Concert & Radio: Sing Christmas and The Turn of the Year (The Live Christmas Day 1957 Broadcast on BBC Radio)

A live 1957 BBC recording of Alan Lomax and various singers, actors, ensembles, and players stationed around Britain, Ireland, and Scotland is remarkable on one level because everyone pulled it off without any technological glitches. But on another level, Sing Christmas and the Turn of the Year readily captures the true sense of community that occurred so long ago when thousands of families gathered around their radios as if they were roaring fireplaces. Lomax's guests include such well-known folksingers as Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl, Seamus Ennis, and others, with a variety of Christmas jigs, hymns, songs, and even a "Christmas Morning Calypso." Between songs, scripture is recited, bits of Christmas plays are reenacted, and one senses how special and exciting such a broadcast must have been. For anyone who loves the power of radio, or programs such as A Prairie Home Companion, this is a simply wonderful and astonishing gift from another time and place. Highly recommended for history buffs, radio fans, and those who love the season through all ages. --Martin Keller