Program No. 85 - Month of Christmas Music (The Big One)

Tonight is the culmination of our month of Christmas Music as we present a three hour Extravaganza of Christmas music across a whole range of brass genres, from brass bands and ensembles, to some fantastic solo work, jazz, big band, soul and crossover music.

Here is the play list, in order:

1. Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)
    - Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band (Stan Kenton Christmas Album -2006)

2. A Traditional Christmas
   - 13 Etoiles (Santa Claus is Coming to Town)

3. A Christmas Fantasia
   - Virtuosi GUS Band (Christmas Fantasia - 2012)

4. Carol of the Bells
   - Intrada Brass of Oakville (That Holiday Feeling - 2008)

5. Three Kings' Swing
   - Swiss Army Brass Band - Andreas Spörri (Best Of Swiss Army Brass Band - 2006)

6. Silent Night
  - Yorkshire Building Society Band with Trombone Chris Jeans (Simple Gifts - 2003)

7. Do They Know It's Christmas?
   - Grimethorpe Colliery RJB Band & Major Peter Parkes (White Christmas With Grimethorpe - 1997)

8. Do You Hear What I Hear?
9. O Magnum Mysterium
   - Tower Brass of Chicago (A Christmas Celebration - 2000)

10. Gaudete Christus Natus Est
11. Coventry Carol
   - Fine Arts Brass Ensemble (Brass Christmas - 1997)

12. O Come All Ye Faithful
   - London Brass (Christmas With London Brass - 1990)

13. White Christmas
   - Carl Lenthe, Joseph Alessi, M. Dee Stewert & Mark Lawrence (Trombones Under the Tree - 1991)

14. Snofnugg (Snowflakes)
15. O Holy Night
   - Oystein Baadsvik; Torodd Wigum: Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Cantus Chamber Choir (Snowflakes - A Classical Christmas - 2011)

16. O Little Town of Bethlehem
   - Chris Botti (December - 2002)

17.  O Christmas Tree
   - Wynton Marsalis (Christmas Jazz Jam - 2009)

18. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
19. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire)
   - The After Hours Brass (Music & Mistletoe - 2012)

20. Good King Wencelas
21. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
   - Glenn Miller Orchestra (In The Christmas Mood II - 1993)

22. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
23. Away In A Manger
   - James Morrison Big Band (This Is Christmas - 1993)

24. The Twelve Days of Christmas
    - Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band (Stan Kenton Christmas Album -2006)

25. Christmas In Heaven
   - Monty Python (Monty Python Sings - 1989)

26. Another Christmas Song
   - Stephen Colbert (A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! - 2008)

27. Stop The Cavalry
   - Jona Lewie (The All Time Greatest Christmas Songs - 1981)

28. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
29. Frosty the Snowman (feat. The Puppini Sisters)
   - Michael Bublé (December - 2012)

30. (It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus
   - Harry Connick, Jr. (When My Heart Finds Christmas - 1993)

31. Silver Bells
   - Harry Connick, Jr. (Harry For the Holidays - 2003)

32. We Three Kings
   - Harry Connick, Jr. (What a Night! A Christmas Album - 2008)

33. Joy to the World
34. Jingle Bells
   - The Tom Kubis Big Band (A Jazz Musician's Christmas - 2002)

35. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
36. Deck the Halls
   - Mannheim Steamroller (Christmas Symphony - 2012)

37. Hallelujah!
   - Quincy Jones, Mervyn Waren, Michael O. Jackson, Various Artists (Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration -1992)

It's a big one. Lots of great music. I hope you enjoy it.

Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope you have a happy, safe and meaningful New Year in 2014.

I am looking forward to having a week off, but will be back in the new year - in a new format, bigger and better.

I look forward to your company then.

Program No. 84 - Month of Christmas Music (Big Bands)

Continuing on in this month of Christmas music, and week 3 sees us venturing into Big Band Christmas music. This genre is much maligned, probably due it being overused in supermarket and shopping centre play lists.  However tonight is a good opportunity to sit back and fully appreciate the skill shown as traditional Christmas tunes are given a big band makeover.

Program List (in no particular order):

What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
Adeste Fideles
Motown Jingle Bells
   - Boston Brass and the Brass All-Stars Big Band (Stan Kenton Christmas Carols - 2006)

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Winter Wonderland
   - Tony Bennett (A Swingin' Christmas - 2008)

Joy To The World
O Holy Night
God Rest Ye Merry Trombones
   - The Tom Kubis Big Band (A Jazz Musician's Christmas - 2002)

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
   - James Morrison Big Band (This Is Christmas - 1993)

Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
   - Lionel Hampton Orchestra (The Big Band Swing Christmas - 2008)

Another Christmas Song
   - Stephen Colbert (A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! - 2008)

Good Christian Men Rejoice
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Carol Of The Bells
   - The Cool Yule All-Stars (Big Band Christmas Volumes 1 and 2 - 2001)

Little Drummer Boy
   - Jack Livingston Big Band (Big Band Christmas -2007)

What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin')?
   - Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang (The Big Band Swing Christmas - 2008)

White Christmas (duet with Shania Twain)
Frosty The Snowman (featuring the Puppini Sisters)
  - Michael Bublé (Christmas - 2012)

Christmas Night In Harlem
   - Benny Carter Orchestra (The Big Band Swing Christmas - 2008)

The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Silent Night
   - Glenn Miller Orchestra (In The Christmas Mood I - 1988 and II - 1993)

Silver Bells
   - Harry Connick Jr. (Harry For The Holidays - 2003)

(It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus
   - Harry Connick Jr. (When My Heart Finds Christmas - 1993)

We Three Kings
   - Harry Connick Jr. (What A Night! A Christmas Album - 2008)

Next week, a special 3 hour Christmas Extravaganza, starting 1/2 hour early at 6:30pm.

Program No. 83 - Month of Christmas Music (Brass Soloists)

In this second week of the month of Christmas music we will look at a number of brass soloists, in different genres - with their renditions of famous Christmas works.

Don't forgot the delayed start to my show tonight, as the radio station will be broadcasting live the Carols by Candlelight event in the Kinglake Ranges. Estimated start time about 8:00pm (AEST).

Program for tonight:

1. Mary's Boy Child
2. We Three Kings
3. Joy to The World
   - James Morrison (James Morrison - Christmas 2007)

4. Away In a Manger
   - James Morrison (This is Christmas 1993)

5. What Child is This (Greensleeves)
   - James Morrison (Three's Company 2010)

6. White Christmas
   - Carl Lenthe, Joseph Alessi, M. Dee Stewert & Mark Lawrence (Trombones Under the Tree 1991)

7. Jingle Bells
8. Good King Wenceslas
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
   - Wynton Marsalis (Christmas Jazz Jam 2009)

10. Frosty the Snowman
   - Toby Bannon with Yorkshire Building Society Band (Simple Gifts 2003)

11. The Christmas Song
12. First Noel
13. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
14. Silent Night
15. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
16. O Little Town of Bethlehem
17. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
   - Chris Botti (December 2002)

18. Snofnugg (Snowflakes)
19. Ding Dong Merrily on High
20. God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
21. O Holy Night
22. O Come All Ye Faithful
   - Øystein Baadsvik (Snowflakes - A Classical Christmas 2011)

Next week we venture into the world of Big Band Christmas Tunes.

Program No. 82 - Month of Christmas Music (Brass Bands and Ensembles)

My family is very big on Christmas music. So much so that December is declared the month of Christmas music. I have carried this through to Brass Monkeys, and just like last year, the next four shows will be dedicated to Christmas music.

In this, the first week, we will focus on Christmas music performed by Brass bands and Brass ensembles.

The list of pieces are not in playing order:

1. Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah 
     - Black Dyke Mills Band (Best of Brass - 1997)

2. Carol of the Bells
3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
4. We Three Kings of Brubeck Are
5. Little Drummer Boy
     - Boston Brass (Christmas Bells are Swinging - 2005)

6. Happy Christmas (War is Over)
     - Brass Band De Wâldsang & Rieks van der Velde (A Touch of Christmas Classics - 2011)

7. Here We Come A-Wassailing
8. I Saw Three Ships
     - Canadian Brass (A Canadian Brass Christmas - 1985)

9. Christmas Medley: White Christmas, Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
10. Sinfonia from the Christmas Oratorio BWV: 248
     - Fine Arts Brass Ensemble (Brass Christmas - 1997)

11. Do They Know It's Christmas?
     - Grimethorpe Colliery RJB Band & Major Peter Parkes (White Christmas With Grimethorpe - 1997)

12. O Come All Ye Faithful
13. Ding Dong Merrily on High
14. Away in a Manger
     - London Brass (Christmas With London Brass - 1990)

15. Suite of Mediaeval Carols
16. Wassail Song
     - Solid Brass (Christmas With Solid Brass - 1988)

17. Stop The Cavalry
     - Thoresby RJB Band (Schneewalzer - 2000)

18. Joy to the World
19. O Magnum Mysterium
20. What Child is This?
21 The First Noel
22. Angels We Have Heard on High
23. O Holy Night
24. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
25. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
     - Tower Brass of Chicago (A Christmas Celebration - 2000)

26. Silver Bells 
      - True North Brass (A True North Christmas - 1998)

27. Gaudete
28. Silent Night
29. Frosty the Snowman
30. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
     - Yorkshire Building Society Band (Simple Gifts - 2003)

Next week's show will be starting an hour later than normal, at 8:00pm, due to the broadcast from the station of the Kinglake Ranges Carols by Candlelight.

Next week we will be focusing on Brass Soloists, such as Chris Botti, Oystein Baadsvik and James Morrison, amongst others, as they bring their own flavour to Christmas Classics.