Adeste Fidelis

I've heard it said that the unchanged male voice is the most beautiful. I'm not sure I completely agree, but this presents strong evidence to support that contention.

Vienna Boys Choir, "Adeste Fidelis":

Have Yourself a Merry . . .

Non-guitarists may not appreciate the artistry of this guy. Only one I ever heard who might do this stuff better might have been George vanEps. And no, Lenny Breau's style isn't like Ted's so on can't really compare except to say they were both wonderful players who we lost too soon.

It gets off to a slow start, and he changes guitars before he starts, but wait, it's worthwhile. And stay for the bonus bit and lesson at the end.

Ah! Ah! beautiful is the Mother! Ah! Ah! beautiful is her child

Christmas music on a harp-guitar. This guy is really good:

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Certain songs, pieces of music, have been perfected and never, ever, should be recorded again.

This is one:



But then again, you might like Miley Cyrus's version.

If so, I pity you.

Hark, the herald angels 'n' stuff

Here's a repost from 12/23/06, with some additions:

Here's some pre-Christmas music goodness from The Roches. In case anyone wasn't sure, Handel rocks:




Here's more Christmas goodies from the girls:




And the 2 best alternative Christmas albums ever? In my authoritative opinion:

The Roches: We Three Kings

Barenaked Ladies: Barenaked for the Holidays

Here's a sample of the Ladies' men:



Of course, YMMV. But I'm right, I'm just saying...

Ah, ah, beautiful is the mother; ah, ah, beautiful is her Son.

My Dad was unabashed in his love for music, especially Christmas music. Whether or not I would have become musically inclined without his influence, we'll never know. All I can say is that the guitar my Mom bought for me languished until 2 things happened: I was first taught music (the recorder) by my Dad, and I listened to early '60s rock'n'roll.

He told me when I was pretty young that his favorite Christmas Carol was a song I had never heard of:

"Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella" (French: Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle) is a Christmas carol which originated from the Provence region of France in the 16th century. The song is unique among Christmas carols in that it is in 3/8 time^{[citation needed]}.

The carol was first published in 1553 in France, and was subsequently translated into English in the 18th century. The song was originally not a song to be sung at Christmas, but rather dance music for French nobility.

The carol tells the story of two milkmaids, Jeanette and Isabella, who go to milk their cows in a stable in Bethlehem, only to find the baby Jesus sleeping in the manger. The two girls run to town to tell the village of the coming of Christ, and the townspeople come with their own torches to view the sight for themselves. However, they have to keep their voices down so little Jesus can enjoy his dreams. To this day in the Provence region, children dress up as shepherds and milkmaids, carrying torches and candles to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, while singing the carol.

I scoured Teh YouTubes™ for a version I thought would please my pop. Many wouldn't have, from well-intended Middle School choirs, to Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Renee Fleming operatic bombast.

This one, while a modern recording, seems the best. Just lovely vocals with balance between male & female singers, and the correct dance tempo:

Good people all, this Christmastime

Here's a fairly obscure piece of Christmas music, performed by some really talented people, that deserves to be heard more:



Seriously, listen to this, it's wonderful.

Do you hear what I hear?

I've had an ambivalent relationship with Christianity all my life. These days, I think it's a lovely idea which has been perverted to cause much anguish and hurt over the centuries. And the same can be said about most religions, frankly. With the possible exception of Buddhism.

That said, I have a great relationship with Christmas music, having loved & collected it all my life. I have no trouble singing "Christ the Saviour is born..." while not being sure that is actually what took place. The music, along with the ideas it represents, are wonderful.

I've praised these women for years, and I'm not going to stop now. The Roches, 3 sisters with serious vocal skills, did a Christmas album in 1990 that I still love, "We Three Kings". Comprising both traditional songs as well as a few lovely originals, it combines the best of the Christmas spirit with their populist folky vocal stylings. While not classically trained, the sisters represent to me the way singing must have been during the middle ages & the Renaissance, technically skillful yet not overly mannered.

Here they are live, singing a medley of several of their versions of traditional Christmas carold:



And if you have any doubts about their vocal skills, listen to them rock Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" live in '82:



Point is, you don't have to believe the mythology to love the music and the spirit of Christmas.

Regem Angelorum

Adeste Fideles again, in a more traditional setting, by the Vienna Boys' Choir:



If you're not moved by this music, regardless of your faith tradition, then I'm sorry for you. That may seem elitist, but it's not. This is seriously good music, performed spectacularly.

Adeste fideles, laeti triumphantes

Regardless of your feeling about "the reason for the season", this is wonderful classical Christmas rock'n'roll music by a talented singer, not afraid to venture outside her comfort zone.

Dolores O'Riordan-Adeste Fideles:

Merry Christmas, darling

I never met her, but I did work with Richard quite a bit, and he's a fine gentleman, and very talented.

This is just a lovely song:



Addition by The Sailor. Here's another lovely Christmas song by Eartha Kitt who now resides at the North Pole (AKA heaven):

All is calm, all is bright

Pat Buchanan gave a particularly incendiary anti-immigrant speech at the '92 Republican Convention. Molly Ivins (I bow down and worship at your statue, Molly) remarked that Pat's speech "sounded better in the original German". Oh snap!

Well, some things do indeed sound better in the original German, like the fab Christmas song "Stille Nacht".

My dad, a music teacher when I was young, was a fan of the recorder, an end-blown early flute. He wrote his first Master's Thesis on the recorder and its use as an educational tool. And he started teaching me the instrument, it's fingering, and musc theory at age 7. My school musical education began the next year, when I started playing flute at 16th Street School in San Pedro, CA. My music teacher, Mrs. Schmidt, was a treasure. Patient as a saint, she persevered while a sincere but seemingly untalented geek kid tried to master the flute.

One day, near Christmas, she played a recording of the Vienna Boys' Choir singing a version of Stille Nacht, the original lyrics to what we call Silent Night, and it was an epiphany for me. I experienced my first emotional reaction to music. The strange lyrics made it more mysterious, and the sound of the pre-pubescent male voice, as pure as the sound of the recorder, was entrancing to me.

I later became pretty fluent in conversation German, but that performance of Stille Nacht changed my life. The Viennese kid who sang the solo in '57 is probably retired now after a fairly normal life; work, kids, grand-kids, an ulcer or two. But his pure voice singing those foreign lyrics changed my life forever.

Here's a more recent performance by the Vienna Boys' Choir:



Now these guys have an interesting take on the song:



And these guys take it even further:



Christmas Rocks!

Let them know it's Christmas time again.

(BNL doing Jingle Bells, Macy's 2004 Parade)

Anyone who has known me for a while knows I collect out-of-the-mainstream Christmas music. Here's a post I did in 2004, the music I talk about deserves fresh listening:


Working in the music business, I get a chance to collect some fun, different Christmas albums, and yes, Hanukkah albums too. I have the obligatory Beach Boys, Phil Spector's "A Christmas Gift For You," Elvis, etc. Also Louis Armstrong, Boy's Choir of Harlem, John Fahey, many many more.

But the real joy is finding some stuff outside the mainstream. I have several compilations from when I worked at Capitol Studios featuring such diverse artists as Kate Bush, Cliff Richard, Shawn Colvin, The Ramones, James Brown, Bobby Darin, well, the list goes on and on.

Until now, my absolute fave was The Roche's "We Three Kings." With humor and joy, their voices soar as only they can. They are a spine tingling delight as they take on the usual songs, plus originals.

But I've found something new: The Barenaked Ladies' "Barenaked For The Holidays." What a thrill! They do everything from very respectful versions of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" with Sarah McLaughlin, followed by a very witty ode to Elves who want to unionize, "Elf's Lament" with lyrics spun at the speed of their popular "One Week":




We have roller rink organ stylings, straight ahead rock'n'roll, even a version of Deck The Halls ("Deck The Stills") sung entirely with the lyrics "Crosby Stills Nash & Young". These guys are so charmingly out of their minds, it's a joy to hear. They even throw in a straight reading of "Do They Know It's Christmas," far and away a better Christmas charity song that MJ's treacly "We Are The World." I mean come on Mike, it's supposed to be a charity song about starving people in Africa, and the title includes the plural pronoun 'we'?

The ladies men also include "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah," and "I Have A Little Dreidl" for Jewish folks. And it's all topped off by a very earnest "Auld Lang Syne" that is so solid and rootsy, it almost makes you want to thrust your cigarette lighter into the air and wave.

This is the funniest, most creative ChrismaHanuKwanza album I have heard in years, and I highly recommend it.

Joy to the world

With all the awfulness we have to face, who do I continue to blog about music? Well, if music doesn't make you feel better, you're probably beyond help.

The Roche sisters are an American treasure. Naive singers, yet gifted with a sense of pitch and vocal arrangement that simply cannot be taught, they make music that clears the mind, relieves the senses.

Their Christmas Album, recorded in 1990, is my absolute fav Christmas music. All the usual favorites, plus a couple of lovely originals, it makes my heart beat happily to hear such joyous interpretations of classic Christmas songs.

Here's a medley of the Roche's Christmas songs:

Christmas, and a Happy New Year

Whether or not you subscribe to the religiosity of the day, no one can deny these guys can sing their asses off. The guys in Take 6 doing a Christmas Medley:



I've worked with charter member Mervyn Warren in the studio, charming fellow, very talented.

all is calm, all is bright

Mahalia Jackson - "Silent Night":



Best. gospel. singer. ever.

I'll be back again someday

The Ronnettes - "Frosty The Snowman" (Phil Spectors' "Wall of Sound"):

Underneath the Christmas tree last night

Mellencamp-"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus":

And so this is Christmas

U2 doing "Happy Xmas-War is Over" unplugged (pretty bad video, pretty wonderful performance):

I hear people singing, it must be Christmas time

Christmas music from Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders: