Philadelphia Orchestra Greatest Christmas Hits 320cbr (Big Papi) CDrip

This out of print, but readily available, CD is a wonderful collection to pick up if you can find it. It is not a straight reissue of either 1962's "Glorious Sound of Christmas" or the 1964 follow up "A Christmas Festival" but rather a compilation of sixteen tracks pulled from the two LPs: eight from each.

"O Come All Ye Faithful", "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "Deck the Halls", "The First Noel", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sings", "Joy to the World", "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night" are all from "Glorious Sounds of Christmas". "Jingle Bells", "We Three Kings", "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", "O Tannebaum" , "Away in A Manger", "Little Drummer Boy", "Good King Wenceslas", and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" are from "A Christmas Festival" which, sadly, has never been released on CD in its entirety. So this is the only way to obtain the 8 "Christmas Festival" tracks short of finding an old LP copy.

The sound on all these vintage performances is wonderful and the playing - well, it is 1st class as you would expect from Ormandy and the Philadelphians' long and successful run with Columbia.

Please note: "The Glorious Sound of Christmas" is still available at budget price. In addition to the eight tracks listed above it also includes: "Ave Maria", "O Sanctissima", "The Worship of God", "O Come Little Children", "O Come O Come Emanuel", and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". You may want to purchase that CD from Amazon as well.
The Glorious Sound of Christmas

The four tracks from the "A Christmas Festival" LP which sadly have not yet found their way to CD are: "For Unto Us A Child Is Born", "Hallelujah Chorus", "Here We Go A Caroling", and "I Wander as I Wander"