Western Springs Sings--Christmas 1959--Western Springs Savings & Loan Association

A repost from 2018, the original Zippyfile link long since departed, and the music in a new rip and higher bitrate.

From 1959, a Christmas LP produced by Western Springs Savings and Loan. We're talking Western Springs, Illinois. There is quite a lot of variety here, from grade school kids to church choirs to a high school marching band to the Q Suburban Barbershop Chapter. The back jacket lists every single person present on every track. I used the back jacket titles in the playlist below, not the shortened ones on the label. Great to have a Christmas LP which contains Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light, as harmonized by J.S. Bach. I love playing this on the organ, though it's a little tricky, since I don't pedal. This means moving bass voices up an octave when necessary, but I get through it, somehow. On this disc, the church choir does a very good job, though the superior First Congregational Church choir, in its two selections, is professional-quality. For some reason, the marching band track is my favorite, maybe in part because the audio quality is nice and natural. The opening tracks are a bit weird--36 seconds of Silent Night on a music box, which amounts to about half a stanza, with the track fading into about 21 seconds of We Wish You a Merry Christmas. An unusual but fun opening. 

The liner notes include a thank-you message that really dates the LP--in a good way: "We wish to thank the organizations and individuals whose generous participation helped bring this holiday recording to you.  For those who would like to send a copy to friends or family, a limited number of records are on hand, at cost, from our office."--Western Springs Savings & Loan Association.  So charmingly old-fashioned.

Each track closes with a sudden appearance of surface noise that quickly subsides. It can't be needle wear, because it wouldn't happen in that pattern, nor in that consistent of one. Very strange.  Obviously, the hiss can't be in the master tape(s)--it's clearly of the vinyl type.  Anyway, the locally produced holiday album by which I'll be judging all others from now on: 

CLICK HERE TO HEAR: Western Springs Sings: Christmas--1959 

Silent Night--Regina Music Box 

We Wish You a Merry Christmas--Third Grade, Franklin School 

Sing We the Virgin Mary--First Congregational Church 

Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming--The Villagers 

Carol of the Bells--The McClure Seventh Grade Chorus 

Winds Through the Olive Trees--First Grade, Franklin School 

While Shepherds Watch--Baptist Church 

Christmas Medley--Lyons Township High School North Campus Band 

Fum Fum Fum--Upper Grades Chorus, Laidlaw School 

O Come All Ye Faithful--Q Suburban Barbershop Chapter 

See Amid the Winter's Snow--Saint Cletus Boys' Choir 

Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light--First Methodist Church 

Sweet Little Jesus Boy--Robert Gooding, Soloist 

We Wish You a Merry Christmas--First Congregational Church 

Western Springs Sings--Christmas 1959: Produced by Western Springs Savings and Loan, 1959 

 Lee