# Christmas Music



## ajo (Oct 22, 2007)

Seeing as the issue of the Christmas tie has been raised I would like to ask what music does anyone have lurking at the back of their collections which only sees the light of day at this time of year.

Personally, I know it’s the silly season when the wife brings forth ‘Christmas cocktails, the coolest collection of ultra hip lounge music available.' 

I know Miles recorded a track or two with Columbia but does anyone have any recommendation for a cool musical Yule?


----------



## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

I have a VERY old record in german of Silent Night. I play it while telling people of the 1914 Christmas truce and the one coporal who protested loudy about it to his officers.


----------



## burnedandfrozen (Mar 11, 2004)

Back in July I found a four cd set of medieval carols and chants for Christmas from European and Celtic origins sung by Anonymous 4. May not be everyones cup of tea but I like it quite well.


----------



## Reddington (Nov 15, 2007)

The Mrs. and I always enjoy Nat King Cole's Christmas CD. A real classic.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/i...?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music&qid=1197957401&sr=8-3

Happy Christmas all


----------



## Bob Loblaw (Mar 9, 2006)

https://imageshack.us


----------



## Good Old Sledge (Jun 13, 2006)

The Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Makes me smile every time and there's some real cooking stuff going on in there, too.


----------



## eg1 (Jan 17, 2007)

Holly Cole Trio -- _Baby It's Cold Outside_

https://www.amazon.ca/Baby-Cold-Outside-Holly-Cole/dp/B00005RDIU


----------



## jkreusc (Aug 14, 2006)

This is especially when XM radio hits its stride. 7 1/2 channels of holiday music:

103 Holly: general - What you hear in the mall
104 Holiday traditions - What you should hear in the mall (no mariah carey, kenny G, etc. mostly stuff like nat king cole, dean martin, etc.)
105 Music City Holiday - Country music's holiday renditions
106 Classical Christmas
107 Special XMas - Parodies, anti-holiday music, etc. The "Bah humbug" channel
113 XM Pops - Pops (as in Boston Pops, not pop music) christmas

There is also a haunikah (sp?) station.

The 1/2 channel is channel 32 - The message - Christian pop - which plays tons of christmas music this time of year.


----------



## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Not to be a Grinch, but while I love It's a Wonderfull Life and the newly classic adventures of Ralphie and his Red Ryder: I am utterly fatiqued with Bing Crosby and White Christmas.


----------



## septa (Mar 4, 2006)

I like the albums of The Boston Camerata. I am a big fan of "Sing We Noel".

https://www.amazon.com/Sing-We-Noel...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1198003010&sr=8-1


----------



## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

septa said:


> I like the albums of The Boston Camerata. I am a big fan of "Sing We Noel".


The _Gloucestershire Wassail_ is one of my favorites.


----------



## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

A classic by a classic:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/i..._0/002-7001627-0852036?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music

My favorite post midnight mass album:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/i...?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music&qid=1198003983&sr=1-8


----------



## RSS (Dec 30, 2003)

Typically, I'm still listening to music more appropriate to Advent ... leaving Christmas Music for the twelve days of. Favored composers for either being Palestrina, Howells, Willcocks, Sowerby, Gibbons, etc.

But for some reason I'm in a Christmas mood today ... and while I still can't bring myself to play the "real stuff" ... I've added to the CD player's shuffle some Manhattan Transfer (The Christmas Album) as well as some Vince Guaraldi.

Nothing like hearing back to back Orlando Gibbon's _This is the Record of John_ and Janis, Cheryl, Alan & Tim singing _Look Out Old Santa Is Back. _

Hum ... wonder if I should add Eartha?


----------



## huysmans (Nov 5, 2007)

Windham Hill Celtic Christmas
Vienna Boys Choir
Charlie Brown Christmas
Bing and The Andrews Sisters

and of course, the best of all, Phil Spector's Christmas album.

That is what will be in the playlist for Christmas Eve dinner.


----------



## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

My favorites are:

Feliz Navidad- Jose Feliciano
Dominick The Donkey


----------



## RSS (Dec 30, 2003)

I posted the following under Karl89's request for book & music recommendations ... but am thinking it's really appropriate for here.

If you're interested in some holiday music with an interesting twist ... both sophisticated and fun ... *Steve Swayne* -- a rather talented pianist -- has a CD called *Holiday Twists*. I do not share this to make Steve rich -- it certainly isn't going to do that -- but because it is a wonderfully entertaining Christmas album. I've given it to all my good friends and family.

I first got to know Steve back in the days when he was working on his Ph.D. at Berkeley. Today he is an associate professor in the Music Department at Dartmouth.

While attending college, as a way of making a bit of extra money, Steve spent some time during the holidays playing the piano at Nordstroms. The same old thing got boring ... so Steve got creative ... turning _Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer_ into _Tango Rudolpho_ ... while _We Three Kings_ becomes _Three Disoriented Kings_ followed by _Three Reoriented Kings._ And of course, there is_ Fosty der schöne blaue Schneeman ... Mary's Calypso Child ... Jolly Old St. Pachelbel ... Thelonious is Comin' to Town ... _and a challenging version of _the Twelve Days of Christmas (Twelve Long Days_ he calls it_)_ where each of the twelve gifts is rendered via a musical reference to a word associated with the gift.

Now do keep in mind that this is not music intended to be background ... as it will constantly grab your attention. It's the most fun I've had with music in years.


----------



## etp777 (Nov 27, 2007)

Have a collection (on other computer, so can't get specifics now) of Louis Armstrong and Rat Pack Christmas music that I love. Of course, I love listening to all of them the rest of the year too, so not sure they'd really count as something special that only comes out at this time of year.


----------



## 16128 (Feb 8, 2005)

Father Christmas by the Kinks





and

Fairytale of New York by Kirsty McColl and the Pogues


----------



## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

I saw this performance last year or the year before and it is now a staple:

https://www.amazon.com/Scottish-Christmas-Bonnie-Rideout/dp/B000003JMH

One of the best Scottish fiddlers active right now.

Of course, https://www.mannheimsteamroller.com/ has some nice stuff.

Do not forget that Hogmanay and 12th Night are just around the corner too.


----------



## Beresford (Mar 30, 2006)

KDFC in San Francisco has great classical Christmas music streaming on the internet. You can access it here:

https://kdfc.com/

Click on KDFC Christmas Station link (may have to register, but it's free and they don't bother you much with spam mail).

Merry Christmas to all!


----------



## red96 (Jun 26, 2007)

My favorite Christmas album is by Mahalia Jackson. And to shake this up a bit, we throw in the Chairman of the Board...


----------



## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

Lil' Augie Rios-Donde Un Santa Claus?


----------



## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Good Old Sledge said:


> The Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas.
> Makes me smile every time and there's some real cooking stuff going on in there, too.


I second that one! Also, Ella Fitgerald's "Ella Wishes You a Swining Christmas" and Joe William's Christmas album (one of his last albums).

I have to say the WORST Christmas song I have ever heard (and there are lot of truly awful holiday tunes out there) is "Christmas Shoes." I cringe every time it comes on the radio and can't change the channel fast enough!


----------



## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

The best Christmas song that gets played out is Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano,that one I like a lot.


----------



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Kav said:


> Not to be a Grinch, but while I love It's a Wonderfull Life and the newly classic adventures of Ralphie and his Red Ryder: I am utterly fatiqued with Bing Crosby and White Christmas.


While I concur with Kav's assessment of It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story, I must dissent with regard to his assessment of White Christmas...that's one of five Christmas movies we seem to watch every year! As for music preferences, with the wife being a certifiable "Elvis nut", this time of year we always seem to be listening to one of his half dozen or so collections of Christmas tunes...now if you want to talk about being utterly fatigued with something!!! (winks)


----------



## The Gabba Goul (Feb 11, 2005)

hmmmm...well...I suppose my favorite Christmas tracks would be
Adeste Fideles as performed by Bing Crosby 
I saw three ships by Sting
The Babs version of Jingle Bells (weird family tradition)
Fairytale of New York by the Pogues
Santa Claus is ska'ing to town by the Granville Williams orchestra
and 
Frosty the Snowman as performed by the Ronettes

as far as movies go...the classics of the classics are 
The Mr. Magoo version of A Christmas Carol
the stop motion Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer
Christmas Vacation
It's a Wonderful life
and of course, the best Christmas movie ever...
...A Christmas Story


----------



## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

I always liked Donny Hathaway's song,"It's Christmas Time".


----------



## Rossini (Oct 7, 2007)

One of the silliest is BNL's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.


----------



## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

Or How about Bowie And Bing from 1974?


----------

