KFUO Presents Christmas Hymns And Carols


If you've been earching the musty, dusty vinyl bins of your local thrift stores, Salvation Armies, and Goodwills, you've probably come across dozens, maybe hundreds of what I call "local choir" albums.

"Local choir" albums are plentiful and usually the same. A local choir from a high school, community college, or small university dress in their formal robes, assemble on stage surrounded by microphones from a local or national recording service, they sing the same 12 or 13 songs, and it's captured on tape.

Then it's pressed onto vinyl and four to six weeks later, you have albums that were either sold for school fundraisers or given to the choir as gifts. Add a group shot of the choir director and the choir themselves to the back and it's official.

I found this album at a garage sale last year. What caught my attention about this album was the massive call letters on the front of the album: KFUO. It turns out KFUO is a Christian St. Louis radio station that's been spreading the gospel since 1924. Its sister station, KFUO-FM, has been doing the same since 1948.

Two choirs are featured on this album; the Senior choir of the First Lutheran Church of Omaha, Nebraska (Side 1) and the Children's Choir of Concord Lutheran School of St. Louis County, Missouri:


There was no date anywhere on the album so if you happen to recognize anyone in the picture above and can give us an exact release date (along with anything else you'd like to share about the choir, the directors, KFUO, or this recording), please let us know.


KFUO Presents Christmas Hymns And Carols


Happy listening...


Capt

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi Rob I have seen this lp a few times here in st. louis. I think it is from the mid to late 70's.
I believe the did this every year for a few years but I could be wrong.
KFUO is still on the air the FM is the local classical station and the am still carries the christian programming and I beieve if you google them you can contact them there may still be someone around who was involved in this recording.

I was wondering if you ever got the Mojo Nixon holiday cd ?

Thanks
have a nice day
mike quinn
of mike and cindy's ho ho

p.s. ho ho 2007 is on the way
CaptainOT said…
Mike - My best guess is this from the late 1950s to early 1960s - those hairstyles / eyeglasses on the back cover tell quite a tale!

I did get a copy of the Mojo Nixon CD but more importantly I'm looking forward to HO HO 2007!


Capt
Anonymous said…
from a gal from st louie thank you for this post...


merriest of christmas to you and yours

jaci from imperial( outside of st louis MO )
Anonymous said…
My Parents belonged to "The St. Louis Concert Chorale" which recorded several holiday albums for the KFUO Presents series, directed by Harold Jagels. I believe this was in the early '50s. Matter of fact, it was in this choir that they first met. I would love to get my hands of some of these albums as I only posses one.
CaptainOT said…
Jaci - Thanks for the good wishes and visiting us here at the yuleblog!

Jeff - What a great story! Thanks for sharing with us.

And for other albums, stay tuned this Christmas - you won't be disappointed!


Capt
Jeff Haumesser said…
I finally found the "KFUO Presents Songs of Easter" album on ebay. My mom even has a solo on one of the songs. I haven't heard that voice since I was 19, when my parents passed away. What a find. I can even pick out my dad's voice in the choir.
Jeff Shields said…
My mother sang in the First Lutheran Church choir and is pictured dead center in the photo, just above and to the right of the lowest lady pictured in the front row. I believe her twin sister was also in the choir. This is definitely from the late 50's, but she is not certain of the exact year.

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