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Celebrating the pipe organ, the King of Instruments

1948 Aeolian-Skinner organ at the Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, UT
1948 Aeolian-Skinner organ at the Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, UT

Seasonal Seasonings

It’s a feast for the ears on this week’s broadcast. We’ll have choice and charming confections from home and abroad, including Dale Wood’s evocation of a Cold December, a Richard Purvis song about wee lambs, and a mechanical music-box version of White Christmas. We’ll also visit Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Minneapolis, the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool, England, and Brangwyn Hall in Wales in search of the proper ingredients for our holiday party.

Program Broadcast dates:

Music played in the program

MYRON ROBERTS: Improvisation on God rest you, merry gentlemen –John Obetz (1959 Aeolian-Skinner/Community of Christ Auditorium, Independence, MO) RBWCD-002

DALE WOOD (arranged): 2 Carol Preludes: Silent Night; Cold December flies awayJames Welch (1982 Schoenstein/Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Oakland, CA) Arkay AR6166

ROBERT TWYNHAM: Drop down dew, O heavens –Memphis Chamber Choir and Memphis Boychoir, John Ayer, conductor, David Kienzle (1927 Kilgen; 1956; 1975 Schantz/Episcopal Cathedral of Saint Mary, Memphis, TN) Pro Organo CD 7073

RICHARD CUMMINS (arranged by Cummins): 2 Carol Improvisations: Ding, dong, merrily on high; I saw three ships –Richard Cummins (1926 Skinner; 1980 Möller/Greene Memorial UMC, Roanoke, VA) Cummins CD-1951

CONRAD SUSA: The Birds. RICHARD WAYNE DIRKSEN: Chanticleer –Saint Mark’s Cathedral Choir, Howard Don Small, conductor; Melanie Ninnemann (1928 Welte; 1964 Möller; 1983 Gould & Sons/Episcopal Cathedral of St. Mark, Minneapolis, MN) Saint Mark’s CD-9801

TRADITIONAL: Christmas Songs (Carl Frei book-organ). IRVING BERLIN: White Christmas (1935 Dubbele Biophone/Museum Speelklok, Utrecht, The Netherlands) CD-004

JOHNNY MARKS: I head the bells on Christmas Day. TRADITIONAL: Carol of the Bells. JOSEPH BEAL & JAMES BOOTHE: Jingle Bell Rock. JAMES PIERPONT: Jingle Bells –Bob Ralston (1929 Barton/Granada Theatre, Kansas City, KS) P&P Productions 015533

JULE STYNE: Let it snow. PETER DeROSE: Marshmallow World –Larry Kass (1929 Wurlitzer/Ronald Wehmeier residence, Cleveland, OH) Razzmatazz 1998

RICHARD PURVIS: Wee lambs in the heather –Tom Hazleton (1928 Kimball/Dickinson High School Auditorium, Wilmington, DE) DTOS CD-302

LEROY ANDERSON: Sleigh Ride –Reginald Dixon (1928 Wurlitzer/Tower World Ballroom, Blackpool, England, UK) Sony Special Products CD-19990

ROBERT J. POWELL: Angels among us –Elizabeth and Raymond Chenault (1992 Ruffatti/Spivey Hall, Clayton State University, Morrow, GA) Gothic G49084

WILBUR HELD: A Nativity Suite –John Longhurst (1948 Aeolian-Skinner/Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, UT) Bonneville CD-9504

JOHN RUTTER: Christmas Night. SIR DAVID WILLCOCKS (arranged): God rest you, merry gentlemen.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN: Hark! the herald angels sing –Aled Jones, reader; BBC Welsh Chorus, John Hugh Thomas, conductor; Welsh Guards Trumpeters; Huw Tregelles Williams (1919 Henry Willis & Sons/Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, Wales, UK) Nimbus NI 5310

ROBERT ELMORE: The Night of the Star –John Longhurst (1948 Aeolian-Skinner/Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, UT)

Filler –KIM GANNON, WALTER KENT & BUCK RAM: I’ll be home for Christmas. ROBERT ALLEN: There’s no place like home for the holidaysBob Ralston (1929 Barton/Granada Theatre, Kansas City, KS)

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