on the fourth day of december...
happy second sunday of advent!
it’s a busy day around here: i’m at the store ’til 2 pm today, then this afternoon is going to be all about writing out christmas cards. tonight, i have a christmas-themed movie queued up. (unless i get totally engrossed in my cards, then the movie goes on the backburner). for my card party, i’m going to set up an assembly line/card station on the dining room table, and to create just the right festive ambiance, i’m going to turn on the lights on my little ceramic christmas tree and play christmas cd’s non-stop. radio-kiki’s motto is all christmas all the time (great line which i appropriated from stephanie).
for a few years, i got in the wonderful habit of buying one new cd per year. my assortment now looks like this:
twelve cd's, in total
small, but mighty.
because i love lists (and christmas is a great time to compose lists!), here are a few christmas carol categories, and my picks. now, there are a zillion christmas songs out there, so i’ll limit my choices solely to those songs that are found on my twelve cd’s.
if i had to pick but ONE cd to have, i'd choose my boney m cd - honest!
a compilation of church-ish hymns; the quality of the choirs' singing varies quite a bit!
mannheim steamrollers: high energy, upbeat and fast-paced! (a copy from paul and sharon)
top five christmas carols i ♥ love ♥ with all my ♥:
- carol of the bells
- mary’s boy child (boney m version)
- little drummer boy
- hallelujah chorus from handel’s messiah
- my! my! time flies (enya)
rita macneil: another favourite that makes me feel all home-y and cosy
a fun compilation that i bought at starbucks!
anne murray: a household staple since childhood
top five christmas songs that tug at my ♥:
- now the bells ring (rita mcneil)
- river (sarah mclaclan)
- trains and winter rains (enya)
- one toy solidier (enya)
- do they know it’s christmas (barenaked ladies)
top five sacred hymns:
- hark! the herald angels sing
- break forth, oh beauteous heavenly light
- o holy night
- o come all ye faithful
- angels we have heard on high
sarah mclachlan: my newest purchase, two years ago, along with...
...enya. i bought these two cd's after hearing them at my massage therapist's and loving them
i can't stand the barenaked ladies regular music, but this xmas cd is very merry fun!
top five songs that make me gnash my teeth i could do without [this is why you have fastforward on a cd player. and i was going to say “top five songs that i hate,” but you can’t use “hate” and “christmas” in the same sentence. it’s a rule.]:
- i’ll be home for christmas
- silent night
- auld lang syne
- here comes santa claus
- silver bells
i would gladly go see this ballet every year...i make due with the soundtrack!
an excellent collection of classic hymns, sung by a top-notch chorale group
handel's messiah - memories of high school when our orchestra played some of these selections!
i can’t get tired of christmas music! although, maybe we’ll revisit that question at the end of the month…
please recommend a christmas cd that i need to add to my collection! i’m open to a wide range of styles!
what is one christmas song you love and one that grates on your nerves? i have yet to hear a version of “the little drummer boy” that i did not love. i have never been fond of “silent night,” even as a child!
enjoy your day!
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Comments
I dearly love the french version of Oh Holy Night (Cantique de Noel). I could do without Grandma got run over by a reindeer.
I’m trying to get tickets to Manheim Steamroller. They’re going to be in Lawrence on the 14th. (That’s like 30 min away)
Oh! I hope you get tickets! Let me know. Live christmas music is even better than on the cd (obviously!).
The grandma song IS a silly one!
I love Christmas music – all the classics! And I can listen to Sarah McLachlan on repeat – love her!
you know, i don’t know any of sarah’s “regular” music, only the christmas cd!
I don’t buy Christmas CD’s, don’t really know why. But, I can tell you that my favourite all time Christmas song is Good King Wenceslas…I remember seeing the cartoon as a kid and the story really tugged at my heart. I memorised every verse and can still sing most of them!!! I also really like The First Noel and Joy to the World….but the best is I’m Getting Nuttin’ for Chirstmas!! I used to be able to play it really well on the piano. I love most songs and don’t really have one I don’t like.
isn’t it funny how songs and cartoons we saw as children stick with us! my memories of little drummer boy go way back, too. i hear you on the first noel and joy to the world – they really are joyful! and ANOTHER new one for me – getting nuttin’ for christmas – i will google it! 🙂
I also love Roger Whittaker… I bought my mum his LP in about 1983 – it was called Tidings of Comfort and Joy – you can’t get it anymore (even on iTunes) but I had a copy made from the LP and it’s still my favourite. Also, The Cheiftans – awesome. I also really like Lorrena McKinnett’s Christmas album.
Favourite songs are Twas in the Moon of Wintertime, Carol of the Bells (love it too), one of my very favourites is Lo How a Rose ‘Ere Blooming. And finally Baby It’s Cold Outside (love that one – can’t help but sing along).
As for dislikes – Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. Blech.
i think we are christmas music soul sisters, karen! too bad the roger whittaker is no longer available – i bet it’s great. lorena’s christmas album is wonderful – mom and dad have it and i have even borrowed it, i love it so much. i enjoy your “likes,” (i like singing the alto part of low how a rose) and rockin’ around -> yup, pretty bad.
I am huge Dave Matthews fan to begin with, but one of my favourite Christmas songs is by him called A Christmas Song. I think you have to like him to like the song. I also thoroughly enjoy the Barenaked Ladies Christmas CD and my kids love it, too. A favourite of mine is also Roger Whittaker – my mom used to listen to this CD (I guess it would have been a record or tape back then) all the time so it brings back many good memories for me.
How was S n K? Did you buy anything?
ROGER WHITTAKER!!! oh my, that name takes me back to my childhood – we had a record (not christmas) – thanks, tricia, for the happy reminder! i can see how bnl would appeal to kids – there are some cute and fun songs on the cd. thanks for the dave matthews suggestion – another new one for me to pursue! stitch n kitsch – full report will be up tomorrow, but mom and i had a great time, and yes, made some purchases! how about you?!
I also buy a new Christmas CD every year – I think it’ll be Michael Buble this year (Although Sarah Mclachlan? Hm). A favourite Christmas CD has become Amy Grant (Home for Christmas) – beautiful music and it just means 100% Christmas to me. Having said that, I’m with you with Boney M too! Other big favourites: Elvis, Josh Groban, Nat King Cole, B.B.King, A Charlie Brown Christmas (adore), James Taylor and Harry Connick Jr. I’ll also give TransSiberian Orchestra big props with Stephanie. FAB.
One of my favourite classic songs – Oh Holy Night. Also, Peace on earth/little drummer boy (David Bowie/Bing Crosby) but, hm… also Grown up Christmas list and Breath of Heaven (Amy Grant) and Wizards in Winter (TransSiberian Orchestra) and… oh dear. This may be too difficult.
And while not a ‘favourite’, there’s always some room for Bob and Doug’s 12 Days of Christmas, isn’t there? Because that’s just darn funny.
Good King Wenceslas? Not a fan.
wow!!! i love your comment, jo!!! so much to chat about! 🙂 ok, you’ve got lots of favourites that are new to me. i heard the new michael buble on the radio – they played the whole thing interspersed with an interview with mb, and i really liked his renditions of old classics. ahhh!!! BOB AND DOUG!!!! chris and i could NEVER get enough of that one! thanks for the happy flashback! 🙂
I will always turn up and sing along to “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses or anyone’s “Jingle Bell Rock”….I can’t think of any I really dislike, but I seem to like the faster “peppier” ones as opposed to the more somber ones.
oh, i will check out “christmas wrapping” and “the waitresses” – both the song and the group are new to me. i am with you: upbeat music is much more appealing than slower tunes. oh! i just thought of one that makes me laughl, always – alvin and the chipmunks and their christmas song!
I love Sarah McLachlan and The Bareneaked Ladies Christmas CDs! I also love Christmas Eve and Other Stories by the TransSiberian Orchestra. Love, love, love it. As you know, I do NOT like Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer. Bah. Most annoying song ever. I also don’t really like Santa Claus is Coming to Town. That song just seems so…threatening. Stalker Claus.
I love your card party and movie idea! I might do the same thing today. I bought cards. And if I don’t actually DO them soon, then I won’t even send them. So…thanks for the push! What are you going to watch?
it’s raining here so a card party + movie is DEFINITELY in the cards (pun! haha!) as it’s a great cocooning day. let’s be virtual xmas card writing friends!!! and make sure you crank your sarah + barenaked ladies cds!! i am with you on not really loving santa claus is coming to town – esp the bruce springsteen version! well, i am going to save the name of the movie til later this week – but it’s a new one to me, and has a christmas-theme but is not a solely christmas movie!
Christmas Cheers by Straight No Chaser is one of my favourites. They are a 9 man a cappella group and their music is a fun twist on old favourites. Their version of the 12 Days of Christmas that has Toto’s Africa (yes, the song from the 80’s) has me turning up the volume every time.