Anderson, Leroy: Sleigh Ride

Arthur Fiedler took great pride in bringing classical music to the world at large. While Leonard Bernstein was busy with his Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Fiedler and his Boston Pops Orchestra (most of the members drawn from the Boston Symphony) gave concerts of popular classics that became a fixture on America’s musical calendar. They made several recordings for Polydor / Deutsche Grammophon and the ever-popular Christmas disc is here reissued with built-in bonus tracks by Bach, Humperdinck and Tchaikovsky, in a sleigh ride, taking the listener from a delightful pot-pourri of carols (‘A Christmas Festival’) arranged by Leroy Anderson to Baroque hits in lush orchestrations to high-energy American Christmas songs – all arranged sumptuously for orchestra.

Here is a lovely collection of Christmas Carols from the ever-improving cathedral choir in Chester. A varied selection of old and new carols is interspersed with some short organ interludes.

The Colours of Christmas is a collection of the greatest Christmas carols by the composer/conductor whose music has, for many, been so associated with Christmas. Featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Bach Choir, with guest artists Over the Bridge and conducted by Rutter himself.

The Colours of Christmas (track 2 from the album) is a newly composed carol by Rutter for this new album, and is testament to the very best of Rutter’s music. Newly orchestrated for this album are the carols Ding Dong Merrily On High and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. All recordings on this album are brand new.

Norma, the Dunedin Town Hall Organ, is a large and impressive instrument. It is a rare example of a symphonic organ in which conventional organ sounds are combined with orchestral tone colours and unique percussion effects.

The Emory Symphonic Winds, comprised of members of the Emory Wind Ensemble and the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, are American leaders in the commissioning of new music. Bruce Broughton’s In the World of Spirits was dedicated to the ensemble and is a work of action, dynamism and electric physicality. Christmas carols and hymns are explored by Gustav Holst while Jennifer Higdon charts the intangible beauty of music itself. Alfred Reed’s Russian Christmas Music is a classic of symphonic band writing: rich, colorful and sonorous.

SAN FRANCISCO -An outstanding new release from America’s premier professional wind band! The Dallas Wind Symphony has a worldwide legion of followers and this is their first recording of holiday music.

Horns For The Holidays showcases an exciting 12-track lineup including brilliant original arrangements of festive favorites with many first recordings. This sonic spectacular also features the huge Fisk pipe organ at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and is faithfully captured by Reference Recordings’ world-renowned team of engineer Keith Johnson and producer Tam Henderson. A treat for wind band enthusiasts, audiophiles, and all who love great holiday music!

And the liner notes are informative and a real hoot, as they might say in Texas!

Holiday Greetings from the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra!

'Home for the Holidays' is an exceptionally diverse collection of Yuletide classics. This disc is the culmination of a year-long celebration of the inaugural season of Pops conductor John Morris Russell.