Various Artists - Christmas Favorites: Music For The Holidays (1997)

A 1997 compilation of traditional holiday music; issued by Sony Music Special Products. Selections previously released on albums from CBS-associated labels. There's also a logo for Paper Magic Group on the back cover and CD itself. No liner notes and only a simple cardboard sleeve, but not a terrible 'background music' compilation considering it was probably picked up for free with the purchase of greeting cards.

Tracks: 10 tracks, 29½ minutes

We're treated to two seldom heard Christmas tunes, In The Bleak Midwinter and Come Shepherds Rise. The former features a 19th century poem set to a beautiful melody from Gustav Holst; the latter is a lively choral setting of a sixteenth-century Bohemian carol. Also, the Bach piece, Sheep May Safely Graze, isn't really a Christmas piece, but the pastoral livestock lyrics are close enough, I guess. And while he gets top billing, famed Spanish cellist Pablo Casals really isn't featured in the arrangement. Regardless, I enjoy most all of them, particularly the tracks from Julie Andrews, Vicki Carr, and Mahalia Jackson.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but it reminds me quite a bit of this Christmas Wonderland CD we featured in December 2021, which featured many of the same artists. Two recordings appeared on both compilations: the medley from Richard Kiley and Joy To The World by Mahalia Jackson.