This season I ha e enjoyed finding and recording concerts with the DVR. This has mostly included PBS and BYUTV. BYU TV usually replays a **Christmas concert from some past year. This is usually good, but not thrilling. PBS showed last year's ***^Tabernacle Choir concert with David Archuleta and Michael York. This is a very nice concert with jumping dancers. Miranda has watched it several times as she is an Archuleta fan. He really likes "Joy to the World" and the descant he sings. Michael York tells the story of the choir, as well as the Christmas story.
Of course I have watched all the Christmas Tabernacle Choir *****"Music and the Spoken Word" presentations. They are all fine, with bells and dancing. The one I most enjoyed was Jane Seymour guest narrator telling the Christmas story. But there is one every Sunday morning at 9:30 in California. As this is church time I record them. They concluded this with their program yesterday. They concluded with Lloyd Newell talking of "Away in a Manger." This is one of my favorite.
The worse concert I recorded was the (no stars) Tree Lighting at the White House. They had an African Choir, The Sons of Judah, which was so out of tune, and so out of balance with the men trying to compete with the women, that it was painful. Not even a military jazz band, Santa Claus and Kermit the frog could save this mess. It ended up being a commercial for talking about bringing the troops home.
I also recorded a Christian university music program, ***^"Christmas at Belmont." This is a Nashville based choir. They presented several Nigerian and African carols which were really very moving. The interspersed orchestral and band music throughout and it was very well done.
A Lutheran University, **"Christmas at Concordia" showed a different religious orientation. This choir bogged down in slow moving hymns and was not as enjoyable.
I also recorded **Bells at Temple Square. I did not enjoy this as much as I missed vocal music. The bells, after a few number just stimulated my tinnitus, so I gave it up. I also recorded the **Bell Family Christmas concert. There is something I don't like about them. Perhaps it is that they come across as too perfect, I don't know. It just seems fake to me.
Last I recorded Andrea Bocelli and David Foster, ****"My Christmas." It is very fun to listen to Andrea Bocelli. They had a full orchestra behind them and sometimes a small choir. Bocelli sings with such a clear and pure voice, it is very enjoyable.
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