Sunday, December 8, 2024

Music Share: Christmas Time with the Harlem Children's Chorus

Good Sunday evening (or whenever you may be reading this) to everyone.  Here is the first (of a meager few...) share of the 2024 season, "Christmas Time with the Harlem Children's Chorus".



I found this record earlier this year at Willa's Books and Vinyl, a black-owned business here in Kansas City, focusing on books by black authors, books about black persons, and records by black musicians.  Miss Willa, the store owner, is a local treasure, and has an immense knowledge about black literature and music.  When I was in her store, we had a great conversation about jazzman Sonny Stitt and the great author/poet Langston Hughes (in fact, I came away with an excellent edition of Hughes' "Tambourines to Glory").  Willa is looking to retire in the upcoming year, and the fate of her store is as yet unknown.  KC people - if you're aiming to make a visit to Willa's, do it quick.

Back to the record -- this is a really outstanding collection.  Many times 'chorus' records can be a little tough to enjoy, but this is an exception.  Great song selection, excellent performances and recording.  There's a lot to like here.



There are some of the usual Christmas carols, but also some welcome surprises, such as "Black Christmas", "Donde Esta Santa Claus", and "Christmas is for Children".

Please enjoy "Christmas Time with the Harlem Children's Chorus".



4 comments:

  1. Oh, this is a treasure. I had a copy about 8-9 years ago, but I misplaced it in the collection and have not been able to find it since. Thanks for sharing it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great find! Thanks for sharing this
    - Steve in PA

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aw, man. I was putting the final touches on the King of Jingaling Fling, but I may need to include something from this. Nice one!

    ReplyDelete