Jimmy Webb`s Christmas cantata

[Blair N. Cummings]

I enjoy Christmas music about as much as I do Dylan albums (regulars here will know that that`s not an endorsement) but this overlooked gem just appeared in its entirety on YouTube. If you`ve missed it until now, here it is:

[danlindroos]

Hi, Blair ....and Merry Christmas too !:))

Wanted to thank you for posting
this gem ! First I thought I´d
listen for a lick of time and
ended up listening thru the
whole cantata ! Very impressive !
Especially the cast of lead singers
seemed to be very wisely picked out !!
Art has always been one of my
all time favourites and he is very good
all through here also !:))

Cheers
Dani

[Blair N. Cummings]

I`m glad you liked the Webb piece.
I tried to listen to your song but the link no longer works (at least here in the US).

[danlindroos]

Sorry Blair for the inconvenience
with the missing link ! I must
have replaced the original link
with a better one and now
the link should point to the
best version of the song !


Cheers
Dani

[Blair N. Cummings]

Wow, an American-style country Christmas song from Finland! Maybe it will replace this on the radio playlists:

[danlindroos]

Well, my good Blair, I feel I have to enlighten you
slightly why I chose country background for this
Christmas tune ?

You see, I am a barbershopper and as such
a 14 year member of the BHS Barbershop Harmony
Society with headquarters in Nashville.

I have been to the US many times
both due to my work position
and later (I am a pensioner now )
for to meet up with music friends
mostly in and around Seattle, Bellingham and
Lynden)

I have been fortunate to have got to
sing with world champion barbershop
quartets like Realtime and Friendly
Advice (the latter a senior quartet)

I have always loved polyphonic vocal
music as written by Wilson, Webb and
Bacharach just to name a few (naturally there
are a lot of others too) Among the many
superb groups I can count The Johnny Mann
Singers (who started it all for me) ,
The Four Freshmen, The Hi-Lo´s and later
The Singers Unlimited (I just loved Gene Puerling´s
arrangements so much) ! To counterweight this
kind of music I love Palestrina´s counterpoint
music also very much and loved to sing it with
our Chamber Choir back then !

Now, since my dear wife Beni died some years ago
I happened to get a copy of this wonderful
music making software named BIAB or
Band In A Box, which program is getting better
every year ! Thus I started to write music in my older days
and mostly as therapy for to try and overcome the
grief I felt after my great loss. Later, this hobby has
more or less turned into an obsession especially
as I won a free copy of the 2014 version of the program
thru my compositions !:)) I have written and posted
over 30 original songs over the period of jan 1st til dec 1 , 2014 !
The 2014 version of the program has a lot of country styles
with pedal steel an instrument I really love !:))
That is the story behind the country style I chose !
I have also written Bacharach sounding tunes like f.i.
this one: " You Make Me Feel So Fine":))

http://app.box.com/s/glzp8vojrqpg1oj5rlcd

Now, dear Blair, have yourself a Most Merry Christmas
and a Most Happy New Year !:))

Cheers
Dani

[pyaramosam]

Sorry Blair for the inconvenience with the missing link ! I must have replaced the original link with a better one and now the link should point to the best version of the song !