Search - Christmas Traditional, John Henry, Jr. Hopkins, John Francis Wade :: A Festival Of Carols In Brass

The Standard For Christmas Brass Music

Timothy Kearney | Hull, MA United States | 12/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This collection is over thirty years old and it sets the standard for Christmas brass music. It would be my guess that many of people who already own this disc first purchased it as an LP. Others will purchase the disc because their parents and grandparents owned the disc and it has become a holiday musical tradition. Over the years it has been one of Columbia's best selling albums and listeners will easily understand why. Listeners will almost feel as if the Salvation Army Band is right outside serenading Christmas shoppers. Listeners will quickly discover that many of the tracks of this collection are familiar from radio play. Probably the most creative and perhaps best known arrangements are the group's version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." You cannot go wrong purchasing this disc."

Christmas Brass at It's Best

F. Adcock | Silsbee, Texas United States | 11/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you like to listen to the Salvation Army Band on a cold, wintry evening on a city street corner at Christmas (and who doesn't?), then this outstanding selection of Yuletide favorites is for you. The ensemble obviously enjoyed these recording sessions, for the playing is topnotch, without even the slightest suggestion of routine. The sound is also impressive, given the recording comes from the late 1960's. Most of the selections last less than two minutes, so the music never outstays its welcome. Highly recommended!"

Outstanding Musicality

Brassman123 | New Jersey, USA | 01/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Several raters have complained about the lack of a listing of the performers on this disc. The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble was nothing more than the principal and second players of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Perhaps "nothing more" is not the best way to describe this as the performers were, at the time, some of the best players in the US. Gilbert Johnson (trumpet) was considered (until his death from cancer a few years ago) one of the finest trumpeters to ever have played in a symphony orchestra. When I was growing up, Henry Charles Smith (trombone) was the model we all looked up to for how a orchestral principal trombone should sound. He was the Joseph Alessi of the time. The same could be said for Mason Jones (french horn) and Abe Torchinsky (tuba). All of these players had students who are playing in major symphony orchestras around the world and continue to inspire future performers through their many recordings. To my knowlege, the performers are:

Gilbert Johnson (Trumpet)
Seymour Rosenfeld (Trumpet)
Mason Jones (French Horn)
Henry Charles Smith (Trombone)
Tyrone Breuninger (Trombone)
M. Dee Stewart (Euphonium)
Abe Torchinsky (Tuba)

Cheers!"