Search - The Voices of Walter Schumann :: The Voices of Christmas

At last! My Christmas is complete!!!

G. Richie | Leonardtown, MD USA | 11/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not sure, but I think you all can thank me for this recording finally being available on CD! Starting in 2004 I tracked the original RCA recording to the BMG archives, and began pleading with them (hounding?) to release this wonderful Christmas album onto CD. It took 4 years, but they finally did it! It is all perfectly delightful. I disagree that there are any stinkers on it, as one reviewer wrote. If you were a child (like I was) growing up in the 1950s-60s, it was--and still is--beautiful, magical and fun. The immaculate choral arrangements range from classic, contemporary, jazz and gospel/spiritual. The accompaniment is top-notch and creative, though on many of the cuts Schumann chose to have none, better serving the spirit of the song. You really can feel the crackling fire, smell the Christmas tree, taste the eggnog & rum and enjoy the warm, companionship of this fine music. Do take a listen and enjoy my (and so many others') beloved, favorite childhood Christmas album."

Favorite Christmas Music

Lisa Kay Helin | Atlanta, GA | 12/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My parents had this album. It was part of every Christmas holiday season. The Christmas Tree was a family favorite with everyone singing different parts (mine was "presents nice"). We've tried burning the album to CD a number of times but the quality was never very good. Was thrilled beyond words to find this out on CD this year. Recommending it to everyone to start making memories of their own."

I'm as surprised as you are!

Lawrence Rapchak | Whiting, IN United States | 02/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was amazed to see that Collector's Choice released this classic album, and even more so because they report that it's their ALL-TIME biggest Christmas request from customers.



My father, the late, great Chicago DJ Mike Rapchak, brought home our first

few copies of this album in 1955, when I was quite young. It has become the single most powerful musical "icon" in our family's Christmas past, and I am astonished to learn that it has also played a major role in the

lives of so many other families from that fabulous era (my family ultimately amassed 8-10 copies of the album, so we have NEVER been without it!)



Schumann was at the height of his short-lived fame in 1955, basking in the popularity of his "Dragnet" tune and having also composed his excellent score for the cult film "Night of the Hunter" that year. His Christmas arrangements are wonderfully evocative of the innocent, fun-filled times in which they were written, with bright and colorful orchestral accompaniments to "Rudolf", "The Christmas Song", "Sleigh Ride" and the delightful "Christmas in Killarney", which

unexpectedly becomes wistful and nostalgic as it draws to a close.

In contrast to the overall jollity, "God rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "What Child is This" are hushed and reverent in their unaccompanied simplicity.



Among the rare delights are "The First SnowFALL" (NOT "SnowBALL" as listed on Amazon's playlist!), and the serenely beautiful "Lully, Lully", an old French lullabye carol. Unfortunately, for the sake of contrast, its tranquility is shattered by the opening of "Christmas Gift", a newly-composed spiritual, which should not have been placed directly after the lullabye.



"Christmas Gift" IS a novelty, since it was written and performed by famous singer/choral director Jester Hairston, composer of the lovely carol "Mary's Little Boy Child" and sometimes actor (The 1960 "Alamo", for instance). I remember my high school choir attemtping to sing the published arrangement of this carol; I brought in the Schumann LP for the choir to listen to, and recall our tenor section doing a very lame job of imitating Jester's delivery. It was doomed from the start....



"Christmas Tree" is a real stand-out---not necessarily for the best reasons. It's one of those old "counting songs" based on a familiar German tune (check out Mel Blanc's totally zonked-out version from 1953!) Here, the solo voice who leads the holiday "hilarity" is baritone Bill Lee, probably the single most prolific session-singer in Hollywood during the period (he overdubs, for instance, the singing voice of Matt Mattox in the opening of "7 Brides for 7 Brothers'" "Lonesome Polecat"). I usually tend to skip over "Christmas Tree" when listening, tho I DID enjoy it when I was a kid.



Also present in the Schumann singers is the booming basso of the omnipresent Thurl Ravenscroft (who sang as part of the famous "MelloMen" Quartet with Bill Lee), who has a couple of solos --- as Santa in "Rudolf" and as the Indian ("HOW!") in "Christmas Gift". Also in the alto section is one particular singer who CONTINUALLY sticks out of the group texture. Several years ago I spoke on the phone with Nathan Scott, who arranged many of the cuts on this album; he clearly remembered the brazen alto voice, but could not recall her name.



So many fascinating facts.....and many more...go into making this recording such a treasure. It brings back many INTENSELY great childhood Christmas memories for me, and I'm glad that it means so much to so many others."