I love Christmas music. It's pretty much my mainstay for 5 weeks. However, I'm very picky about my Christmas music. For me, Christmas music takes me back to childhood when my parents were still married and happy, or so I thought.
Christmas music stirs up memories of making Christmas cookies, decorating the tree, watching Christmas specials on TV and seeing commercials for Time-Life's collection of Christmas classics.
It's the classic songs that I want.
Mariah Carey is not Christmas. Justin Timberlake is not Christmas.
THIS.
Is Christmas to me. Music from Bing, Dean, Frank, Robert Shaw, Perry Como, Ray Conniff, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I could listen to the warmth of Bing and Dean's voices quite a bit.
And full choirs, especially the hymns and traditional Christian songs of worship are so moving and stirring for me. You can feel the power in their collective voices stressing the importance of Christmas and to keep its meaning; the birth of our Lord and Savior.
And that's something else about the classic voices; they recorded at a time where the technology wasn't there to digitize their voices and clean things up. What you heard was what you got. I think that's the reason why I like Patsy Cline. It's her voice with no outside help.
Quintessential. Classic. Christmas.
In fact, I've created a station on Pandora called "Robert Shaw" that plays classic chorale and choir Christmas music, and I've added Mannheim Steamroller, Bing, Frank, Dean, and the like. I give a "thumbs down" to any new contemporary artist that pops up thus preventing any other similar-sounding music from being played.
Coupled with the vocal classics are my favorite instrumental classics like
and
Probably my all-time favorite songs include "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" by Andy Williams and pretty much any rendition of "Do You Hear What I Hear?"What are some of your favorite Christmas songs and artists?
8 comments:
I prefer classical holiday music, with beautiful melodies & choral voices, but I also love the classic songs from the movies: "White Christmas"- we all sing along- "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"- Judy Garland was absolutely stunning, & my personal fav...Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby" :-)
For me, I like a variety of Christmas song. The old and the new is mixed in on my Pandora. I love Sal Soul Christmas Songs, they remind me of my childhood because my mom would always play that record. But I like Mariah Carey's Christmas songs, too.
We have an entire holiday list of music that is nothing but Mannheim Steamroller. I love their music.
But then again, ask me how big my list is right now of Hawaiian music?
I like any song that is not "Mary did you know" and "depressing song about shoes and mothers dying".
I HATE THOSE SONGS.
All the rest I can handle.
BTW do you not like the TransSiberian Orchestra??
I know it sounds funny but one of my favorite Christmas albums from Bare Naked Ladies. But I do really enjoy the stuff you mentioned.
I came over from Becca's blog.
I agree with you on Bing and Dean. My favorite Christmas movies are White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street.
My favorite Christmas songs, White Christmas of course and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
My father loved White Christmas. Every year when he was alive we couldn't wait for it to come on so we could watch it together. That was back before cable, when it only came on once a year. I think of my father every time I see the movie. What a wonderful memory.
Merry, merry Christmas to you.
I'm with you on the Christmas music! The only modern singer I can bear to listen to is Josh Groban and his version of O Holy Night..that song is like a religious experience for me. I cry when I listen to it.
My faves are Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin Around the Christmas Tree...and only by the original artists!
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