Customer Reviews

Vera Lynn At Christmas

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Originally released towards the end of Vera's recording career, this album contains two songs that appear to be originals (Let's have a merry, merry Christmas, A Christmas wish from me to you) and two rarely recorded songs, together with eight standards, some of which turn up more frequently than others on Christmas albums.

Of the rarely recorded songs, one (The little boy that Santa Claus forgot) is most commonly associated with Nat King Cole, while the other (Little donkey) has been recorded by such singers as the Beverley sisters, Nina and Frederick, Gracie Fields and Patti Page.

The album opens with a brief instrumental intro of O come all ye faithful, which segues nicely into Sleigh ride. That song, with the Mike Sammes singers backing Vera, gets the album off to a bright and breezy start. The Mike Sammes singers also back Vera on Do you hear what I hear? Otherwise, Vera is left to perform all the vocals, backed by an unobtrusive orchestra.

The booklet inside contains (among other things) pictures of three compilations of Vera's music released on EMI. All of them are well worth hearing, but please remember that the tracks for these compilations were recorded in the sixties and seventies and any songs that you recognize as wartime classics are re-recordings. For those wartime recordings, go for the Spectrum 5-CD budget collection Gold: 100 Songs From A Life In Music, released in December 2009.

Vera was in top form throughout and the song selection, with its mix of rarely heard songs and standards making for an excellent Christmas album.

I really like this cd reissue of the 1976 christmas album. If you like the style of PEGGY LEE and DORIS DAY, then this falls into that same category.

VERA LYNN has an awesome voice that puts her right up there with the best of the best female singers. And she is really able to make her voice shine on tracks such as the opening and upbeat SLIGH RIDE which has a nice backing orchestra and chorus. She follows this up with THE CHRISTMAS SONG which has a very smooth and lush sound. These two tracks begin the cd nicely.

WHITE CHRISTMAS and DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR are other standouts, too, as are all the other songs to an extent as nothing is weak on this christmas recording.

But my favorite track on the cd is without a doubt, LET'S HAVE A MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS. Everything shines in this song, VERA'S awesome voice, the backing orchestra, and especially the backing chorus of the MIKE SAMMES SINGERS who really help this song be the highlight of the cd. It's lush yet upbeat and cheerful at the same time, something you don't hear often.

As I said above, if you like the female singers of yesteryear, then this cd should be for you. 100% recomended.

Dame Vera Lynn the oldest recording artist ever to make it to number one on the charts in 2009 with her "Very Best of.." album,offers up an album of some of her Christmas recordings from the 1970s with the EMI label.With only 12 tracks the CD ends before you know it but all will have you listening to them over and over again,I'm sure.
One thing I always have said of Dame Vera is that her vocals are never over powering but quite gentle and breezy.She manages to convey the meaning of the song without hitting you over the head with it.There are some real gems here like the opening Sleigh Ride,Little Donkey,Winter Wonderland,Mary's Boy Child and many others.She receives wonderful backing by the studio choral and/or the orchestra.
Besides her original Decca label,EMI has been very good to Dame Vera,keeping released many of her popular albums/songs on that label,such as the more recently released "Singles" album(see my review on that).
This CD "Vera Lynn at Christmas",even though too short for this reviewer,highlights this artist at her very best and this is one CD that should be on everyone's holiday and play list.A must have.