New CD coming in August 2025: "O Holy Night: Christmas With Mario Lanza"

[Derek McGovern]

I've just posted an announcement at our News page of the latest Mario Lanza CD from Sepia Records: O Holy Night: Christmas With Mario Lanza.

This CD was compiled by Armando Cesari, Vince Di Placido, Carmel Parisi and me, and it's our fifteenth collaboration with Sepia. To quote from my booklet notes:

This compilation brings together the best of Mario Lanza’s much-loved 1950-56 recordings of Christmas carols, together with other religious and devotional material from the same period, presenting them all in stereo for the first time. The technological breakthrough that has made this transformation possible is Digitally Extracted Stereo (DES), a process that converts mono recordings into multi-track stereo while preserving the full integrity of the original vocals and instrumentation. Now, with Lanza’s voice brought vividly to the fore and the orchestra enveloping rather than containing him, both are revealed with a previously unheard clarity and brilliance.

While Lanza would re-record most of these songs in 1959 for a sonically disappointing so-called Living Stereo release, even his most uncritical admirers would acknowledge that the earlier (originally mono) recordings featured here find the tenor in much more vibrant form. As an added attraction, this compilation includes four of Lanza’s most popular late (1958-59) stereo recordings, all remixed to stunning effect through the magic of DES. These include “I Love Thee” (more impressive than ever now with its superior balance between voice and orchestra) and an impossibly sweet rendition of Schubert’s “Ave Maria”, both from Lanza’s Grammy-nominated album For the First Time.  

I feel confident in predicting that anyone who hears this disc will never bother with the old RCA Christmas CD again. The carols and religious numbers sound amazing, with all manner of swirling orchestral effects and Lanza's voice front and centre. There is so much previously hidden detail audible now. 

I'll be posting more information closer to the release date, which is mid-August for those who wish to purchase the CD directly from Sepia Records, and September 12 for everywhere else. I'll also post a link for those who wish to purchase the disc from the Mario Lanza Institute, which should have the CD available from late August (ahead of Amazon and the rest). 

[Arthur McClintock]

What a wonderful surprise Derek......just what we were talking about some months ago. Arthur

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[Tessa1111]

Mario (according to the San Diego Examiner,) used to take his recordings to hospitals, his voice was so healing to those who were ill.  May this new CD do the same, heal the hearts of those in need.

[Derek McGovern]

Here is the full track information for O Holy Night. 

As you'll see, we've chosen the MGM version of "The Lord's Prayer" (in its raw form---just with organ accompaniment) for this CD, as we'd already featured the RCA version on the 2-CD set Night and Day earlier this year. It sounds more extraordinary than ever in DES. 

Also, the "Ave Maria" is the Schubert version from For the First Time. It features Lanza much more forward than on previous reproductions with the boys' choir around him this time. It makes for a very moving experience.

Thanks to all the extra detail that's now audible, and the improved placement in the mix of Mario's voice, I think I can safely say that there are surprises on every track.

O HOLY NIGHT

CHRISTMAS WITH MARIO LANZA

1 Deck the Halls (Traditional–Thomas Oliphant) 

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 10 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra; with the Jeff Alexander Choir. Spoken introduction by Lanza from his Christmas Eve 1951 radio show.

2 O Little Town of Bethlehem (Lewis Redner–Phillips Brooks)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 28 September 1951. Ray Sinatra, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and the Jeff Alexander Choir. 

3 Adeste Fideles / O Come, All Ye Faithful (Traditional–Frederick Oakeley)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 28 September 1951. Ray Sinatra, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and the Jeff Alexander Choir. 

4 Away in a Manger (William J. Kirkpatrick)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 28 September 1951. Ray Sinatra, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and the Jeff Alexander Choir. 

5 The First Noel (Traditional–William Sandys–Davies Gilbert)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 28 September 1951. Ray Sinatra, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and the Jeff Alexander Choir. 

6 We Three Kings (John Henry Hopkins, Jr.)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 29 September 1951. Ray Sinatra, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and the Jeff Alexander Choir. Thurl Ravenscroft, narrator. 

7 Silent Night (Franz Gruber–Joseph Mohr/tr. John Freeman Young)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 28 September 1951. Ray Sinatra, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and the Jeff Alexander Choir.

8 O Christmas Tree (Melchior Franck, adapted by Ernst Anschütz)  

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 15 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra. 

9 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Traditional–William Sandys)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 10 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra; with the Jeff Alexander Choir. 

10 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Felix Mendelssohn, adap. William H. Cummings–Charles Wesley–George Whitefield)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 10 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra; with the Jeff Alexander Choir. 

11 I Saw Three Ships (Traditional–William Sandys)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 15 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra. 

12 Joy to the World (Isaac Watts–Lowell Mason)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 10 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra; with the Jeff Alexander Choir. 

 13 O Holy Night (Adolphe Adam–John Sullivan Dwight)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 29 May 1950. Constantine Callinicos, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and chorus. 

14 The Virgin’s Slumber Song (Max Reger–Martin Boelitz/trans. Edward Teschemacher)  

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 29 May 1950. Constantine Callinicos, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and chorus. 

15 Guardian Angels (Harpo Marx–Gerda Beilenson)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 28 September 1951. Ray Sinatra, conductor; RCA Victor Orchestra and the Jeff Alexander Choir. 

16 I’ll Walk With God (from the film The Student Prince) (Nicholas Brodszky–Paul Francis Webster)

MGM Studios, Los Angeles, 28 July 1952. Originally recorded with organist Wesley Tourtelotte only. MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Constantine Callinicos subsequently added.

17 The Lord’s Prayer (Albert Hay Malotte)

MGM Studios, Los Angeles, 2 August 1951. Wesley Tourtelotte, organist.

18 Ave Maria (Franz Schubert)

Cinecittà Studios, Rome, September 1958. George Stoll, conductor; untitled orchestra and choir.

19 Love in a Home (Gene de Paul–Johnny Mercer)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 15 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra.

BONUS TRACKS: SONGS OF LOVE AND DEVOTION

20 Do You Wonder (Don Ray–Henry Hill)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 15 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra.

21 The Song Angels Sing (Johannes Brahms–adap. Irving Aaronson–Paul Francis Webster)

Republic Studios, Hollywood, 24 July 1952. Constantine Callinicos, conductor. RCA Victor Orchestra and Chorus.

22 I Love Thee (Edvard Grieg–Hans Christian Andersen–Ellis Gray)

Cinecittà Studios, Rome, early December 1958. Constantine Callinicos, conductor; untitled orchestra.

23 Pour un Baiser (Francesco Tosti–Georges Doncieux)

Cinecittà Studios, Rome, June 1959. Paul Baron, conductor; untitled orchestra.

24 Come Prima (For the First Time) (Vincenzo Di Paola–Sandro Taccani–Buck Ram)

Cinecittà Studios, Rome, September 1958. Carlo Savina, conductor; untitled orchestra.

25 Earthbound (Jack Taylor–Clive Richardson–Bob Musel)

Republic Studios, Los Angeles, 10 August 1956. Henri René, conductor, and his orchestra; with the Jeff Alexander Choir.  

[Emilio Iodice]

Congratulations Derek and thank you. Emilio 

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On 18 Jul 2025, at 16:18, Derek McGovern <derek.m...@gmail.com> wrote:

Here is the full track information for O Holy Night. 

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[Derek McGovern]

O Holy Night: Christmas With Mario Lanza can now be preordered from Sepia Records at this link. The price, including postage, is £8.99 for those in the UK, £10.99 for those in Europe, and £13.99 for everywhere else.

Please note that although the CD is listed as a September 2025 release, Sepia will have the disc in stock in early August and will start mailing out orders at that point.   

[Derek McGovern]

Vince Di Placido has just uploaded his wonderful promo for O Holy Night: Christmas With Mario Lanza:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe2K0461_hE

Enjoy!

[Derek McGovern]

[Repost to correct some information]

For those in the US, O Holy Night can be preordered from August 4 onwards from the Mario Lanza Institute in Philadelphia, with proceeds going toward scholarships for young singers in Lanza's name.

As noted above, the CD can also be preordered now directly from Sepia Records at this link. (All preorders will be shipped by 10 August.) 

Amazon and all the other online sellers will be selling the CD from September 12. 

[Derek McGovern]

The first review of O Holy Night has appeared:

CD REVIEW -

O HOLY NIGHT
CHRISTMAS WITH
MARIO LANZA

SEPIA 1396 [73:01]

Richard Tay, the head serang of Sepia Records, must be an admirer of the American tenor as his label already has over a dozen of Lanza's albums listed. Here is the second release of the year, following the review of his 'Night and Day' in January. While he may not have always been fully appreciated during his all too-short life, as this century has progressed so has recognition of his voice being among the very best ... with many not even saying among.

This album is obviously a very early aim at the Christmas market, although in addition to the 14 well-loved festive tracks there is other religious and devotional material: the Harpo Marx-Gerda Beilenson's Guardian Angels, Brodszky's I’ll Walk With God, Malotte's The Lord's Prayer, Schubert's Ave Maria and the Gene de Paul-Johnny Mercer's Love In A Home; as well as half-a-dozen bonus tracks from Lanza's original 'Songs Of Love And Devotion' album including Grieg's I Love Thee and Come Prima (For The First Time).

Six of the festive tracks – O Little Town Of Bethlehem, Adeste Fideles/O Come All Ye Faithfull, Away In A Manger, The First Noel, We Three Kings and Silent Night ("stunning in DES") – come from Lanza's 10-inch LP, which was No.1 in both Billboard's pop and classical album charts in December 1951.

All the original mono tracks, with the exception of four newly remixed, have been remastered by Stephen Cutler, who also converted them into Digitally Extracted Stereo (DES), and Robin Cherry.

The quote in two paragraphs above comes from Derek McGovern, an English literature professor, who has provided seven pages of absorbing booklet notes, well-written of course!

All in all, a recommended release for yourself or as an appropriate gift for a loved one on Christmas Day. Available direct on the Sepia website for £8.99 post free.

© Peter Burt, August 2025

From http://www.londonlightmusic.org.uk/ 

And then there is this delightful image from Sepia's Facebook page, heralding the arrival of the CD:

[vegan...@gmail.com]

Wonderful stereo remasterings .......should it have included It Came upon A Midnight Clear?

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[Derek McGovern]

Hi Arthur: We did consider "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" for this compilation---and Steve Cutler processed it into DES for us---but in the end we concluded that it was below the standard of Lanza's other 1950-56 carol renditions. His intonation is off throughout the song, and he sounds a little sluggish and (uncharacteristically) uninvolved. I think he was simply tired, as the song came at the end of a long session that had already involved 13 takes of four different numbers. 

It wasn't an easy decision, but in the end we felt that the CD would serve Mario's legacy better if it featured only his best renditions of Christmas carols and other religious/devotional music.   

[Derek McGovern]

I've heard that a few Lanza fans are disappointed that we didn't include any of the four 1951 Coke versions of Christmas carols on this new CD. (On his radio show of December 24, 1951, Lanza performed "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "The First Noel," and "Silent Night.")

To be perfectly frank, none of the Coke versions of these carols, with the possible exception of "Silent Night," were in the same class as their respective 1951 RCA versions----and it should be emphasized here that the concept of the CD was that it would comprise Lanza's best mono recordings of carols. Given that we wanted this CD to appeal not only to Lanza fans, but also to the general public, it simply didn't make sense in my mind to include lesser versions of carols that were already featured on the disc.

However, I did ask Steve Cutler (our DES sound engineer) to process the Coke "Silent Night" into stereo for us on the off chance that we could include it in the bonus track section. The result? Sadly, its thin transcription sound simply wasn't good enough for creating an acceptable DES version, and so we had to drop the idea of including the Coke take.

Still, if you listen to the magic of the 1951 RCA version of "Silent Night"---as featured in stereo for the first time on this CD---it more than compensates for the omission of the Coke version! Attached is a snippet of that RCA recording as heard on this CD.