This compilation CD of Christmas music is part of a series of eight CDs of the most wonderful, beautiful and reverent Christmas songs you could ever imagine.  This series is released by Sony Music Entertainment Inc. and five were originally released in 1998, one in 1999 and two in 2002.  For the purpose of this blog, I will review each one individually for a couple of reasons.

First, as far as I know, these were never released in one complete box set.  I originally found them at a Kroger back when they would put out a display of budget Christmas CDs between Halloween and Christmas.  Each was only $5.00, and I went around to as many Krogers as I could getting as many as I could.  I think it took me a couple of years to get them all.  Most were released in 1998, that’s probably the year I got them.  The last two were released in 2002, and that’s probably when I got those.

As long as Kroger did this, for about 10 years, I went every year with my entire Christmas music library list in hand, and if Kroger had Christmas CDs of something I didn’t already have, in the cart they went.  I remember checking out with 30 or more at one time, many times.  And I did this every year.  And then I was hooked.

The second reason I want to review these individually is because each contains 15 beautiful, reverent Christmas songs.  I like to think of these as the other side of Christmas music.  Sony Music Special Products turns out some fantastic Christmas CDs and these are the best of anything that has ever been released.  When I say that, I am talking about the entire set as a whole.  Each CD is worth having on its own, even if you didn’t have all eight.  But when you do, it is 120 songs, no repeat, and almost 5 ½ hours of the best Christmas music.

It would not be a lie for me to admit that one of the biggest reasons I wanted to start a blog about my massive, personal Christmas music collection is because I wanted to brag about many of the CDs I have.  The 8 CDs in this series are one of the main reasons I wanted to brag.  I don’t think a lot of people are aware of these and I want to get the word out.

Take Note : Each review of all eight in the series will have the above paragraphs at the beginning of the review.  If you have read reviews of some of the others, and you want to skip it, you can begin reading after this paragraph.

(You may begin reading now) :

One thing that got me with this collection was the covers.  They’re nothing special, but for some reason, I really like them.  They’re all done in a festive and colorful manner.  Holiday Splendor features a gingerbread man and some gingerbread cookies on a black cookie tray.  This image is superimposed over a cornflower blue background that has faint Santa Clauses featured in the pattern.  The CD title appears at the top in white lettering.  At the bottom of the CD cover, it reads, and this is the part I love, “Original Artists – Original Recordings”.  This is what you want to look for when collecting Christmas music from the Classic Christmas Music Era (1946 – 1976).  It then lists a few of the artists on the CD.

The back of the CD contains some good information, but overall, it could be better, (we’ll get to that soon).  The back cover has a detailed numerical track listing that features the primary artist and time signatures.  Along with the primary artist, everyone involved with the recording is also listed.  This includes orchestra leaders and choruses.  The only thing missing is recording years.  For a CD this fantastic, the only other thing I could hope for would be years for the recordings.  I have been able to fill in the blanks for most of the series, and with some stronger diligence, I might be able to fill in the rest, but when I dig, I dig pretty deep, and so I may have done the best I can.  I only use trusted sources.

The CD cover comes out and opens along a single fold-out, and because this IS a Sony Music Special Products product, the insides are completely blank.  As well, the back of the CD cover is an exact copy of the back of the CD.  It took me about 50 reviews before I started catching on to this.  I love the CDs Sony Music Special Products puts out, so I will have to learn to accept it.  The most important notes to me, other than the obvious, are the years of the recordings.  To me, that’s valuable information.

As I stated earlier, I look at these CDs as the other side of Christmas music.  There are 15 songs included on all the CDs, and for this one, all are Christmas hymns and carols but only 8 are going to be familiar to the casual listener.  The others are familiar titles to me but probably not to most listeners.  Only one song, March Of The Toys, from the operetta Babes In Toyland, is a secular Christmas song.

There are only about two or three artists that will be familiar to the casual listener.  Upon deeper research into the artists themselves, most of the uncommon artists are opera singers, symphonies, and classical singers.  The research also shows that many of these artists released Christmas albums under their own names and I am on a quest to see if I can locate any that I may not already have.

Because of the type of artists and their respective careers, you don’t find Rudolph, Frosty or Santa himself represented on this CD.  To me, that is not a problem.  You can find them on many other Christmas compilations.  Here we get reverent Christmas songs performed in a classical manner, at least most are, not all.  And most of these songs were recorded during the Classic Christmas Music Era and they are wonderful, ornately arranged Christmas songs.  That’s why I like this series so much.  These mix in with the more traditional Christmas songs in a large playlist because then you get a broad mix of Christmas music and the songs on this CD keep the message alive.

A couple of Pop singers are on here; Robert Goulet sings Panis Angelicus from 1963, Nelson Eddy with Paul Weston & his Orchestra sings Hark! The Herald Angels Sing from 1951 and Maureen McGovern performs O Holy Night from her 1990 Christmas album.  This is the most recent Christmas song.

The best names in Opera are here as well.  Anna Moffo performs Ave Maria (year and orchestra unknown), Marilyn Horne sings The Bethlehem Babe accompanied by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, from 1983 and Eileen Farrell performs a solemn arrangement of Lullay My Liking accompanied by Luther Henderson & his Orchestra from 1959.

Well known Christmas choirs are represented by The Gregg Smith Singers accompanied by The Texas Boys Choir singing The Holly And The Ivy from 1968.  The CD opens with this song.  The two choirs are accompanied by E. Power Biggs at the organ and The New York Brass & Percussion Ensemble.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir appear on two songs on here.  The one with Marilyn Horne and one on their own, There Shall A Star From Jacob.

Other known choruses are The Waverly Consort performing In Dulci Jubilo from 1977 and The St. Kilian Boy Choir along with Andre Kostelanetz & his Orchestra singing Silent Night, recorded in 1966.

Great orchestras such as Eugene Ormandy and The Philadelphia Orchestra performing March Of The Toys from 1964, (this one is in my Top 500 Classic Christmas Recordings), Erich Leinsdorf conducting The London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus performing Angels From The Realms Of Glory and George Szell And The Cleveland Orchestra performing Deck The Hall With Boughs Of Holly, from 1967 are all here.

One last song that should be mentioned is the second oldest recording on this CD.  It is Frank Parker & Marion Marlowe accompanied by Archie Bleyer & his Orchestra singing O Little Town Of Bethlehem, from 1953.  It is an endearing duet, accompanied only by an organ.  The liner notes say they are accompanied by Archie Bleyer & his Orchestra & Chorus, but I don’t detect any instrument other than the organ, and I don’t hear a chorus either.  The liner notes for the CD probably came from the original credits on the album, and so would’ve applied to all the songs on that album, and perhaps this one just featured an organist and no chorus.  Nonetheless, it is a beautiful Christmas song.

At the risk of repeating myself too much, I can highly recommend this CD, and all 8 for that matter, right into your Christmas music library.  You will thank me.

This “other side of Christmas music” CD will be a treat to listen to all through the Holiday Season.  I know of just a few other Christmas CD collections that can only come close to these, and they would be primarily from Reader’s Digest collections.

I give this CD :

****