Thijs van Leer Christmas Albums



I have a number of great albums of Christmas music. Among them are four albums made by Thijs van Leer with a number of others between 1976 (when Musica per la notte de Natale with Louis van Dijk and Rogier van Otterloo appeared) and 1996 (when the album Kerstconcert appeared under the name of van Leer and his daughters Eva and Berenice.)
These albums contain over 50 numbers altogether in varying styles, chiefly classical. Most are performed as instrumentals but several are sung.
Many are well known Christmas carols (Away in a manger, twice sung and once as an instrumental; Joy to the World once sung, once not; Silent night twice unsung; Ding Dong Merrily on high, which appears twice in other versions as Gloria in Excelsis; Adeste Fideles; In Dukci Jubilo; What Child Is This or Greensleeves; In the bleak midwinter; Hark, The Herald Angels Sing; God rest ye merry, Gentlemen, The First Noel).
Some are Christmas songs (Deck the Halls, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Mary's Boychild, Mary had a baby sung, White Christmas and rather differently ABBA's I have a dream). Most of these are on the 1996 album Joy to the world.
There is some Bach (O Jesulein Suss thrice; Ave Maria twice; Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt; Schlummert Ein) and Handel (For unto us a child is born) and Correlli (Allegro & Pastorale). These are mostly on the 1992 album In De Grote Kerk Te Monnickendam with classical singer Elie Ameling.
Some are lesser known carols (The Coventry Carol; Es ist ein Ros entsprungen; Tous Les Bourgeois De Chartre; The Royal Line; Mary, Sing Allelujah; Maria Die Zoude Naar Betlehem Gaan ie Mary Would Go To Bethlehem; Er Is Een Kindeke Geboren Op Aard ie A Child Is Born On Earth; Hoe Leit Dit Kindeke ie How This Child Suffers and the German hymns Ich Steh' An Der Krippen Hier and Von Himmel Hoch, Da Komm' Ich Her).
On Joy to the world there are several tracks that are not actually connected with Christmas except by appearing on that album, namely Rondo 1, House of the King and Tango. Fin de siecle and Improvisatie on the same album chiefly combine, respectively the Dutch hymn used in the Focus track Hamburger Concerto O Kerstnacht, schoner dan de dagen (O Christmas Night, more beautiful than any day!) and a 15th century French tune used in Focus's Eruption called Dit le Bourgignon and John Lennon's Happy Christmas War is over with We wish you a Merry Christmas played on a pipe organ by Rob van Dijk.