The group that helped introduce the very idea of "pops" concerts give a wide range of familiar holiday repertoire a warm, symphonic breath of fresh air. Popular Christmas tunes are sprinkled in with selections from The Nutcracker, but the real star is Arthur Fiedler’s conducting. He draws exquisite clarity from all the orchestra’s sections in these finely balanced performances—check out the woodwinds during “Waltz of the Flowers"—and his elegantly swaying version of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” has grace as well as power.
- Mantovani & His Orchestra
- Bing Crosby
- Jackie Gleason
- André Kostelanetz