"Ding Dong Merrily on High" is a Christmas carol. The tune first appeared as a secular dance tune known under the title "Branle de l'Official" in Orchésographie, a dance book written by the French cleric, composer and writer Thoinot Arbeau, pen name of Jehan Tabourot (1519–1593). The words are by the English composer George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848–1934), and the carol was first published in 1924 in his The Cambridge Carol-Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons. Woodward took an interest in church bell ringing, which no doubt aided him in writing it. Woodward was the author of several carol books, including Songs of Syon and The Cowley Carol Book. The macaronic style is characteristic of Woodward's delight in archaic poetry. Charles Wood harmonised the tune when it was published with Woodward's text in The Cambridge Carol Book. More recently, Sir David Willcocks made an arrangement for the second book of Carols for Choirs.
"Mary's Boy Child", also known as "Mary's Little Boy Child", is a 1956 Christmas song, written by Jester Hairston. It is widely performed as a Christmas carol.
Christmas Songs by Sinatra is the third studio album by the American singer Frank Sinatra. It was released in 1948 as a 78 rpm album set and a 10" LP record featuring a collection of eight holiday songs. A compilation album was released in 1994 including the songs released on the 1948 album along with other Christmas songs from his years recording at Columbia.
Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas is a 1967 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald. It was her second and last Christmas album. Unlike Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas, her previous Christmas album which was entirely secular, this album consists only of religious Christmas songs. It was her second album for Capitol Records. It charted at #27 on Billboard's Holiday Albums chart.
Feliz Navidad is a Christmas album by singer/songwriter José Feliciano. Originally titled José Feliciano and released in 1970 on vinyl record, 8-track tape & cassette tape by RCA Victor, it was reissued on CD in 1989 by BMG Heritage with all the songs of the original album plus three original songs added and recorded by Feliciano but never released on the original vinyl album.
Songs for Christmas is a box set of five separate EPs of Christmas-related songs and carols recorded by independent musician Sufjan Stevens between 2001 and 2006. The EPs had been given as gifts to friends and family of Stevens over the past six years, except for 2004 when he was too busy recording the Illinois album. Though the first three EPs had already been available on Sufjan Stevens-related fansites for several years, Songs for Christmas is the first official release of these EPs. Most of the tracks are versions of traditional Christmas songs, with a number of original compositions such as "Sister Winter" and "Star of Wonder". Sufjan Stevens has developed a reputation for being a devoted Christian and many of the songs he chose for inclusion on Songs for Christmas are religious in nature, including his original compositions.
WOW Christmas: Green is the second release in the WOW Christmas series. It is the follow-up to the platinum-selling WOW Christmas: Red album. The double-disc album features 15 new tracks that are exclusive to this release. The album peaked at #54 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2005, and at #2 on the Top Christian Albums chart. WOW Christmas: Green was certified gold in 2006 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
WOW Christmas: Red is the first release in the WOW Christmas series. The double CD contains 31 Christmas songs performed by top Contemporary Christian Music artists. It peaked at 45 on the Billboard 200 and in first place on Billboard's Top Contemporary Christian album chart in the year 2002. The album was certified platinum in 2006 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Noël is a holiday album, the third studio album by Catholic group The Priests. It was released on 6 December 2010 on Epic Records, and reached number 9 in the Irish Albums Chart.
Christmas with the Everly Brothers and the Boystown Choir is an album by The Everly Brothers, originally released in 1962. This Christmas album includes the 33-member Boys Town Choir and the Boys Town organ in Omaha, Nebraska.
Christmas Present is the third Christmas album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released in October 1974 by Columbia Records and, apart from the title track, focused strictly on traditional carols. While his previous holiday LPs were released during the run of his variety series, which ended in 1971, this album was promoted the December following its release through one of his many Christmas specials. An article titled "MOR Artists Are Ailing" in Billboard magazine's November 23, 1974, issue describes the hopes that the record company had for the album: "Columbia is releasing Andy Williams' newest LP, 'Christmas Present,' with considerable advance orders and expects it to become a holiday classic to continue the string of album winners for the artist."
Christmas 25th Anniversary Collection is a compilation album by Mannheim Steamroller. It is the group's eleventh Christmas album overall. It was released in 2009 as a double CD by American Gramaphone, and features 25 Christmas songs. It contains songs from their Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (1984), A Fresh Aire Christmas (1988), Christmas in the Aire (1995), My Little Christmas Tree (1997), The Christmas Angel: A Family Story (1998), Christmas Extraordinaire (2001), Christmas Song (2007) and Christmasville (2008).
Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits is a set of two Christmas-themed compilation albums released by Rhino Records in 1989, each featuring ten popular Christmas recordings from 1935 to 1983, many of which charted on the Billboard record charts. Both volumes were certified Gold by the RIAA in the U.S., with the second volume being certified Platinum.
The Magic of Christmas is a 1960 album by Nat King Cole, arranged and conducted by Ralph Carmichael.
Christmas Symphony is the twelfth Christmas music album overall released by American musical group Mannheim Steamroller. The album was originally released in 2011. Recorded in Prague, the album features members of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, performing new recordings of previously released Mannheim Steamroller arrangements.
A Merry Mancini Christmas is a 1966 album by Henry Mancini of orchestral and choral arrangements of Christmas music. In addition to traditional Christmas songs, it also contains the original Mancini composition "Carol for Another Christmas", the theme of the 1964 television film of the same name.
Christmas Carols is an album of Christmas music by Mantovani and His Orchestra. It was originally released in 1953 by London Records. It was recorded at Kingsway Hall in London with Charles Smart playing Kingsway Hall's organ. The album was re-recorded in stereo in 1958. The album includes an original Mantovani composition, "Midnight Waltz".
Christmas Sing Along with Mitch is an album by Mitch Miller & The Gang. It was released in 1958 on the Columbia label.
The Spirit of Christmas: Christmas Carols Sung by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is an album by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was released in 1959 on the Columbia Masterworks label.
40 Christmas Classics is a digital compilation album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released on October 31, 2014, and includes all of the songs from his first three solo holiday LPs, The Andy Williams Christmas Album, Merry Christmas, and Christmas Present. Three tracks not originally appearing on holiday albums by Williams are also included: "My Sweet Lord" from his 1971 album Love Story, "Amazing Grace" from his 1972 album Alone Again (Naturally), and the Latin Catholic Prayer version of Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria", which Williams recorded in honor of Senator Robert F. Kennedy just days after his funeral in 1968.
