Customer Rating: 
Summary: One Of The Most Beautiful Christmas Albums
Comment: This 1966 album by HENRY MANCINI - A MERRY MANCINI CHRISTMAS, is an album of beautiful, orchestra music or jazzy/big band music with some great chorus singing.
Being a Henry mancini album, though, the music is sometimes laid back for a great deal of it. The orchestra doesn't jump out at you song after song like PERCY FAITH'S - CHRISTMAS IS orchestra/chorus album FROM 1966 does. Rather, it sometimes seems to provide more of an almost (yet very beautiful) small band/jazz combo backing up a chorus of singers.
Songs like THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, the medley of JINGLE BELLS and SLEIGHRIDE, and the medley of FROSTY THE SNOWMAN and RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER are typical of this wonderful small band combo style. However, THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY has a real beautiful and lush string instrumental part in it where Mancini really hits his 'A' game and JINGLE BELLS has what many call a classic big band/jazz instrumental part in it. There are also many fabulous christmas styled brass sounds in these songs, especially FROSTY THE SNOWMAN and RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. And let me add that all these songs are all wonderful versions of each of them and sometimes among my favorite versions. And the chorus, they shine greatly here too, perhaps almost if not as great as any chorus you're likely to hear. The chorus sound like a smaller chorus, very much like the 8 person chorus called the LIVING VOICES. A couple of the songs (both music and chorus) even sound similar to the 1965 album by the LIVING VOICES - THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (songs such as SLEIGHRIDE).
Some of the album is, however, very much the large orchestra that Mancini is famous for. Songs like WHITE CHRISTMAS, THE CHRISTMAS SONG, and the medley of WINTER WONDERLAND and SILVER BELLS uses the orchestra to the maximum. And the chorus shines in these songs too. These songs would also be among my favorite versions of each of them.
The religious songs which make up the second half of the album are all just as great and beautiful as the first half (the popular, non-religious songs).
The orchestra is sometimes minimal and sometimes used very fully just like the first half of this lp, but always very great just as is the chorus. Songs like IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR, AWAY IN A MANGER, SILENT NIGHT, etc.... are all top rated versions of the songs and this album is one of the few (out of perhaps 100's of christmas cd's I own) that I don't skip a song to get to the next. It is, without any doubt, one of my favorite all-time christmas albums with such a beautiful and fun christmas sound throughout.
If you like albums like the LIVING VOICES - THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, PERCY FAITH- CHRISTMAS IS, LIVING STRINGS AND LIVING VOICES - WHITE CHRISTMAS (1968), and LAWRENCE WELK - 22 MERRY CHRISTMAS FAVORITES (compilation cd), then you should really like this cd as well.
This album is pretty much a masterpiece of christmas music and may very well become your favorite christmas cd. It is one of the few that would make for the perfect background christmas music for when you have company (family and friends) over during the holidays, but also for your own listening pleasure. I would consider this a must have christmas cd.
