Monday, December 5, 2011
Does anyone remember the Merrill Staton Choir?
In my youth, I frequently listened to two long-playing records that were favorites of my father's. One was "Up Anchor!", an album of US Navy songs, and the other was an album of US Army songs, "Sound Off!". The recordings were by the Merrill Staton Choir (which I understand was also known as the Merrill Staton Voices), a choir formed by Dr. Merrill Staton, who died in 2000. I haven't been able to find any online sources about him except for a brief obituary here - scroll down to find it.
I'd love to find copies of these albums in digital format, if they're out there. Does anyone know whether they were ever transcribed into digital format, and if so, where they might be obtained? Otherwise I'll have to buy the albums in LP record format, get a USB turntable, and make my own digital conversions. I find the memories of those songs returning more and more often, and I'd love to hear them again, particularly the Merrill Staton Choir's rendition of 'Shenandoah'. It's hauntingly beautiful, far more so than any other version I've heard since my childhood.
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer.
Peter
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16 comments:
I'm just shy of 70 and can't say I ever heard of them
I checked out YouTube but could only find one or two songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZiB6ddsZFo&feature=related
If memory serves, they were the first to record the Christmas Carol, Do You Hear What I Hear?" It made me love it ever since....and it's been about 50 years.
Here is a selection to listen to online, including "Shenandoah"
http://www.tc.columbia.edu/news.htm?articleID=7703
It is from Teachers College, where he did his doctorate.
Douglas2, thank you so much! It was great to hear 'Shenandoah' again, sung their way. That'll keep me going until I can find copies of the records.
I searched the web for about a month for an album I bought in the late 50's. I did not know the name of the album but I did know that "over there" followed by "goodbye broadway hello france" was on it. I finally found the album "sound off" by the Merrill Staton Choir. I purchased the album on amazon. There is one more for sale on amazon. Search "merrill staton choir sound". It is selling for $25 plus shipping. There is a website that has copied it to disk. They want $65 for the vinyl and disk.
I have the priviledge of telling you that I considered Merrill Staton a personal friend and have fond memories of the time I spent with him. His son, Joe, has been my best friend since 1978. Additionally I had the distinct honor of being the bugler at his graveside military honors. I am a large man with big hands but when he shook hands with me my hands were dwarfed. I have been told that the size of a person's clenched fist corresponds closely to the size of his heart. If that is an accurate staement then Merril had the biggest heart realistically as well as figuratively. He did not know a stranger and made you feels as a brother from the first moment you met him. I currently sing in a barbershop chorus and in planning stages to arrange some of his music for my chorus. Thanks for posting your request for information because it came up on my internet search for Merril this morning and has made already made my day richer for the memories that you have inspired.
Mike Nelson, Wathena, KS
I had a copy of the Epic LP by the Merrill Statons entitled The Squarest Songs Ever Written. Of course someone made off with it and when I found it again it had been retitled, "Remember When". Its main attraction for me was a song written by Mark Twain, "Punch in the Presence of the Passenjare"
I have an LP by the Merrill Staton choir titled "Movin' West" and have listened to it countless times- it was a favorite in our household when I was growing up in the 1950's and early '60s
Paul Mikelson
Merrill Staton was my husband and I do have all of his recordings. The "Up Anchor" and" Sound Off "recordings were digitized and came out in one CD called "America's Great Songs of Strength and Courage." The album: "Songs of the Railroad" also is a CD now and I have some of those at my home in Sarasota, FL.That CD has the song "Shenandoah" on it. I do have the LPs of every album mentioned in the comments. but it wasn't possible to get all the clearances of songs and their composers to make the CDs before Merrill died in 2000.
@Barbara Staton: Thank you SO MUCH for that information! I've ordered copies of both CD's. It'll be great to hear them again!
I looked for both of the CD's mentioned by Barbara and Peter, but cannot find where to order them. Does anyone have that information?
"America's Great Songs Of Strength and Courage" is here: http://amzn.to/22t1H89 .
"Songs of the Railroad" is here: http://amzn.to/27XVKE9 .
Listening to the 4 album collection Music 1,2,3 (&) Around the World in song(1 album), both released by Columbia Special products in 1977, makes one appreciate the major talent that was Merrill Staton. Not only did his children's choir have superb vocal harmony, but on a few occasions even sung in other languages! Mr. Staton, I would think it safe to assume supplied the adult singing voice, heard infrequently. Did he play many of the instruments too? Probably! For the minuet, it was a joy to hear the harpsichord! And who narrated the dance instruction to the polka and schottische? Barbara Staton seems like a very good answer!
Does anyone (particularly Barbara Staton) know if the arrangments (TTBB) of Merrill's songs are available for use by a community chorus?
I stumbled upon this message thread as I was looking for information on any Merrill Staton. Specifically, Around The World In Song. Having grown up in the early 80s, I played that album over and over again as a child. Thinking about those tunes brings me back to a time when life was much simpler. Now I am a father of two daughters and I want to share this with them. Unfortunately I have not found this album digitally or even in any library here at my state. Can anyone, especially Mrs. Staton point me to a possible source? BTW, I too am former military and am enjoying my new chapter of life having retired from the Air Force.
I grew up in Alpine and had the pleasure of singing under Merrill's direction in both the Alpine Church and Community choirs. He had such faith in everyone's ability and always made us sound so much better than we ever thought we could be. He also had a magnificent tenor voice - the soundtrack of my Christmas childhood. These posts have brought back many happy memories.
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