Classic Christmas for Your Family / Various

The Naxos label offers A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS FOR YOUR FAMILY, a varied program with selections culled from several holiday titles in their vast catalog.Perennial favorites such as "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Deck the Halls," and "Winter Wonderland" share time on this disc with classics by Glazunov ("Winter Variations" from 'The Seasons'), Tchaikovsky ("March," "Dance of the Toy Trumpets," and "Russian Dance" from 'The Nutcracker') and Bizet ("Farandole" from 'L'Arlesienne Suite'). No holiday season would be complete without a "Sleigh Ride" and two takes on this tradition are offered: Leroy Anderson's carefree winter jaunt and Sergei Prokofiev's elegant, evocative excursion in the snow.The arrangements are all excellent, making these chestnuts sound fresh, in particular "Angels We Have Heard On High" which interweaves the familiar strains of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 to create a Baroque musical tapestry for the holidays.