The Hiltonaires Orchestra and the Tony Mansell Singers bring back the music—and the magic—of Christmas: carols, popular songs, traditional melodies, without which the festive season wouldn’t be complete. These are the tunes we forget all year .. . until they remind us, joyfully, that Christmas is here again!
Every melody here has that unique, evocative quality that brings back countless other Happy Christmases: White Christmas, still the biggest-selling song ever, thanks to Irving Berlin (and Bing Crosby); Winter Wonderland, the big hit of 1950 for the Andrews Sisters; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer . . . remember Gene Autry’s version of this perennial children’s favourite? Of course there are carols, too: Good King Wenceslaus — a timely reminder of the saintly ruler who brought Christianity to Bohemia a thousand years ago; and God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen — to conjure up many a Dickensian Christmas-card scene. The party concludes, naturally, with a medley of good, old-fashioned party songs, like There’s a Tavern in the Town, and Auld Lang Syne.
We won’t pretend you’ll play this record all year round. But come next year, and many years after, you’ll be glad to have among your records one truly ‘ Christmassy’ selection— to set the atmosphere, put you in the right mood, and help you celebrate!
