Christmas songs

[cosmolinguist]

A podcast I like just did a Patreon bonus episode about Christmas songs, and listening to it today was a fun way to get into the spirit, now we've gotten past thanksgiving and into December.

They invited us to tell them about other songs than the ones they mentioned at the end, and I compiled such a mental list that I made it into a physical list. Especially because they suggested at the end to let them know about any Christmas songs they might not know, and since it's a baseball podcast and they're from the U.S., and I didn't know about Slade and Wizzard until I left the U.S., I figured they were worth a mention (I do like both songs as well and think even if I ever get back to Minnesota for Christmas, Noddy Holder yelling "It's Christmas!" will have to be part of it.)

Here's my list, in no particular order:

• Last Christmas
  Obviously.

• Coventry Carol
  This is in the medieval/haunting/melancholy vibes category; I've loved it since it was on some Christmas album I had as a little kid

• Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
  I just love this, contrived as it is. It's like the baton is being handed over from Mr. Traditional Christmas to a new generation. It never fails to give me goosebumps to hear their individual melodies come together at the end.

• Sleigh Ride
  I slightly prefer the original/instrumental, but the Ronettes version on the Phil Specter album is so iconic it's practically its own entry.

• Do You Hear What I Hear
  Another favorite of mine as a kid; my mom is a soprano and would sing along to this which I really loved. I thought this was another centuries-old one, but looking it up to link here I learned it was written in 1962, by a married couple who "wrote it as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis."

• Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Overture
  I love the music from the Nutcracker anyway but I love it this way the best.

• Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody and Wizzard's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day

Comments

[kshandra]

I love being enough of an Anglophile that I know Slade and Wizzard (though I honestly only think that happened in this century). Have a cover of Wizzard, along with a couple others.

[cosmolinguist]

Thanks for the link!

[cmcmck]

I saw the Coventry Mystery play performed many years back and the point at which the carol comes in is after Herod had murdered the innocents.

Powerful only just begins to describe it!

[cosmolinguist]

That sounds amazing!

[angelofthenorth]

the_lady_lily and I have ridiculously long Spotify Christmas Playlists and one of the ones I love that she introduced me to was Jamaican noël by the chickadivas.

[cosmolinguist]

How fun :) You'll have to play your list for me some time (if you want).