Benita Valente’s holiday album “Gloria, Gloria”

Written by Charles McKay

In category: Song of the Day

Published December 20, 2016

I’m offering a full recording today, Gloria, Gloria. It was recorded June 1987 in the Gorard College Chapel, Philadelphia and features soprano Benita Valente, The Philadelphia Singers and Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia with Michael Korn conducting.  I bought this when it was released later that same year, as a cassette…yes, a cassette.  I enjoyed it many times and then set it aside (switched to CDs and then to internet radio) and was so thrilled when I recently came across it on Youtube.

I had only become aware of Valente just about three years earlier when she appeared in Rinaldo with Horne and Ramey in her Met Opera debut.  She was terrific then and she is here, along with the chorus and orchestra.

This recording is about 40 minutes and has lots to offer so feel free to jump around.  It’s a shortened version of the original recording.  Some of the songs you will hear include “O Tannenbaum,” “For Unto Us a Child is Born.” “Angels We Have Heard On High,” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

Benita Valente and Philadelphia Orchestra and Chorus

Gloria, Gloria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOSfZr6NsvA

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Now leading our administrative team, Charles McKay has a longstanding devotion to vocal music. Prior to his time with NYFOS, he enjoyed a long career at Carnegie Hall, including programming the Great Singers concert series and developing professional training residencies, including the legendary Robert Shaw Choral Workshop.

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