Christmastime
The Swingle Singers · 1968
31 min · 10 tracks · a cappella
A vibrant blend of traditional carols and innovative vocal harmonies, creating a festive tapestry of sound.
Top tracks — play these first
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God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen / The First Nowell / Go Tell It on the Mountain — This medley showcases the group's intricate vocal arrangements and rhythmic versatility, blending familiar melodies into a fresh experience that highlights their choral prowess.
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White Christmas — Their rendition transforms this classic into an ethereal harmony-laden piece, illustrating the group's ability to reinterpret well-known songs and breathe new life into them.
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Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht — The serene arrangement captures the essence of tranquility associated with Christmas Eve, showcasing the group's harmonic precision and emotional depth.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends traditional carols with innovative harmonies, showcasing strong composition and cohesion.
What we noticed
- The album features intricate vocal arrangements where each track showcases a different combination of traditional carols and original harmonies.
- Several tracks incorporate unexpected key changes and rhythmic shifts, adding complexity to familiar melodies.
- The last three tracks slow down the tempo significantly, creating a reflective conclusion to the album.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady festive atmosphere throughout
- joyful sing-alongs with friends
- warm background for gatherings
- short bursts of holiday cheer
Maybe skip if you
- dislike traditional carol arrangements
- prefer longer listening experiences
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Breakthrough — Helped popularize a cappella Christmas music, establishing their reputation.
- Themes
- traditional carols· festive harmonies· Christmas Eve tranquility
- Career context
- Released in 1968, 'Christmastime' is The Swingle Singers' second album, following their breakout success with 'Jazz Sebastian Bach' in 1963. At this point in their career, they were establishing themselves as pioneers in the a cappella genre, showcasing their unique ability to merge classical music with popular forms.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Pentatonix· Voca People· The Bobs
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Jingle Bells / Il est né, le divin Enfant / Es ist ein Ros entsprungen 3:47
- 2 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen / The First Nowell / Go Tell It on the Mountain 3:13
- 3 Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht 2:35
- 4 Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly / What Child Is This? 3:12
- 5 O jul med din glede / Komt, verwondert u hier mensen / Away in a Manger 3:53
- 6 Les Anges dans nos campagnes / Oh Tannenbaum / Bel astre que j'adore 3:15
- 7 El Noi de la Mare / Hajej, nynej, Jezisku / Canzone dei zampognari 2:46
- 8 We Three Kings of Orient Are / The Holly and the Ivy / La peregrinacion 3:11
- 9 White Christmas 2:12
- 10 Stchedrivka / Dag visen / O Sanctissima 3:09
What to play next
Back to Bach
1968
Continues the festive vocal harmonies with a focus on classical themes.
Operazione San Pietro – Colonna sonora originale del film
1968
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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