  
• The Heart of Christmas, Cathedral Choir, 2000 Barbour Publishing
• Acappella Christmas 1998, Discovery House Music
• Gentri: Finding Christmas 2016, Shadow Mountain Records
• Gentri: Noel 2019 Gentri LLC
  
• Acappella Christmas Classics: 1995, Straightway Music
• Octapella Christmas 2007
  

INSTRUMENTALS:

• Winterlude -- Instrumentals for a Contemplative Christmas, 1993 Regency Music
  
• Any album in the Winterlude series: Guitar / Saxophone / Piano /
  
• Percy Faith: Music of Christmas; Christmas Is..., Columbia Records
  
• Leroy Anderson and the Boston Pops Orchestra
• Mary Beth Carlson Christmas Angels (piano) 1998
  
• Scott Hamilton: Late Night Christmas Sax
• Twelve Days in December: Carols for Keyboards 1994
• Leroy Anderson: Christmas, 2004 UMG recordings
• Ferrante and Teicher: Christmas is So Special, 2000
• Montovani: Christmas Medleys 1999
• 101 Strings: 25 Christmas Favorites 2011
• Light Jazz Christmas 1993, Regency Entertainment
• Light Jazz Christmas Eve 1994, Regency Entertainment
• Jazz Piano: The Heart of Christmas 2000 Barbour Publishing
• Christmas Journey: (2 cd set), 1993 Intersound Inc.
• Midnight Clear, Intimate Acoustic Christmas, 1993 Regency Music
  

• Any album by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir especially
  
• Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, 2017 (Light of the World)
• A Brooklyn Tabernacle Christmas 2010
• Sandi Patti - O Holy Night CD 1995 Word Music
• Sandi Patti: Celebrate Christmas 1992 Hallmark Cards
• Steve Green: The First Noel
  
• Larnelle Harris: Christmas, 1988 Benson Music
  
• Wintley Phipps: OP Holy Night 2009 Discovery House Music
  
• Wayne Watson: One Christmas Eve 1994 Word Records
• David Phelps: It Must Be Christmas 2018, Spring House Productions

ETHNIC:

• Oleta Adams, Christmas Time With Oleta 2006
  
• Aretha Franklin: Joy to the World
  
• Shirley Caesar: Christmas with Shirley Caesar 1998 Word Records
  
• Mahalia Jackson: Christmas with Mahalia
• Ray Charles: The Spirit of Christmas 1997

WAY BACK WHEN I WAS A KID...

• Barbara Streisand: Barbara Streisand A Christmas Album (1967) Columbia Records
• Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song 1999 Capitol Records
  
• Perry Como: A Perry Como - Perry Como Christmas, 2001 BMG (distributor) (remake)
• Jim Nabors:  Jim Nabors Christmas Album, 2002 (remake)
• Doris Day: The Doris Day Christmas Album; Personal Christmas Collection
  
• Mario Lanza: Christmas Hymns and Carols 1987 BMG Music
• Harry Belafonte: To Wish You a Merry Christmas 1962 BMG Music
• Andy Williams: We Need a Little Christmas. 1996
• Peggy Lee Christmas CD, 2000 (remake)
  
• Bing Crosby: White Christmas, 1992 LaserLignt
  
• Johnny Mathis: Merry Christmas 1959
• Ella Fitzgerald: Christmas Songs (remake)

Many of these cd's and/or albums are not in current production but can be found on eBay or Amazon. An enterprising YouTuber named "The Happy Christmas Station" has recorded many of the old-time Christmas cd's for those of us who love Christmas to enjoy any time of the year. Hey - No shame here. :-) Check them out this Christmas.

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