20 Christmas Favorites comes to us from Sony Music Entertainment, and they usually do a terrific job of song and artist selection.  This Christmas compilation CD is no different.  The CD contains 20 familiar Christmas songs.  From traditional carols and hymns to 20^th century Christmas standards, and a best-selling Novelty tune thrown in, this CD presents the best Christmas music has to offer.  Many of the song titles on here are performed by the same artist that made them popular.

The cover is pretty common for Christmas compilation CDs.  It features the title centered on a background of snowflakes against a dark blue background surrounded by Christmas greenery and lights around the border.  The back of the CD features the snowflakes and blue background as found on the front, minus the Christmas greenery border.  A numerical track list featuring writer credits and time signatures is superimposed over the background.  Beneath the song title and writer credits are the performing artists.  This takes up the whole back artwork.  Sony Music Special Products copyright information appears at the bottom.

The CD cover comes out and opens along a single fold-out.  Inside is…nothing!  Bummer.  Both sides are blank; all that wasted space.  The back of the CD cover features the exact same back of the CD.  Bummer again.

Those that know this blog know I like having the years of the recordings and orchestra leaders when available.  Through duplicate recordings in my library and information found on Discogs.com, I am able to put years and orchestra conductors to many of them.

All the songs, except for the Novelty number, were recorded between 1949 and the early 1970s.

The CD begins with Andre Kostelanetz & his Orchestra from 1963, performing the proverbial Sleigh Ride.  He sticks to Leroy Anderson’s arrangement very well, but the tempo is a little faster.

Mitch Miller And The Gang take over for track # 3.  The Gang’s all here with very light instrumentation from a xylophone that almost gives this recording an a cappella arrangement.

Peter Nero, Piano And The Peter Nero Singers give an impressive but brief rendition of Trepak (Russian Dance) from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet.  Peter Nero is the only instrumentalist present, and he plays as if there were twin pianos.  His singers keep up well with bursts of ba-da-bups, ba-da-bups.

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) is on here and sung by the man who wrote it.  Mel Torme is backed up with Patrick Williams and His Orchestra to deliver a solemn rendition of the classic he wrote.  Strings, sleigh bells and flutes are used to their finest.

One of the most familiar versions of We Wish You A Merry Christmas is presented here by the operatic soprano Phyllis Curtin.  Recorded in 1966, orchestration is provided by Andre Kostelanetz & his Orchestra while the St. Kilian Boychoir provides a wonderful children’s chorus.

As much as I can appreciate the song, Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, by Elmo & Patsy, and it was a big hit from 1979, it seems out of place on this CD of otherwise, beautiful, traditional Christmas songs.

What is on here is the original version of Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, sung by Gene Autry.  The song was written in 1949 and offered to Bing Crosby, who passed on it.  It was then offered to Gene Autry, and he took it all the way to number 1 in 1949.  Gene Autry is joined here with his Western Swing band and The Pinafores.

Also from 1949, the 11^th song, Winter Wonderland, is delivered by Buddy Clark Featuring The Girl Friends.  Buddy Clark sings a little like Bing Crosby and has a nice natural vibrato to his voice.  Ted Dale & his Orchestra provide a traditional, string laden arrangement.  The Girl Friends give this a formative 1940s feel.

One of the most reverent songs on here is performed by Andy Williams.  O Holy Night is from Andy’s 1963 Christmas Album.  Robert Mersey provides a lush orchestra of harps and strings.  An unknown choir provides beautiful harmonies.

The 15^th song, Do You Hear What I Hear? is delivered in grandiose fashion by Johnny Mathis from his 1969 Christmas album.  As can be expected from Ernie Freeman, the orchestra is in full volume delivering a tremendous arrangement.

Ray Conniff And The Ray Conniff Singers are represented here with their solemn version of The Little Drummer Boy.  This is probably one of the most popular versions of this song, next to The Vienna Boys Choir, the original version.  With little instrumentation other than a snare drum, the ladies in the Ray Conniff Singers provide a high register of the verses while the male voices provide the rhythm.  This is a classic from 1962.

Rosemary Clooney sings White Christmas from her LP Songs From White Christmas from 1954.  Because she was on a different label than the one that handled the soundtrack from the movie White Christmas, she had to re-record her songs from the movie.  This comes from that album.  Percy Faith provides his definitive lush string sound to Rosemary’s soft, slow vocals.

The last song, the 20^th song on here, is Twelve Days Of Christmas.  The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble provides a large sound with this instrumental version of the popular Christmas song.  (Look for a review of the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble’s Christmas CD in this blog’s future).  A unique arrangement of twisting horns and tubas give this version a resounding festive sound.

I did not write of all the songs on here.  Due to space restrictions and readers attention spans, I left seven out.  There are still another seven great Christmas songs on here.

This is the kind of Christmas music compilation you should seek.  It is put out by Sony Music Special Products, a reliable source for traditional Christmas songs everyone is familiar with.  The songs are usually the versions that made them popular.  There are 20 songs on here which is almost double the amount usually found on common Christmas compilation CDs.

The singers, the songs and the arrangements are all from the Classic Christmas Music Era.  If you are starting a Christmas music collection, or wish to add to your existing collection, seek this out and you will not be disappointed.

I give this CD :

****