[Fiji Hill]

My favorite recorded version of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" is by Waring's Pennsylvanians, from 1942.

In the last week of July of that year, Fred Waring and his crew were frantically working to finish the recording before the instrumentalists in the musicians' union went out on strike against the record companies on August 1. They barely managed to get it "in the can" before the walkout, which would last more than a year. The tune would go on to become a seasonal bestseller for decades afterwards.

[mairdie]

I LOVED it! That was wonderful. There was more editing than I'm used to hearing in recitations, but that is right for the history of so many printed editions making so many minor changes. And the changes were perfectly appropriate to the music needs. Thank you for that link!