Memories of Christmas, Volume 2 — 2015

CD Cover Christmas 2015 750x750This year, my Christmas music-project is my selection of your and my favorite songs and carols from previous Christmas projects, 2007-2014. I have included all recordings made by Roberta Silva and me since the first volume of “Memories of Christmas” (2006).

Each of these songs has a rich history. Some of these I will later share. The only new performance for this year had been intended to be a medley that included “Silent Night” and “Adeste Fidelis.” However, 2007’s “Christmas Fantasia” project also includes both of these songs. David Lowe’s included organ arrangement, “Prelude, Fugue, and Toccata on Adeste Fidelis” features the piece again. It seemed that a third arrangement of “Adeste Fidelis” in this year’s project would have been excessive. This recording will wait its turn in an upcoming year’s project.

The included arrangement of the “Hallelujah Chorus” for brass and strings is by me. It is also from 2007. I was never pleased with certain aspects of the 2007 version. So, the 2015 Christmas season, I placed the work back onto the potter’s wheel and gave it a re-spin. Now, in 2017, I’m thinking about throwing it back onto the wheel and giving it another spin… Please stay tuned.

Without hesitation I will say that my favorite piece in this group is the last one, Roberta’s 2008 recording of “Some Children See Him.” I transcribed Dave Grusin’s arrangement of this and “In The Bleak Midwinter” from the “James Taylor At Christmas” CD. I hope that you find the piece and Roberta’s beautiful performance as emotionally moving as I do.

Merry Christmas & Season’s Greetings from Stan Owen, Jr. and Creative Minds’ Music.

Click on the mp3 player to play
Title mp3 Audio Composer
In The Bleak Midwinter
Harold Edwin Darke, arr. Dave Grusin
Christmas Fantasia
Various, arr. Carl F. Mueller
O, Little Town Of Bethlehem
Lewis Henry Redner, arr. Harold DeCou
Do You Hear What I Hear
Gloria Shayne Baker, arr. S. Owen, Jr.
Carol Of The Drum
Katherine Kennicott Davis, arr. Harold DeCou
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Traditional, arr. Harold DeCou
I Wonder As I Wander
John Jacob Niles, arr. S. Owen, Jr.
Sleigh Ride
Leroy Anderson
Willy Evergreen
John Von Spreckelsen, arr. S. Owen, Jr.
Hallelujah
George Frideric Handel, arr. S. Owen, Jr.
Prelude, Fugue, and Toccata on Adeste Fidelis
John Francis Wade, arr. David Lowe
Some Children See Him
Alfred Burt, arr. Dave Grusin

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