For Immediate Release

Date: November 1, 2003

Contact:

Ronald M. Clancy
Christmas Classics Ltd.
(609) 886-6540
clancyrm@bellatlantic.net
www.christmasclassics.com

Music Historian Releases Third Set in Christmas Music Collection
Children’s Christmas Classics

       North Cape May, NJ.. . Where billion dollar titans of the publishing and direct marketing worlds failed to tread, persistent author, Ronald M. Clancy, accepted the challenge to create the most imaginative Christmas music products on the planet. He has produced the third volume of THE MILLENNIA COLLECTION: The History of Christmas Music — Children’s Christmas Classics.

       The three sets of THE MILLENNIA COLLECTION contain classic and many original recordings of Christmas music from around the world. It is truly a collector’s dream, like no other. Each set includes a historical account of the music in hardback volume that reveals the detailed history of the music, songs, and carols, with illustrations of the most famous Christmas art from over the centuries. The art is by such greats as Norman Rockwell, Rembrandt, Botticelli, William Blake and Grandma Moses. And "Best-Loved Christmas Carols" and "Children's Christmas Classics" each include a soft cover songbook of Christmas carols and holiday favorites.

       "Best-Loved Christmas Classics," a deluxe box set, has been displayed at The National Gallery of Art store and other museum stores around the country and includes recordings by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Marilyn Horne, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Vienna Boys Choir. "American Christmas Classics," featured in the 2002 Smithsonian Holiday Catalog, is the ultimate and richly illustrated Christmas music history set with sensational CD’s performed by the most popular artists of America's past. They range from The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Bing Crosby, Nat "King" Cole, Perry Como, Kate Smith to Ray Price, Gene Autry, Mahalia Jackson and Tammy Wynette! "Children's Christmas Classics" adds a colorful new dimension by emphasizing music and carols expressly composed for children, including classics like "The Nutcracker," "Evening Prayer" from "Hansel and Gretel," "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," "Toyland," along with "Ceremony of Carols" and other wonderful religious works.

About the Author:

       Ron Clancy’s is one of the most knowledgeable Christmas music historians in the world. His inspiration came at the age of six when he attended his first Midnight Mass at a Catholic orphanage. There he had a profound experience on hearing a choir of nuns sing so beautifully the carols of Christmas. "There was the smell of Christmas trees, a huge manger scene, and the nuns singing. To hear the carols was magical. That was the seed", says Clancy. It also was the beginning of a lifelong love. Hence came the research and compilation of "THE MILLENNIA COLLECTION".

       The research for these collections of music, history, and art is meticulous. Clancy spent countless hours in esteemed libraries all over the East for years, buried in his research, surrounded by towering stacks of books about carols and Christmas music. In "Best-Loved Christmas Carols," we learn that "O Holy Night" (Cantique de Noël), a wonderful French carol, was once actually detested by Church authorities. The second volume, "American Christmas Classics," is a fascinating look at America’s contribution to timeless Christmas music. How many people know that "Mary Had a Baby" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" were contributed to the American carol repertoire by black slaves and their ancestors?

       Most of the songs you hear on "Mary Smith's" or whomever's music collection are in the public domain. "That's not true in my case," says Clancy. His "American Christmas Classics" collection is about 70 percent copyrighted lyrics, which meant he had to track down all of the copyright holders to get permission. "Trying to fuse history, art, song lyrics and music CD’s in special packages was a tall order - there were 172 clearances needed for 'American Christmas Classics' alone," says Clancy.

       "Let's enjoy this music, reflect upon it, remember why it was written -- to commemorate, by and large, the birth of Christ, as well as to celebrate the festive nature of the season," Clancy says. "The essence of it now is the same as when some of this music was composed in the 15th and 16th centuries."

       For more information, visit http://www.christmasclassics.com

 

# # #

Best-Loved Christmas Carols (Vol. #1) includes hardback book, one CD w/25 carols,
soft back Songbook for singing. (Sells for $39.95)

American Christmas Classics (Vol. #2) includes hardback book, and 3 nostalgic CDs.
(Sells for $59.95)

Children's Christmas Classics (Vol. #3) includes hardback book, one CD w/26 music
tracks, and soft back Songbook. (Sells for $39.95)

These first three titles from THE MILLENNIA COLLECTION are available:
a) By calling 866-552-7742
b) http://www.christmasclassics.com