I'll admit, I'm not a Christmas fanatic. I do my best to restrict my consumption of Christmas music to the month of December. But it's December now, and I'm "dusting off" some of my favorites.
Thing is, quite a few of my favorites are albums that I really wonder if anyone has heard of, but are quite lovely. So, I thought I'd list a few here, and see if anyone here has others to recommend that I haven't yet encountered.
There are a few obvious choices that I'll assume most would put on their lists, such as The Carpenters' Christmas Portrait, or anything by Manneheim Steamroller. But I've kind of made a point of trying to discover some obscure treasure once every year or two, and I think I've got some pretty good candidates.
Nog - The Blenders - I love acapella groups, and this is one of the absolute best acapella Christmas albums I've run across. It has a delightful mix of fun and sacred pieces. Only 10 tracks, but I have a hard time complaining when the content is so good.
Glad - An Acapella Christmas - Speaking of acapella, Glad is a Christian Contemporary group that most probably are unfamiliar with. They create intricate and appealing acapella arrangements of 12 traditional and modern carols here, and I was so excited to track down a CD finally earlier this year. Before I'd nearly worn out my very old cassette.
Joy: A Holiday Collection - Jewel - It is rare for me to find a pop performer's Christmas album that is worth anything, but Jewel's is a surprising exception. She has a purity in her voice that quite suits the traditional sacred carols, as well as a playfulness that makes the kid's stuff a lot of fun.
Snow on Snow - Paul A. Tate - Amazon doesn't list it, but I found a listing on another site. It's out of print, though - I found it in a Goodwill somewhere. It's absolutely lovely, with a simple, folksy tone. I could listen to this "In the Bleak Midwinter" over and over again.
Café Christmas - Various Artists - Another rather folksy collection, this album has pieces that you don't hear very often, as well as ones you do presented in creative new arrangements. This was another Goodwill find, and it has become one of my favorites.
So, do you have any beloved but obscure albums you'd like to share? I'd love to learn of some good new Christmas music to add to my collection!
Thing is, quite a few of my favorites are albums that I really wonder if anyone has heard of, but are quite lovely. So, I thought I'd list a few here, and see if anyone here has others to recommend that I haven't yet encountered.
There are a few obvious choices that I'll assume most would put on their lists, such as The Carpenters' Christmas Portrait, or anything by Manneheim Steamroller. But I've kind of made a point of trying to discover some obscure treasure once every year or two, and I think I've got some pretty good candidates.
Nog - The Blenders - I love acapella groups, and this is one of the absolute best acapella Christmas albums I've run across. It has a delightful mix of fun and sacred pieces. Only 10 tracks, but I have a hard time complaining when the content is so good.
Glad - An Acapella Christmas - Speaking of acapella, Glad is a Christian Contemporary group that most probably are unfamiliar with. They create intricate and appealing acapella arrangements of 12 traditional and modern carols here, and I was so excited to track down a CD finally earlier this year. Before I'd nearly worn out my very old cassette.
Joy: A Holiday Collection - Jewel - It is rare for me to find a pop performer's Christmas album that is worth anything, but Jewel's is a surprising exception. She has a purity in her voice that quite suits the traditional sacred carols, as well as a playfulness that makes the kid's stuff a lot of fun.
Snow on Snow - Paul A. Tate - Amazon doesn't list it, but I found a listing on another site. It's out of print, though - I found it in a Goodwill somewhere. It's absolutely lovely, with a simple, folksy tone. I could listen to this "In the Bleak Midwinter" over and over again.
Café Christmas - Various Artists - Another rather folksy collection, this album has pieces that you don't hear very often, as well as ones you do presented in creative new arrangements. This was another Goodwill find, and it has become one of my favorites.
So, do you have any beloved but obscure albums you'd like to share? I'd love to learn of some good new Christmas music to add to my collection!
