***More Kids Christmas Music! (i can't get enough!)***

..i spent all day yesterday trawling thru ALL of Amazon uk's mp3 kids albums to find the best more songs i could find. i found a great handful of unknown songs, and some fine renditions of some old standards. there are many more 'Jesusy' songs on this collection, except for about 3 that are great kids versions of pop songs.

i think you will be enthralled as i was at the variety of gorgeous tunes on here. i believe they are mostly American kids, but they sing so beautifully you don't notice, except for the odd solo verses!

i always try to avoid anything too jazzy sounding, too slow, too restrained, too twee, or Heaven forbid, any adult interference. <-Let the kids sing!! i just love it clear, bright and decently sweet! enjoy!






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***Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band -A Tapestry of Carols(1987) -gorgeous old worlde folk, must listen!!***

Note: Maddy & band have done about 5 Christmas albums like this, so do check them out if you like Olde Worlde folk! it's great stuff!!

From Wikipedia:
A Tapestry of Carols is an album by Maddy Prior. It is a collection of ancient carols from across Europe, played by The Carnival Band on replicas of medieval instruments. It was recorded at The Quaker Meeting House, Frenchay, near Bristol and released in 1987.

Personnel

Maddy Prior – vocals
Bill Badley – baroque guitar, guitar, gittern, banjo, mandolin, mandocello, cittern, vocals
Andrew Davis – double bass
Charles Fullbrook – tabors, basel trommel, glockenspiel, bells, wood blocks, triangle, cymbals, vocals
Giles Lewin – violin, recorders, vocals
Andrew Watts – Flemish bagpipes, bassoon, curtal, clarinet, recorders, shawm, vocals
Arrangements by Andrew Watts
"Angels From The Realms Of Glory" arranged by Andrew Watts and Giles Lewin.

Track listing

"The Sans Day Carol" (Traditional Cornish)
"In Dulci Jubilo" (German 14th Cent)
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Traditional English)
"It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" (Tune trad Eng, words EH Sears)
"The Holly and the Ivy" (Traditional English)
"The Coventry Carol" (English 16th Cent)
"Ding Dong Merrily On High" (Tune trad French 16th Cent, words GR Woodward)
"The Angel Gabriel" (Tune trad Basque, words S Baring-Gould)
"Angels From The Realms of Glory" (Tune trad French, words J Montgomery)
"Infant Holy" (Traditional Polish)
"A Virgin Most Pure" (Traditional English)
"Unto Us A Boy Is Born" (German Medieval)
"Rejoice And Be Merry" (Traditional English)
"Joseph Dearest" (German 16th Cent)
"Personent Hodie" (German 14th Cent)
"On Christmas Night" (Sussex Carol) (Traditional English)

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***ELP -Works Vol 1 & 2 (uk 1977) -amazing album with classical, prog and power ballads***

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Works Volume 1 is a 1977 album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It is a two-disc set divided into four major sections, one each highlighting each band member, and one for combined works.

The album was highly anticipated, as it had been four years since the release of ELP's last studio album, Brain Salad Surgery. However, it was different from the synthesizer-driven music that most fans had expected and received a mixed reaction from fans and press.

Side 1 of the first disc is the Keith Emerson side, a concerto for piano and orchestra.

Side 2 is the Greg Lake side, and consists of acoustic ballads, most of which were written by Lake and Peter Sinfield.

Side 3 (disc 2, side 1, the Carl Palmer side) includes a remake of "Tank" (from ELP's eponymous first album), with orchestral accompaniment and without the drum solo. Another track on Palmer's side is the rocker "L.A. Nights", featuring Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh on lead and slide guitar and scat vocal. Also, two arrangements of outside composers' pieces figure on the Palmer side: one of Bach's baroque D Minor Invention #4, BWV 775, and a piece titled 'The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits', an excerpt of the 2nd movement of "The Scythian Suite" by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953), written in 1915.

Side 4 (disc 2, side 2) features the entire band together, and consists of a modern piece re-arranged for rock band, Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, and the long-form song "Pirates" which features lyrics added to music Emerson had written for the soundtrack of a canceled film version of Frederick Forsyth's book The Dogs of War. Aaron Copland found ELP's version of his piece appealing although he was puzzled at the inclusion of a modal solo between two fairly straight renditions of his piece.

Track listing:
Disc one
Keith Emerson

"Piano Concerto No. 1" (Keith Emerson) - 18:19
First Movement: "Allegro giocoso" – 9:21
Second Movement: "Andante molto cantabile" – 2:09
Third Movement: "Toccata con fuoco" – 6:48

Greg Lake

"Lend Your Love to Me Tonight" (Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield) – 4:01
"C'est la Vie" (Lake, Sinfield) – 4:16
"Hallowed Be Thy Name" (Lake, Sinfield) – 4:35
"Nobody Loves You Like I Do" (Lake, Sinfield) – 3:56
"Closer to Believing" (Lake, Sinfield) – 5:33

Disc two
-Carl Palmer

"The Enemy God Dances with the Black Spirits" (Sergei Prokofiev, arr. Emerson, Lake, Carl Palmer) – 3:20
"L.A. Nights" (Palmer) – 5:42
"New Orleans" (Palmer) (features Joe Walsh on guitars and scat vocal) and Keith Emerson on keyboards. – 2:45
"Two Part Invention in D Minor" (J. S. Bach, arr. Palmer) – 1:54
"Food for Your Soul" (Palmer) – 3:57
"Tank" (Emerson, Palmer) – 5:09

-Emerson, Lake & Palmer

"Fanfare for the Common Man" (Aaron Copland, arr. Emerson, Lake, Palmer) – 9:40
"Pirates" (Emerson, Lake, Sinfield) – 13:19

********************************************


Works Volume 2 is an album released in 1977 by Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Unlike Works Volume 1 (which consisted of three solo sides and one ensemble side), Volume 2 was a single album which seemingly was a compilation of leftover tracks from other album sessions that had not made those albums. While many derided the album for its apparent lack of focus, others felt it showed a different side of the band, with blues, bluegrass and jazz being very prominent as musical genres in this recording.


Album material

"When The Apple Blossoms Bloom...", "Tiger in a Spotlight" and "Brain Salad Surgery" had been recorded at the 1973 sessions for the album Brain Salad Surgery but did not appear on it - rather strangely in the case of the latter.

Volume 2 also included a stripped-down version of Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas". An orchestral version of the song had previously been released as a solo Lake single in the UK and became something of an annual Christmas standard there.

Track listing:

"Tiger in a Spotlight" (Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Carl Palmer, Peter Sinfield) – 4:32
"When the Apple Blossoms Bloom in the Windmills of Your Mind I'll Be Your Valentine" (Emerson, Lake, Palmer) – 3:56
"Bullfrog" (Ron Aspery, Mick Hodgkinson, Palmer)– 3:49
"Brain Salad Surgery" (Emerson, Lake, Sinfield) – 3:07
"Barrelhouse Shake-Down" (Emerson) – 3:37
"Watching Over You" (Lake, Sinfield) – 3:54
"So Far to Fall" (Emerson, Lake, Sinfield) – 4:55
"Maple Leaf Rag" (Scott Joplin) – 2:00
"I Believe in Father Christmas" (Lake, Sinfield) – 3:17
"Close But Not Touching" (Palmer) – 3:18
"Honky Tonk Train Blues" (Meade "Lux" Lewis) – 3:09
"Show Me the Way to Go Home" (L. James Campbell, Reginald Connelly) – 3:30

wv1
wv2

***ELP -Trilogy (Glorious Symphonic prog classic 1972)***

ELP's third studio album, originally released in 1972, further increased their worldwide popularity. It includes "Hoedown", which has become one of their most popular songs when performing live and "From The Beginning", their highest-charting US single to date.here


1. The Endless Enigma (Part One)
3. The Endless Enigma (Part Two)
4. From The Beginning
5. The Sheriff
6. Hoedown
7. Trilogy
8. Living Sin
9. Abaddon's Bolero

***Various Kids -Kids Christmas Songs & Carols (my compilation)***

Psychelatte says: this is my personal selection of the best Kids Christmas songs, old and new that i have on cd, from various cds. i chose them for the quality of the singing and/or the originality of the song.

i don't have kids but i have always loved hearing kids singing. i hope you enjoy it as much as i do. have a Happy Christmas! xxx

(p.s the numbering is all over the place as the songs were taken from various cds.)


A-CAROLING WE GO (US KIDS)
THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS (UK KIDS)
LITTLE DONKEY (UK KIDS)
MR SANTA (UK KIDS)
O COME O COME IMMANUEL (US KIDS)
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS (US KIDS)
HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS (US KIDS)
10 LITTLE ANGELS (UK KIDS)
ITS CHRISTMAS TIME (UK KIDS)
GOOD KING WENCESLAS (US KIDS)
BABHOOSKA (UK KIDS)
O CHRISTMAS TREE (US KIDS)
ROCKING CAROL (UK KIDS)
WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS (US KIDS)
FUM FUM FUM (US KIDS)
OVER THE RIVER (UK KIDS)
WE THREE KINGS (US KIDS)
CHRISTMAS LULLABY (UK KIDS)
THE FRIENDLY BEASTS (US KIDS)
GOD BLESS THE MASTER OF THIS HOUSE (UK KIDS)
STAR CAROL (UK KIDS)
A CHILD THIS DAY IS BORN (US KIDS)
THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM (US KIDS)
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY (US KIDS)
WHEN SANTA GOT STUCK UP THE CHIMNEY (UK KIDS)
BRING A TORCH, JEANETTE, ISABELLA (US KIDS)
DEAR FATHER CHRISTMAS (UK KIDS)
JOY TO THE WORLD (US KIDS)
DECK THE HALLS (US KIDS)
WHAT CHILD IS THIS (US KIDS)
I WONDER AS I WANDER (US KIDS)
MARY HAD A BABY (UK KIDS)
ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH (US KIDS)
CHRISTMAS BELLS (UK KIDS)
SHEPHERDS PIPE CAROL (UK ADULT?)
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (UK KIDS)
WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED (UK KIDS)
LOVE CAME DOWN AT CHRISTMAS (UK KIDS)
SEE AMID THE WINTERS SNOW (U
SLEIGH RIDE (UK KIDS)
CAROL OF THE BELLS (US KIDS)
CHRISTMAS IS COMING (UK KIDS)
AULD LANG SYNE (US KIDS)


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Grandaddy -Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland

***Bosphorus & Mode Plagal - Beyond The Bosphorus- (Greece, Turkey, -bewitching fusion of folky traditional music & modern Jazz with female vocals)***

“Greek jazz ensemble Mode Plagal collaborate with Bosphorus, a group with Turkish musicians and traditional instruments who bring forth the sound and experience of the Eastern and Anatolian musical tradition. The symbolism of the Bosphorus straits as a passage from one world to the another, from one sea to the other and from one continent to a new world.”

"'It was bound to happen, someday.'
That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I came across the news that Bosphorus and Mode Plagal were to collaborate on a record.

Bosphorus, a group of Turkish musicians from Istanbul who for almost twenty years now have been studying the musical tradition of that city through its many periods have been churning out amazing records off the mainstream. They have been exploring, among other things, the musical tradition of Greek composers of the city, as well as the interplay between what existed in the city (the Byzantine tradition of the time when the city used to be called Contantinople) and what came after (the Ottoman musical tradition both on the level of court music and popular one.)

Mode Plagal have already been covered extensively in Rootsworld, as they have been following a similar path regarding Greek music, but with an added focus on jazz experimentation.

Listen!
So, in many ways, both groups have been dealing with the same questions: What does it mean to be at the crossroads between East and West, Now and Then? What have been the results of the influences of other people on the musical tradition of the region? Are there traces of the past to be found and are there any of those worthy of retention for the future? All that and beautiful sounds!

The latter is where Beyond the Bosphorus succeeds effortlessly: this is a compelling, seductive record that doesn't sound academic at all, while it combines music from three different musical traditions; the learned Eastern musical system (the ancient one), the folk tradition of the Alevi communities, and the western-influenced one, as is noted in the beautiful and very informative trilingual liner notes (Greek, English and French.) There were times that this record sounded pop. At others, it reminded me strongly of Morphine (the band from Boston) or an ethnomusicologist's pet research project. On "Oceania," the last song, the U2 of the late 1980s comes to mind. All that and it never sounds forced, grotesque or garish.

As in the previous collaborative work of Mode Plagal (the Yorgos Margaritis CD recently reviewed), this record sounds like Bosphorus, possessed by Mode Plagal. The way in which they go in and out of the picture, blending in or coming to the forefront, depending on the musical needs or whim of the moment, is fascinating.

Apart from the usual high musicianship of Mode Plagal (who use saxophones, electric and acoustic guitars, drums and bass) and the exquisite learned virtuosity of Bosphorus (who play kemenche, rebab, violin, ney, cello, kudum, bendir, kaval, saz, kanun and tanbur), Vassiliki Papageorgiou, who sings on almost all the tracks, should be singled out for particular praise, as her laid back, spacey yet curiously earthy voice is often the highlight of a song. Providing a stylistic unity to the record which otherwise would have been torn apart by its various musical influences, Papageorgiou inhabits the role of the narrator of this fascinating musical journey, as she sings about love in the city, important Islamic religious feasts, Sappho and most of all about the city: Konstantiniye/Istanbul. - Nondas Kitsos

The press info:
The symbolism of Bosphorus straights as a passage from one world to another, from one sea to the other and from one continent to a new world, has marked through myths the spiritual memory and heritage of migrating tribes as well as that of sea-faring people in the greater basin of the Easter Mediterranean.

Those tribes coming from the South, following the south to north migration of the cranes, believed in the a hyperborean haven and heaven whirling beyond the North Star (Polaris), whereas those arriving from the Ease longed for a Western Paradise somewhere along the shores of the Atlantic. On the crossroads, at the exact point of intersection of the axis, there at the divide between Europe and Asia, a City was founded which it was hoped would reflect the heavenly peace (Irini) and Wisdom (Sophia)- the Byzantine Constantinople, Konstantiniye of the Ottomans- the present dat Istanbul.

The space of all around seems to resound - Aghia Sophia, the Bosphorus, the mosques, the domes, the golden horn, everything seems to whirl around a mysterious and inaudible sound which is perceptible only to those who have managed to emerge free from the murky and channeled waters of urban material existence. Beyond, rises yet another deafening but silent sound, the dirge of a Metropolis which has lost the dream to embrace within her womb all the religions and people suffering tribulations and by this way, becoming admired by all the nations as an example of ecumenicity.

We have tried to capture with our music the echo of this indescribable sound. To achieve this -which is also a game with different musical systems and tunings- two different groups collaborated: Bosphorus with turkish musicians and ancient traditional instruments which bring forth the sound and experience of the Eastern and Anatolian musical tradition and Mode Plagal, a greek avant-garde group which is experimenting a contemporary approach to greek traditional Folk music. The compositions, besides the traditional songs and tunes, are by the musicians of both groups and are put to the lyrics and poetry of G. Seferis, T. Syrelis and V. Papageorgiou around the theme of "Beyond Bosphorus".

They are interpreted by Vasiliki Papageorgiou, with a traditional Alevi prayer to the 12 Imams by Engin Arslan. The musical direction is by Nikiforos Metaxas. Bosphorus and Mode Plagal have been collaborating for some time now, Mode Plagla have been visiting Turkey quite often and both groups have given joint concerts the last couple of years in Greece, Turkey -in Istanbul and Smyrni for the 100 years of G. Seferis- in Belgium, Holland etc.

Apart from the usual high musicianship of Mode Plagal (who use saxophones, electric and acoustic guitars, drums and bass) and the exquisite learned virtuosity of Bosphorus (who play kemenche, rebab, violin, ney, cello, kudum, bendir, kaval, saz, kanun and tanbur), Vassiliki Papageorgiou, who sings on almost all the tracks, should be singled out for particular praise, as her laid back, spacey yet curiously earthy voice is often the highlight of a song. Providing a stylistic unity to the record which otherwise would have been torn apart by its various musical influences, Papageorgiou inhabits the role of the narrator of this fascinating musical journey, as she sings about love in the city, important Islamic religious feasts, Sappho and most of all about the city: Konstantiniye/Istanbul." - Nondas Kitsos, RootsWorld

“Beyond The Bosphorus is a collaboration between Greek band Mode Plagal and the most recent incarnation of the Turkish group Bosphorus, which now includes such leading performers of Turkish art music as Hasan Esen (kemençe) and Murat Aydemir (tanbur). On vocals is Vasiliki Papayeoryiou, who has worked with Bosphorus in the past. In short, this is an impressive line-up. - Chris Williams”
Track Listing
-------------
01. Improvisation: Rebab-Cello
02. Konstantiniye
03. The Tumult Of Torrents
04. Ey Zahit
05. Shuttle Boats
06. Beyond The Bosphorus
07. Until Such Time
08. Itinerary
09. Twelve Imams
10. Tatavla
11. For Sappho
12. Erotikos Logos
13. Lullaby
14. Faraway Lady
15. This Night
16. Oceania


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***Various Artists (2009/2010) -Anatolia Rocks: A Musical Trip Through Turkey Vol. 1 & 2***

Anatolian rock (Turkish: Anadolu Rock) is a fusion of Turkish folk and rock music. It emerged during the mid-1960s, soon after rock groups such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Status Quo, and Omega became popular in Turkey. Examples of this style include Turkish musicians such as Cem Karaca, Barış Manço, Erkin Koray, Fikret Kızılok, Murat Ses alongside bands such as Moğollar, Kurtalan Ekspres, Mavi Işıklar, Apaşlar and Kardaşlar. Today, Anatolian Rock is a general term used to describe music derived from both traditional Turkish folk music and Rock.

Tracklist:
Volume 1
01 Ümit Tokcan - Uryan Geldim
02 Erkin Koray - Estarabim
03 Esin Afşar - Zühtü
04 Edip Akbayram & Dostlar - Zalım Zalım
05 3 Hürel - Döner Dünya
o6 KIm Bunlar - Oyuna Çağrı
o7 Selda Bağcan - Ince Ince Bir Kar Yağar
o8 Erkin Koray - Şaşkın
o9 Barış Manço* - Estergon Kalesi
10 Fikret Kızılok - Sevda Çiçeği
11 Nurcan Opel - Beğenmez Beğenmez
12 Cem Karaca & Apaşlar - Gılgamış
13 Grup Bunalım - Bunalım
14 Mustafa Özkent - Zeytinyağlı
15 Barış Manço* - Ben Bilirim
16 Mavi Işıklar - Gül Dah
17 Galatasaray Lisesi - Zazie
18 Erkin Koray - Türkü

Volume 2
1. Alpay ~ Ben armudu dislerim *
2. Metin H. Alatli ~ Mevlana Böyle Dedi [Edit]
3. Timur Selçuk Orkestrasy ~ Panayir Gunu *
4. Serpil Barlas ~ Yandin askinla ben *
5. Erkin Koray ~ Silinmeyen Hatiralar
6. Zerrin Zerren ~ Yazik Sana *
7. Ersen ~ Dostlar beni hartirlasin
8. Ferdi Özbegen ~ köprüden gecti gelin
9. Baris Manço ~ Sari Cizmeli Mehmet Aga
10. Gulden Karabocek ~ Artik Sorma beni *
11. Grup Cigrisim ~ Salak
12. Mavi Isiklar ~ Ask Cicegi
13. Aziz Azmet ve Bunalimlar ~ Hele Hele Gel *
14. Ajda Pekkan ~ Viens dans ma vie *
15. Gomidas Ensemble ~ Helvaji [traditional] *
16. Edip Akbayram ~ Arabam Kaldi Yolda