All my life I've told my musical sister Andrea that she has the “most perfect singing voice I have ever heard.” Still true to this day (12/5/2023). She just emailed: “I don't know if you would remember a lovely record we played at the cottage a lot, one summer. Can't remember the album cover or what other songs were on it, but one song has haunted me, all these many years - A LA NANITA NANA. I don't know what the words mean, or anything. I just remember the tune was so beautiful." Permit an aside: As a student in her teens at Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music my older sister's 'coloratura' (highest soprano) voice brought her a record three victories in some competition previously won (twice each) by Robert ('If Ever I Would Leave You') Goulet, and by “Canada's gift to Opera” Teresa Stratas.] Andrea's musical knowledge is encyclopedic. But every now and then …. she will ask me “Do you remember the name of . . . ?” (someone or something musical, from 60 years ago). A moment ago Andrea shared a video of a children's choir and I thought at once of the name. “Norman Luboff.” Google to be reminded that Mr. Luboff became history's wealthiest choir director! (Wiki note below.) The song Andrea shared was “A La Nanita Nana” asking “Does the tune ring a bell with you, and do you remember the record we played at the cottage?” First offering at RUclips this day when you search for this song and include Norman Luboff's name. From a New Mexico choir competition, posted to 12,895 “views” “Deming High School Women's Chorale performing at the New Mexico State Choir Competition …. on April 16, 2016. We are the bottom of the 6A class and this choir only received comments and were not part of the competition. Had they been, the score they received would have placed them 1st. They received a Superior Rating.” Larry Martin - Conductor Susan Allen - Accompanist Wikipedia NORMAN LUBOFF (May 14, 1917 - September 22, 1987) was an American music arranger, music publisher, and choir director. Luboff was the founder and conductor of the Norman Luboff Choir, one of the leading choral groups of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. They came to prominence through their participation in the very successful Christmas broadcasts with Bing Crosby which ran from 1955 to 1962. History was made in 1956 when Luboff and his choir recorded with Harry Belafonte on "Calypso", the first album to sell one million copies. The choral group toured yearly from 1963 to 1987, and recorded more than 75 albums. The holiday albums Songs of Christmas (1956) and Christmas with the Norman Luboff Choir (1964) were perennial bestsellers for years. Luboff and his choir won the 1961 Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Chorus. Luboff was also a guest conductor at many choirs in the United States and abroad. Luboff died of lung cancer[3] at his home in Bynum, North Carolina, in 1987 at the age of 70. The Norman Luboff Collection was donated to the Music Division of the United States Library of Congress in 1993 by his widow. Thanks for sharing Larry Martin. Celebrated elsewhere this day (12/5/2023) search " Great Melody, Great Lyric, Great Rendition, Songwriting Workshop, Harmony Central " p. 45
All my life I've told my musical sister Andrea that she has the “most perfect singing voice I have ever heard.” Still true to this day (12/5/2023). She just emailed:
“I don't know if you would remember a lovely record we played at the cottage a lot, one summer. Can't remember the album cover or what other songs were on it, but one song has haunted me, all these many years - A LA NANITA NANA. I don't know what the words mean, or anything. I just remember the tune was so beautiful."
Permit an aside: As a student in her teens at Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music my older sister's 'coloratura' (highest soprano) voice brought her a record three victories in some competition previously won (twice each) by Robert ('If Ever I Would Leave You') Goulet, and by “Canada's gift to Opera” Teresa Stratas.]
Andrea's musical knowledge is encyclopedic. But every now and then …. she will ask me “Do you remember the name of . . . ?” (someone or something musical, from 60 years ago).
A moment ago Andrea shared a video of a children's choir and I thought at once of the name. “Norman Luboff.”
Google to be reminded that Mr. Luboff became history's wealthiest choir director! (Wiki note below.)
The song Andrea shared was “A La Nanita Nana” asking “Does the tune ring a bell with you, and do you remember the record we played at the cottage?”
First offering at RUclips this day when you search for this song and include Norman Luboff's name. From a New Mexico choir competition, posted to 12,895 “views”
“Deming High School Women's Chorale performing at the New Mexico State Choir Competition …. on April 16, 2016. We are the bottom of the 6A class and this choir only received comments and were not part of the competition. Had they been, the score they received would have placed them 1st. They received a Superior Rating.”
Larry Martin - Conductor
Susan Allen - Accompanist
Wikipedia
NORMAN LUBOFF (May 14, 1917 - September 22, 1987) was an American music arranger, music publisher, and choir director.
Luboff was the founder and conductor of the Norman Luboff Choir, one of the leading choral groups of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. They came to prominence through their participation in the very successful Christmas broadcasts with Bing Crosby which ran from 1955 to 1962.
History was made in 1956 when Luboff and his choir recorded with Harry Belafonte on "Calypso", the first album to sell one million copies. The choral group toured yearly from 1963 to 1987, and recorded more than 75 albums. The holiday albums Songs of Christmas (1956) and Christmas with the Norman Luboff Choir (1964) were perennial bestsellers for years. Luboff and his choir won the 1961 Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Chorus.
Luboff was also a guest conductor at many choirs in the United States and abroad.
Luboff died of lung cancer[3] at his home in Bynum, North Carolina, in 1987 at the age of 70. The Norman Luboff Collection was donated to the Music Division of the United States Library of Congress in 1993 by his widow.
Thanks for sharing Larry Martin. Celebrated elsewhere this day (12/5/2023) search " Great Melody, Great Lyric, Great Rendition, Songwriting Workshop, Harmony Central " p. 45