It's late on Christmas night, I've been doing family stuff for the last three days, and I'm staring at a very long day of work tomorrow preparing for a trial in a couple of weeks (don't worry, it's nothing cool. I'm fourth chair.) Instead of doing the smart thing and going to bed or unpacking my new apartment, I'm making my first blog post ever. I've been meaning to post here for the last month, but have been trying to think of a good subject. I hadn't thought of anything worthwhile, but inspired by the Christmas Spirit, I'm going to make the most untimely blog post ever, and ruminate on Christmas music.
For me, Christmas music is like any other kind of music in that I can't stand it when bad versions of it are forced on me at stores and other places, but when I can pick the good songs and listen to them on my own terms I really like it. Between the decoration-barren existence of bachelorhood, moving, and work, I haven't had much of a chance to get in the Christmas mood this year. Conequently, I had listened to virtually no good Christmas music until getting together with the family the past few days. Perhaps this post is to make up for the lost season.
Anyway, these are a few of my favorites that I think are great songs, regardless of religious or Holiday affiliation (yup, this sentence is to keep Scott and Jason reading if they haven't stopped already). I can't say that I have a single favorite. It's more of a group of songs that I really like.
I'm going to start with O Holy Night. As goes for any of these songs, I generally prefer the traditional stuff. Basically that means no large variations on the original melody or freelancing. It is vital that the singer have some old school chops and can hit all the notes. For instance, tonight at my sister's house, she had two versions. One by Josh Groban, the other by The Fray. I normally like The Fray, but this O Holy Night was just bad. (Note: If you had told me a couple years ago that I would be writing my first blog entry, I wouldn't have believed you. If you had also told me that in that entry I would profess my preference for Josh Groban, I probably would have slapped you.) But O Holy Night is just a great, melodic, beautiful piece of music.
Next come What Child Is This? and Carol of the Bells. What Child Is This? has been a favorite of mine ever since childhood. I think I almost prefer the instrumental version of it. It's also one of those Christmas songs that doubles as a year round song, under the title Greensleeves. Just a phenomenal song.
Carol of the Bells I have like ever since we played in the handbell choir in church growing up. My favorite version is by The American Boys Choir. That version's harmony and swells of crescendo always put me in a Christmas mood.
Two underrated Christmas songs are Do You Hear What I Hear? and The Holly And The Ivy. Do You Hear What I Hear? reminds me of my childhood. Most years we went to a children's mass on Christmas Eve, where the kids would perform most of the ministries. Each year, someone sang this song, and I always loved it. I also learned a version of it on the piano when I got older, and it's one of the few songs I can still bang my way through with the music in front of me.
The version of The Holly And The Ivy that I know is from A Fresh Aire Christmas, by Mannheim Steamroller. This is not a group that I would normally like, but my Dad loves them, and he always played this CD around Christmas. It's one of those things that I really hated the first couple of years he played it, but something I eventually came to associate with family and good times. The version of The Holly and The Ivy on that CD is excellent. Incidentally, the CD also contains several of the songs mentioned in this entry, as well as a couple of original songs that I really like, especially Traditions of Christmas.
So, for those of you scoring at home, in my first entry that's recommendations for Josh Groban, pre-pubescent boys, and New Age music. I'm going to be the best author ever. Regardless, Merry Christmas to everyone, and Happy Hanukkah as well.
Vince Guaraldi is my favorite Jazz pianist. That's probably not saying much, since I know very little about jazz. Still, anybody who could put together both "Christmas Time Is Here" and "Linus and Lucy" (commonly called the Peanuts theme) is solid in my book.
