The Christmas season always gets me thinking of The Salvation Army. This organization does amazing charitable work throughout the years but the bell ringers with their little black pots are a consistent part of the holiday season around here. They also have a tradition of great brass bands. The 1975 album Spirit of Joy from The CHRW album archive shows off a specially nice ensemble from the London, Ontario area. While not Christmas songs, these eleven tracks have a seasonal feel with devotional titles and a crisp military cadence going for it. The 128kbsp MP3 files appear to be taken from a vinyl recording so there are a few scratches and the sound is just OK. However the jubilant spirit of these standard pieces for a Salvation Army band is not to be ignored. This might be a little different (OK, a lot different) than what the average visitor downloads from this blog but give it a try. You might like it. And if you enjoy the music, support the artists by giving a little seasonal donation to The Salvation Army next time you see the bell ringers. Tell them Free Albums Galore sent you.

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