Robert Shaw – Christmas Hymns And Carols

Important to note that Robert Shaw, The Robert Shaw Chorale - Christmas Hymns And Carols Volume 1 is NOT the same as this release, but is a re-recording of this material in stereo.

The title and repertoire are the same as The Robert Shaw Chorale, Robert Shaw - Christmas Hymns And Carols, Volume I, so it's easy to assume that the 1957 release is simply this recording in reprocessed and resequenced form, as often happened. But though the arrangements are identical or similar, the recordings are distinct.

(There are two differences in the naming of the 25-song tracklist: Luther's Cradle Hymn = Away In A Manger, while based on a YouTube of the 1957 release, Echo Hymn = Christmas Hymn.)

The 1945/1946 recording has dry mono sound that reveals its shellac origins, whereas the re-recording has reverberant stereo sound that sounds like a recording to tape. Other differences I noticed include key changes between recordings, while at least one track, Joy to the World, has additional verses in the 1957 version.

The date of this album is a bit of a puzzlement. As noted above, this was originally recorded in 1946, and released on 78s, then later released on LP and 45. The "1954" date there is for a Canadian release, but when was it released on LP in the United States? I've seen a Billboard reprint online, showing this album on the best-seller charts for 33 1/3 discs in December of 1951, so it apparently was available by then at the latest. I note that this cover differs from ones I've seen for the 45 set, and I also note the "Enhanced Sound" on the cover. Is it possible that this came out on LP in 1951 or before, and then was re-issued in what we would now call a "remaster" with better sound and new cover art in 1954?