Holiday Music
Just because I feel like it...
Tonight I had one of those nice holiday moments. I was putting lights on my Christmas tree, drinking hot chocolate, and listening to some wonderful Christmas music. I thought I'd share some of my favorites:
All of Indigo Christmas, which I'm not sure is available anymore. The arrangements are jazzy and relaxing.
"Jingle Bells" from the California Guitar Trio's Christmas Album. I love this arrangement! Makes me want to dance. 
"Oh Christmas Tree" on the same album is also very nice. Very rich harmonies. (Actually, the whole album is good, though one of the songs doesn't really sound all that Christmassy to me.)
"The Angel Choir and the Trumpeter" from the Canadian Brass' Noel album. I love the combination of the high brass and the children's choir.
John Rutter's Gloria. The recording with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Canadian Brass is especially good, though the one I have with the Cambridge Singers is also good. I gave the other one to my mother for Christmas one year, and after hearing it I wish I'd bought one for myself! I haven't seen it in the store again since.
"Joy" by Dave Beegle, on Great Strings, Great Music Vol. 2, an Elixir Guitar Strings Holiday Collection. It's a guitar arrangement of J. S. Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" that sounds a bit like a jig to me. Very fast and fun.
Nevorissk Chimes (The Fire of Eternal Glory) by Dimitri Shostakovich, as played by the Phantom Regiment on the DCI Ornaments in Brass album. What a great piece! Gives me goosebumps. The volume should be turned up on this arrangement, though, for the proper DCI feeling. 
"One Quiet Moment" as sung a capella by Glad on their Acapella Christmas album.
All of George Winston's December album (solo piano). Some tracks are a little melancholy, but I like it anyway. His "Carol of the Bells" and "The Holly and the Ivy" are particularly good. Unusual, as always.
Various choral carols on various albums. I've got one CD called Christmas Star by the Cambridge Singers that's pretty good--I end up listening to it a lot.
What're you listening to?
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It's not Christmas
...without the Singing Dogs doin' "Jingle Bells."
Lynn Siprelle, Editor
I probably told you this last year...
I love any and all arrangements of Carol of the Bells...I find it strangely erotic!
So far, though, all I've been listening to is "Shine On Us", the cantata we're doing in choir on December 18. Trying to learn as much as possible through the subconscious, you know!
Love Mannheim Steamroller and any of the old lounge singers 50s stuff.
For my own nostalgia, it's either Anne Murray or the Time Life collection.
Julie
"We must have patience for love, born of an accidental look." --Me
Digital cable music
We have digital cable, which comes with a plethora of music channels (play only music, no videos) and they have one called Sounds of the Season, they have a lot of different styles and singers. DH has it run thru the stereo so it sounds great!
still looking
for this year's Christmas album. I usually try to buy one new Christmas book and one new Christmas album - I'm struggling on both counts.
one carol I love is almost impossible to find except on the obscurest of medieval compilations is The Boar's Head Carol.
other than that I have all the golden oldies, a compilation of pretend versions of popular Christmas songs, one religious one led by... Don Moen, one by Cliff Richard, and a single of the old Band Aid one with the new versions and a live version on it (same damn song 4 times on one CD I think!). I'm looking for a really good traditional one. I was thinking choral but maybe a slightly more religious type one is what I really want - something I can sing along to. I really like the Don Moen one though I'd never have chosen it for myself.
anyone heard of Limewire?? I'll bet Lynn has. I wonder whether I can top up some Christmas songs on that.
Kerri.
Where to begin?
I like both instrumental and vocal Christmas Music, but DH doesn't like the instrumental so I don't listen to it as much. My tastes have a bit of the "cheese" factor, for which I do not apologise.
I absolutely love the Big Band Jazz/Swing/Crooner kind of Chrismas music. Glenn Miller, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, and the like. Listening to it I can see in the movie screen that is my brain my grandmothers--young, in love, and partying to this music. It makes me happy.
I have a complilation CD by Bath & Body Works called "Let It Snow" that's perfect. It has one of my favorite winter songs, "Baby, It's Cold Outside". I love it.
I also have a complilation CD called "Holiday Break" by Coca Cola, of all things, that has some great tunes, including Louie Armstrong's "Zat you, Santy Claus" which I'm crazy about.
I also like to listen to the Christmas Albums by the artists I really, really go for, like Chris Issaks' and Harry Connick Jr.'s Christmas albums. I want to find Anne Murray's and my Christmas music collection will be almost complete.
There's a boy's choir on one of a CD I've got by Platinum Disc Corp. that's sublime, but they don't attribute or document who's singing what, so I don't know who they are. Drives me nuts. Their The First Noel is the best I've ever heard. It might be the Londonderry Boys Choir, but I don't know.
The albums "for DD" (I got them for myself, really, but she enjoys them just as much as I do)
*A Christmas Together: John Denver & The Muppets
*Christmas in Concert (John Denver also, his O Holy Night is amazing)
I've been looking for a good Celtic Christmas CD, but haven't found one I like yet. Anyone?
Anhata
www.familynaturally.com
Your Family's General Store, Naturally
What I want is...
The Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack.
My cousin's husband also sent me a link to this holiday internet radio station which is irreverent and sort of fun:
http://somafm.com/xmasinfrisko.pls
More music
I have a large variety of Christmas music I listen to and I love it all! One of my favorites is the music by the Jackie Gleason Orchestra. It makes perfect background music when you have a houseful of people.
reviving this thread
I was reminded that one of my FAVORITES is the Benjamin Britten Ceremony of Carols. I'm 85% sure that Britten will be a major part of my dissertation (if I'm accepted for a PhD that is), so I have to give him his props.
Oh...yes!
I've had that playing some, too, when I'm at home.
Julie
"We must have patience for love, born of an accidental look." --Me
Used to have that...
...but DirecTV made some kind of deal with XM radio and they just switched to their service on the music channels instead. I don't like it nearly as well--they talk between songs to advertise themselves and the holiday channel is the same kind of pop-ish Christmas stuff that's playing in the malls. I hear enough of that there--I liked the Sounds of the Season much better.
ooooh!
I have that! Love it!
Julie
"We must have patience for love, born of an accidental look." --Me
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