Mario Lanza - Joy to the World video free download

Voice and photos of the great Mario Lanza are combined with master paintings for this video.

The words to the carol, Joy to the World, "... are by English hymn writer Isaac Watts, based on Psalm 98 in the Bible. The song was first published in 1719 in Watts' collection; The Psalms of David: Imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and worship.... The music was adapted and arranged to Watts' lyrics by Lowell Mason in 1839 from an older melody which was then believed to have originated from Handel, not least because the theme of the refrain (And heaven and nature sing...) appears in the orchestra opening and accompaniment of the recitative Comfort ye from Handel's Messiah, and the first four notes match the beginning of the choruses Lift up your heads and Glory to God from the same oratorio. However, Handel did not compose the entire tune.... As of the late 20th century, "Joy to the World" was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America". (Quote is from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_to_the_World)

The photographs of Mario Lanza are from the film "The Great Caruso". It is an excellent film and is available for sale from Turner Classic Movies.

The artists' names of the master paintings with their titles along with information about a video clip are listed below by the in the order of their appearance in the video:

1) A. Hamilton Thompson - Canterbury Cathedral. South West View, Kent, England, c. 1925

2) video clip of Cambridge Surprise Maximus on the bells of the Cathedral Church of St Michael_ Coventry from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9h8BujG_uE

3) artist unknown - Fresco, Cherubs, St. Peter's Church, Vienna, Austria, c. 1715

4) Battista Dossi (1490 - 1548) - Nativity, c. 1520

5) Paolo Piazza (1560 - 1620) - Adoration of the Magi, 1606

6) Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) - Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 1868

7) Abraham Bloemaert (1564-1651) - Adoration of The Magi, (1623 - 1624)

8) Josef Franz Danhauser (1805 -- 1845) - Franz Liszt Fantasizing at the Piano, 1840

9) Asher Brown Durand (1796 - 1886) - Pastoral Landscape, 1861

10) Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) - In the Mountains, 1867

11) Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) - North Fork of the Platte Nebraska, 1863

12) Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530) - Madonna of the Harpies, 1517

13) Annibale Carracci (1560 - 1609) - Madonna Enthroned with St. Matthew, 1588

14) Gianantonio Guardi (1699 - 1760) - Madonna and Child with Saints, (1746-48)

15) Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 - 1556) - Holy Family with Angels and Saints

16) Antoine Watteau (1684 - 1721) - The Holy Family, 1717

17) Alesandro Botticelli (1444-1510) Virgin and Child with Young St John the Baptist, 1470-75