It’s the most wonderful time
of the year again—blog caroling time! I’m delighted to be able to add my voice
to the chorus in the annual tradition hosted by footnoteMaven. The hard part is
picking a carol. I have 74 songs on my Christmas playlist on
iTunes, and am always finding more.
But as soon as I saw this
video on YouTube, I knew it had to be the one. When I was growing up, we
listened to Ray Conniff and the Ray Conniff Singers’ Christmas albums on the stereo over and
over and over again. My mom loved them, and so did I. My favorite was this
album, We Wish You a Merry Christmas,
released in 1962 by Columbia Records in Stereo “360 Sound." Luckily, I still have it.
The first track on side B is
a medley of three songs: “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!; Count Your
Blessings (Instead of Sheep); We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” My mom would set
the record on the spindle and we’d watch it drop down onto the turntable and
start spinning. After a few moments the arm would reach out and lower the
needle, and following a brief hiss the room would fill with sound. This sound:
This video must have come
from an old Christmas television special. Isn’t it fun?
To see the carols that other
bloggers have shared, visit footnoteMaven’s blog after she compiles the list on December 19th. Last year I shared two songs in one post: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Kenny G and
“The Christmas Can-Can” by Straight No Chaser. If you like, you can hear them at
Blog Caroling: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Hope your holidays are
merry and bright!
--Shelley
Hi Shelley! Your Christmas music for this year's Blog Caroling event is WONDERFUL! Thank you for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family!
Glad you enjoyed it, Liv. Merry Christmas to you and your family, too!
DeleteOh, I remember the Ray Conniff Singers. Very upbeat! I especially liked the song "Let it Snow" because it meant days off from school. Our madrigal group used to sing a hearty version of "Wish you a Merry Christmas" in four-part harmony. Sometimes I think those were more innocent days.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to relive these memories, isn't it, Mariann? Sounds like the madrigal group you were in was a lot of fun. More innocent days, definitely.
DeleteWarm wishes for a merry Christmas to you!
Thanks for that tip, Olivia, and happy holidays to you.
ReplyDelete