Festive Christmas selections heard Thursday:
KPTZ (Port Townsend, WA)
- White Christmas-The Waikikis (A Hawaiian-style instrumental, as the group's name suggests. This is for fans of bent notes on the guitar.)
- Sleigh Ride-Squirrel Nut Zippers (Brassy and fit for a Mardi Gras parade.)
KWMU-3 (St. Louis, MO)
- Here We Come A-Wassailing (Clare College Singers And Orchestra/John Rutter, conductor) (Crisply enunciated vocals that crescendo effectively. If you prefer another proper yet somewhat less stately rendition, I recommend The King's Singers.)
- Frosty The Snowman (Hampton String Quartet) (When this version ended, the announcer said, "You feel smarter already, I'll bet." Why, yes...Hearing one of the holiday's lighter tunes played in the style of Mozart has that effect on many listeners, I imagine. Also recommended: "Do You Hear What I Hear?")
WCRB Ultimate Holiday Classical Mix (Boston, MA)
- The First Noel (Arturo Delmoni & Friends) (Ringing, reverential violin, viola, and cello. For excellent renderings of familiar and obscure carols, all three discs of Delmoni's "A String Quartet Christmas" should be heard in their entirety.)
- O Come, All Ye Faithful (Stephen Siktberg, guitar) (This is one of the most tasteful guitar arrangements of this carol I've heard.)
WDCB (Chicago, IL)
- Christmas Time Is Here-Monika Herzig (Vince Guaraldi's version is definitive, but Herzig's piano rendition is also pleasant and contemplative.)
- The First Noel-Cyrus Chestnut (A different tempo and interpretation of this carol. Chestnut gives the carol a warm reading on the piano. The unexpected minor chord in the chorus gives this version a unique flavor.)
WXPN (Philadelphia, PA)
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town-Sy Mann (A fun romp for synthesizer.)
- Frosty The Snowman-Cocteau Twins (I had just listened to this less than 24 hours earlier, but I had no objection to hearing it again. The instrumentation and Elizabeth Fraser's vocals give this an otherworldly feel.)
