The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi--I treated myself to an all-original Victrola II with original horn in perfect working order and we have started a Christmas tradition of listening to Christmas Carols on it while decorating the tree or having company over. The only one I have is http://www.worldcat.org/title/christmas ... lc/6953852 which is from 1950....Could you all add your recomendations to this thread of old christmas carol music on 78's that would be great to play on an old victrola? The older the better to fit with the Victrola of course. Thank you!

If you want something closer to the period of your machine the selection gets a bit thin.

There are period recordings of Silent Night: http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/search/resul ... nt%20night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_IpWSR_E6c and other Christmas themed recordings:
http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/search/results?q=christmas

but popular Christmas records really don't take off until secular Christmas songs become popular in the 30's -40's.

Some very fine recordings of traditional Christmas carols were made by UK Columbia. They may be hard to find in the USA but are well worth acquiring if you get the opportunity.

Artists included the King's College Chapel Choir (whose Christmas carol service is still broadcast worldwide each year) and the Celebrity Quartette, whose personnel varied but typically included eminent British singers such as Norman Allin, Isobel Baillie, Heddle Nash, and the Australian Harold Williams.

Most of the "Christmas music" found on acoustic records are of the "church hymnal variety" - 19th Century Victorian stuff.

Silent Night seems to be the most popular title, and it is surprising how many text variants there are.

Others include:

Vom Himmel Hoch da komm ich Herr ( Bach ), Ernestine Schumann-Heinck on Victor Red Seal


Various selections by the "Trinity Choir" on Victor black arch-label:

Angels from the Realms of Glory

I heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Joy to the World

Hark the Herald Angels Sing


O Holy Night - Victor Red Seal - various artists

Adeste Fideles - John McCormack - Victor Red Seal

Joy to the World - various


You also might find instrumental versions, orchestra, band, Organ and Chimes...


I'd bet there's some really good Christmas carol music on His Master's Voice ( British Victor ).


Then there's stuff like Cal Stewart's "Christmas at Pumpkin Center"...

Caruso's Chantique de Noel (Holy Night) on Victor 12-inch Red Label 88561 is stunning and possibly the best performance by Caruso on record. With a well-rebuilt sound box it will show off your phonograph like nothing else.
John

If you're open to having records in other languages, you will find a few more Christmas records here and there. I have found Italian, Russian, and Bohemian Christmas records "in the wild" in the last year alone.

Wow this is a great start!! Thank you and keep the recommendations coming--thank you all very much!

This Christmas season just past, a friend burned me a CD of his "Christmas" 78's, all pre-Depression, with comprehensive title info on the J-card.

I will post the selections here later.

There were at least four or five different versions of "Silent Night", one in Russian, I believe !

welshfield wrote:Caruso's Chantique de Noel (Holy Night) on Victor 12-inch Red Label 88561 is stunning and possibly the best performance by Caruso on record. With a well-rebuilt sound box it will show off your phonograph like nothing else.
John

Try Marcel Journet's version on (acoustical) Red Seal sometime. Powerful.

A good one for the OP might be John McCormack's Adeste Fideles - acoustical version not the electrical remake. Ought to be easy to find. William Hooley also sings on the disc.

Another I've played a lot over the years is the Haydn Quartet's Silent Night, Hallowed Night Victor disc from 1905. Charmingly quaint.

Reminds me of the one time my Grandma (Mom's side) came to my house - she insisted on coming upstairs, to see where I lived, and I showed her the Edison Fireside in my living room. Everything (EVERYTHING!) was decorated and lighted for Xmas. "Silent Night", said I, as I started the Fireside.... "Oh, that's okay, I know it" -said my mysteriously weird Grandma. I played it anyway ... she cried, and my Mom led her back down the stairs. I'll never know what that was about. It's a lovely Blue Amberol, anyway.