Nothing says Christmas like "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", "Santa Baby", and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", right? Well, maybe not, but I do look forward to hearing these songs every Christmas season along with so many others. I am tempted to make a playlist for you, but you probably have your own favorites - "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)"? Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride"? "All I Want for Christmas Is You"? Are you humming along as you read this?
It seems as though every singer and every group has recorded a Christmas album. I decided to test that theory and looked at two Seattle grunge bands. I found a disturbing video of Nirvana singing a mash up of Christmas songs, but Pearl Jam came through with the wonderful "Someday at Christmas" which was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder - another song for my playlist.
Best of all, though, are the Christmas Carols. Some Churches wait until Christmas Eve to sing "Silent Night", "Hark the Herald Angels", "Joy to the World" and all those familiar carols. Until then, it is just "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". One of my favorite memories was the Christmas - Hanukkah program with music and readings of the Christmas and Hanukkah stories that my grade school put on. I feel so lucky that I went to a school where we could learn about, and appreciate, other people's beliefs. In sixth grade, my best friend, Frances Epstein, got to read the Hanukkah story and we all sang Hanukkah songs and Christmas carols and ended with "Dona Nobis Pacem". A less joyous memory is when I was asked to sing "Away in a Manger" during the big family party at my great-grandparents' house. I was great at lip-syncing but not so much at singing.
This Christmas, even if we can't sing in a group, sing up a storm at home!
'Twas the night: A holiday celebration / DVD E TWA
Christmas worship /Tesh, John. CD TES
Music, mood and mistletoe /Various artists CD MUS
Carols for Christmas /Willcocks, David, ed. 782.28 WIL
Good King Wenceslas / Neale, J. M. J 782.28 NEA
O holy night: Christmas with the Boy Choir of Harlem /Ringgold, Faith J 782.28 RIN
A treasury of Christmas Songs: twenty-five favorites to sing and play/ Fox, Dan 782.28 FOX