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The busy members of The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are decking the halls with boughs of holly for their latest, all-star release. Christmas with The Stars and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, due as a digital-only title in the U.S. on Friday, November 29, brings the acclaimed orchestra together with some of the biggest names in the classic Columbia and RCA Victor constellations for newly-arranged symphonic versions of Christmas favorites. Featured artists include Elvis Presley, Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Eartha Kitt, Harry Belafonte, Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, Dean Martin, Roy Orbison, and Andy Williams.
Christmas with the Stars has been conducted by Steve Sidwell, produced by Don Reedman and Nick Patrick, and recorded at Abbey Road’s Studio 2. The release follows previous RPO successes on Legacy including Elvis Presley’s If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2015), The Wonder Of You: Elvis Presley with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2016), and Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2017) as well as a pair of releases from Roy Orbison: A Love So Beautiful: Roy Orbison with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2017) and Unchained Melodies: Roy Orbison with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2018).
The 13-song compilation will feature classic vocals melded to new, lavish orchestral arrangements of all-time Christmas standards such as Andy Williams’ ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (the only possible opening track), Presley’s “Blue Christmas” and “Silent Night,” Orbison’s “Pretty Paper,” Como’s “It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas,” Kitt’s “Santa Baby,” Day’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Bennett’s “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Mathis’ chart-topping “When a Child Is Born,” and more.
The press release quotes producer Nick Patrick: “Christmas music conjures up such warm emotions surrounded by family, friends and children. The music is so evocative of the time of year when you have artists such as Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, the wonderful Doris Day and of course the incomparable Eartha Kitt purring her way through the definitive version of ‘Santa Baby’! Christmas music just doesn’t get much better. It’s been such fun working on these amazing songs which are so full of joy and Christmas spirit.” Don Reedman adds, “[We] are thrilled to be able to celebrate this very special occasion with our latest collaboration of the all-time greatest stars performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.”
Christmas with the Stars and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra arrives on November 29 from Legacy. It’s currently a digital-only release for the U.S. market. (A CD appears to be available for pre-order in the U.K. at the link below.) You’ll find the track listing and Amazon links below!
Various Artists, Christmas with the Stars and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Legacy, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams
- It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Perry Como
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! – Doris Day
- When a Child is Born – Johnny Mathis
- Mary’s Boy Child – Harry Belafonte
- The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) – Tony Bennett
- Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
- Pretty Paper – Roy Orbison
- Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
- White Christmas – Dean Martin
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas – Doris Day
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Tony Bennett
- Silent Night – Elvis Presley
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This is a Christmas album !! The holiday you refer to in the title of the article is Christmas you know…….
Even The Second Disc has fallen prey to the politically correcters……..
Ugh……
Ha, I don’t think so! Seeing as how I spend a few months every year producing and writing about Christmas music on CD, the challenge is often to come up with other words to refer to the genre…”yuletide,” “seasonal,” “holiday,” etc. so as to keep the text from being repetitive or redundant. Seeing as how I already used “Christmas” in the title of the article, “holiday” seemed – and still seems to me – most appropriate for the subtitle. Andy Williams famously sang of “The Holiday Season” – not to mention “Happy Holiday” – but we all knew to which holiday he was referring. As far as I’m concerned, the spirit of Christmas and its music is for all. Happy and merry!
Very true !!!
But it just sickens me that the two words “Merry Christmas” have basically become a sin to say………..
I still remember going to a Kenny Rogers Christmas concert years back and in between songs he spoke about how the words Merry Christmas have been struck from the English language and how sad it was — after he spoke on it for a few minutes he was given a standing ovation by the entire theater !! It brought tears to my eyes actually and it still makes me smile thinking about it !!
Joe — is the “Happy Holiday” you mention the same as the Irving Berlin song used in the film “Holiday Inn”? Just curious.
Yes, Andy Williams performed the Berlin song in a medley with Kay Thompson’s “The Holiday Season” (“It’s the holiday season/And Santa Claus is coming round…”) Of course, Berlin’s original film lyric was a bit more universal as to all of the holidays celebrated at Holiday Inn. But both songs, individually and collectively, celebrate the season of goodwill appropriate to Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or whatever one might observe during that most wonderful time of the year.
Got the CD today !!!
It’s great !! I really enjoy these new versions with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra !! VERY well done !!!