Category: LiveJournal

Seven Christmas Songs I Love (Plus 2) – Part 8

Well, this is the post where I deviate from gregmce‘s original Seven Christmas Songs I Love theme – song 8 (with song 9 to finish things tomorrow). And today’s song highlights another group that I associate with Christmas: The Chieftains.

I believe that I bought The Bells of Dublin because I wanted to hear what Irish Christmas music was like. (This was still back in the BMG days when I was doing some heavy experimentation with CDs.) And I quickly fell in love with the album, starting with the chorus of church bells at the beginning, tumbling through “Il Est Né/Ca Berger” and “A Breton Carol” and finishing with a choral rendition of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” But the Christmas Song that I Love from this album, is “O The Holly She Bears a Berry.”

This song is basically the “Sans Day Carol” which has some similar elements to the more well-known carol “The Holly and the Ivy.” It’s often hard for me to decide if I prefer the Chieftains’ version or King’s College Choirs’ “Sans Day.” And of course, if I extended my list to 15 songs, “Holly/Ivy” would make it to the list. But I decided for the sake of this list, I hadn’t gotten to gush about the Chieftains’ Christmas album yet, and so picked their version.

Seven Christmas Songs I Love (Plus 2) – Part 7

Most of you reading this probably know that I have a (bizarre) sense of humor. So in addition to the serious Christmas songs in my collection, there are also a number of humorous Christmas Songs I Love. After all, I have the Chipmunks, Sesame Street, and the Muppets in my collection, and enjoy them all. And, oddly enough, all of them have a humorous version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

IMO, the best way to perform that song is as a send-up of some sort. Eddie Izzard has a fun bit in Dressed to Kill where he discusses the “5 Gold Rings” bit in the song. (Must admit, that’s my favorite bit, too.) But of all the send-ups, my favorite version is by Straight No Chaser, an a capella men’s group.

If you enjoyed this, too, I highly recommend their “Christmas Can Can” as well.

(Today was Baking Day 2011 and we’ve been working hard all day. And we still have stuff to do. Yay for Baking Day!)

Seven Christmas Songs I Love (Plus 2) – Part 6

If King’s College Choir is my Christmas group, and Julie Andrews my Christmas female singer, then my Christmas male singer must be Harry Belafonte. And my favorite Belafonte Christmas album is the less well-known Hallmark album, Tradition of Christmas (also with Jennifer Warnes and the American Boychoir).

One of the Christmas traditions that my family had when Amy and I were kids was the Annual Ornament. Each year, both Amy and I would be given an ornament for the tree. During my high school and college years, we often would take a trip to the nearby Hallmark store and pick out our ornaments. Hallmark often released a Christmas album which they’d sell for cheap with another purchase. Julie Andrews had one of those, the excellent Sounds of Christmas. And there was also the Harry Belafonte one, which quickly became a favorite. (Well, I didn’t care much for the Jennifer Warnes songs.)

Anyway, my favorite song (one of the Christmas Songs I Love) on that album is “Mary’s Little Boy Child”, which is a faster version of Belafonte’s “Mary’s Boy Child.” And the American Boychoir sing the refrain, which is another plus (remember my love of boy’s choirs). Unfortunately, I was unable to find this version of the song to share, so I’m posting his more traditional version (which is also a lovely song).

Seven Christmas Songs I Love (Plus 2) – Part 5

Alas, YouTube has let me down again. I have found a version of the song I’m going to talk about tonight, but it’s not the version that I love. But it’ll give you a picture of what I love.

I love music in many forms, but there’s a special love for a capella music. Singing in tune with no accompaniment is an art form in itself. And when it is done well, it’s almost magical. And that’s what I think of today’s Christmas Song that I Love.

When my family finally got a CD player, I helped make the transition from vinyl to shiny by buying loads of CDs from BMG (a CD of the Month club). And when Christmas time came around, I ordered all sorts of Christmas albums, including Take 6’s He Is Christmas. Their a capella rendition of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” was worth the price of the album, and then some. (Didn’t know it at the time, so I suspect the CD was on sale. Heh.)

This video is pretty good, but the album version is even better. And I love the overall arrangement of the piece. Simply beautiful.

Seven Christmas Songs I Love (Plus 2) – Part 4

For the most part, if an album is primarily Christmas/winter holiday music, I declare the whole thing “Christmas” and play it from Veteran’s Day to Epiphany. So quite a few “winter” songs songs get clumped in like this. I’m not the only one who does this – look at poor “Jingle Bells” and “Let it Snow” – always played at Christmas, but not any other time.

(I was amused when gregmce did his list and had “Linus and Lucy” as his final song on the list. That’s probably the only exception that I make to my music classification rule. To me, it’s NOT a Christmas song and thus gets stuffed in with my regular music and not in with my holiday songs. Go figure.)

Today’s song is not a Christmas (or Hanukkah or solstice, etc) song, but one about the changing seasons. I was looking for a Christmas album that was guitar instrumental and purchased Craig Chaquico‘s Holiday, sound unheard (like “sight unseen,” only musical). Although the album wasn’t quite what I was looking for, it had a piece called “Nonesuch/Ladies’ Bramzel,” which featured a children’s choir doing a round. This piece quickly became one of the Christmas Songs that I Love despite not being a Christmas song.

Seven Christmas Songs I Love (Plus 2) – Part 3

I’m one of those weirdos who enjoys it when a musician or band that I love takes on a Holiday Album. Or even just a Holiday Song. Some of them are wonderful (The Lovemongers, formerly Heart, produced the lovely album Here is Christmas in 1998) while others are tolerable (Paul McCartney, take a bow). I tend to avoid the horrible ones.

But for all of these, my favorite is and has been since I first saw it when I was very young, “Riu Chiu” as sung by the Monkees. I remember trying to record it off of the TV so that I could listen to it, and later getting it from a video recording. But then I was delighted when Rhino Records released Missing Links Vol 2, and there was “Riu Chiu.” (There were quite a few other songs on that album that I love, too, but “Riu”‘s the only Christmas one.)

Some of my other favorites, that don’t quite make the Seven (Plus 2) list, include The Eurythmics doing “Winter Wonderland,” Sting doing “Gabriel’s Message,” and the one that would be included if I had done Seven (Plus 3), Alison Moyet doing “The Coventry Carol.” Interesting that they’re all from the same album… (Actually, it’s the only Very Special Christmas album that I own in its entirety.)

Seven Christmas Songs I Love (Plus 2) – Part 2

I suspect that many other Christmas music lovers have a particular singer or group that they identify with their childhood more than others. I suspect that for judiang that it is Johnny Mathis. For me, it’s Julie Andrews.

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a nun, just like Julie Andrews. Heh. The fact that I wasn’t Catholic and Julie wasn’t a nun weren’t important then. Still, her Christmas albums are some of the most listened ones in my collection (next to Sesame Street and the Chipmunks, I suspect).

Trying to pick out one of Julie’s pieces to represent what I love about her renditions wasn’t easy. But I decided upon “Pat-a-Pan,” which is another Christmas Song that I Love. It was one of the first that I learned to play on the piano, as well. (But not, alas, on a fife or drum.)

Julie’s version is my favorite “Pat-a-Pan,” but I must admit that David Archuleta gives her a good run for her money. Julie’s also the singer of my definitive “I Wonder as I Wander.”

(And I am sitting here amused by my eclectic tastes – King’s College Choir singing “Away in a Manger” followed by The Chipmunks “The Chipmunk Song.”)

Seven Christmas Songs I Love (Plus 2) – Part 1

I loved gregmce‘s recent series of posts about the Seven Christmas Songs that he loves. So I started compiling a list in my own head to see if I could do as well as he did – could I slim down my 1400+ collection of Christmas songs to seven? Well, no, I couldn’t. But I got it down to nine! I was impressed – I figured I’d have at least 12.

My other big issue is that the music that I love is, well, not always what others love. So finding examples on YouTube like he did – not so much luck. But I’ll do my best.

The first song I picked to focus on illustrates my love for the King’s College Choir. I suspect that my love of boys’ choirs and the like is due to seeing The Box of Delights and a PBS special on the King’s College Choir on Christmas Eve at an impressionable age. I wore out my dad’s audio tape of Christmas Eve at Kings (but not before ripping the songs from it that I can’t find anywhere else!) My last.fm Christmas account shows King’s College Choir as my most played group, which is partly due to my owning so many of their Christmas albums.

My favorite piece that they do (and I have several favorites) is “Remember O Thou Man.” Of course, YouTube doesn’t have that, nor does Last.fm. (Indeed, it’s one of the songs I “rescued” from the Christmas Eve at Kings album.) But I found a nice, rather upbeat, version on YouTube if you’ve not heard the tune before.

In addition to “Remember O Thou Man,” I recommend the King’s College Choir doing “Alleluya” and “The Sans Day Carol.” I’ll talk more about “The Sans Day Carol” in another post.

Muppets & Things

The folks and I finally got out (in the rain) to see The Muppets today. YAY! (Picture Kermit the Frog shouting that for full effect.) We all enjoyed the movie. It’s quite the love letter to the Muppets. 🙂

Yesterday wasn’t a rainy day, however, and so the folks and I spent a good deal of it shopping and stuff. They came over here and we went to the local UCC for the monthly “all you can eat” pancake breakfast. Yummy. Their arrival finally prompted me to finish decorating and cleaning.

I then drove them to Brukner Nature Center for the Winter Craft Fair, dropped them off, then parked WAY far away. I’m a good daughter. The craft fair, as usual, was fun and I found a few items to buy. Both parental units found presents for the other, so a successful venture all around.

We returned to my place and then reconvened at their place. Lunch was at 4 Starters, where I had the turkey club with a basil spread. Tasty. We also went to the Hayner Center’s open house to see how local decorators decorated the place. (It was the Troy Public Library when dad was a kid, and he had quite a few memories of Christmas parties there since his mom was a librarian in P. Hill.)

We then decided to head to Crafts 2000 in Springfield to look for “ingredients” for my Christmas Craft idea. I’ll be making something for the female relatives and it’s a bit interesting and I hope it winds up looking nifty. Mom and I found stuff we think will work, but I haven’t started crafting yet. We also popped into Hobby Lobby, but didn’t find anything there.

Once we returned home, it was Wine Time. So dad got out assorted cheeses and nibbles and I had an Oliver Wineries raspberry-flavored cider while we watched my DVD of Miracle on 34th Street. Such a lovely movie. Probably my favorite holiday flick (definitely up there with Muppet Family Christmas and Muppet Christmas Carol.)

So anyhoo, a lovely weekend with the folks followed with an evening reading with Lucy on my lap. With my Monkey Face Snuggie, pine-scented candle, cat on lap, and eBook reader (currently reading Terrier by Tamora Pierce and enjoying it), I am a happy camper. Er, reader. Or whatever.

Come back, November! All is forgiven!

I have decided that November is the shortest month of the year. I know that February has more fewer days, but it takes FOREVER to get through. And November is over nearly as soon as it began. Quite remarkable.

Was noting with my students today that any countdowns going on in the HS are “Days until Christmas Break” where any countdowns going on in the Elementary are “Days until Christmas!” Yup, Santa’s more important that vacation to the little ones. But to the high schoolers (and teachers) it’s all about the break. 😉

Speaking of the break – We’ve got 11 more school days until 2012. Wow… And 3 of those days are exam days. I’m very pleased with the extended break, but, alas, Amy and Rachel won’t be getting in until my break is nearly done – the 29th. And they go back after I return to work. It’ll be great to see ’em again. I’ve only seen Amy once since last Christmas and haven’t seen Rachel SINCE last Christmas. Too long between sisterly visits!

Originally we were scheduled to return to school on the 2nd of January, which made me sad because my birthday parade will be on the 2nd since the 1st is Sunday. But because Jan 2nd is a federal holiday, the school board decided to make that a day off as well. Make up day being the Tuesday after Memorial day. I can live with that!

ETA: Thanks scalderwood for the correction. Whoops!