Christmas Music

I've been a lazy blogger lately. I've got plenty to write about, but it's all late. I was in New Orleans for a week learning about oil production in the Gulf of Mexico from Shell Oil, but I've already uploaded photos to facebook and DeviantART, I'll post about that later in between preparing for my January through May internship with GeoSearch Logging.

Meanwhile, I'll post about Christmas music and later probably about Christmas movies/stories if I feel like it, even though it's already Christmas Eve and there's not a whole lot of time to enjoy the music. A good friend of mine asked me if I was going to put Christmas music on my blog playlist, and I said no, since then I'd be taking it off to make it the normal playlist again. I've decided, though, since I have somewhat different tastes in Christmas music just like in other music, to post a new playlist with a few of my very favorite Christmas songs. Here's the list (Google Reader users will have to go to my actual blog to see it):

Now, a little about the list. I've decided that the "Arabian Dance" from "The Nutcracker" is probably my favorite Christmas song. Sure, it doesn't have a message or anything, it's just a brilliant piece of music, and is part of a Christmas story, so they play it at Christmas time. I've found my two favorite versions and included them in the list. "Winter in Cairo" is the best, kind of jazzy with strings, from a Christmas compilation published by Windham Hill. The other one is by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, and is a more traditional version of the song.

Then of course there's a bunch of Mannheim Steamroller. It's just not Christmas without Mannheim Steamroller! Rush Limbaugh even throws them into the bumper music rotation on his show a couple weeks leading up to his vacation. "Hark! the Herald Trumpets Sing" is a very cool trumpet fanfare based on "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing", and has some super high piccolo trumpet notes that are very cool. Their version of "O Holy Night" is by far my favorite, just for the piano part. "Stille Nacht" is of course "Silent Night" (it's a German song), and again their version is one of my favorites, especially the violin solo. Another good version of this is "Oiche Chiun", which is "Silent Night" in Gaelic sung by Enya. Sadly, I can't find a good file of this online that doesn't skip. "Los Peces en el Rio" (The Fish in the River) is a Spanish Christmas song, and Mannheim Steamroller's is the only version I know. "Pat a Pan" is a great song, and theirs is the best version, gives it a very military feel and makes you think of soldiers away from home risking their lives so we can be free on Christmas (the original is supposed to be shepherds playing simple instruments like flute and drum). There are more great Mannheim Steamroller Christmas songs, but that's enough for this list. Aside from their piano interludes, their Christmas stuff is their best material, and the only stuff that is consistently good. Definitely buy their albums if you haven't yet!

If I get around today or tomorrow to posting about Christmas movies, you'll hear about the best one: The Nightmare Before Christmas. Meanwhile, enjoy the "Overture" by Danny Elfman, and "What's This", performed by Danny Elfman as Jack Skellington, who stumbles out of Halloweentown into Christmastown and is overwhelmed by what he sees.

One of my all-time favorite Christmas recordings is The Canadian Brass playing "O Come, Immanuel" and "I Wonder as I Wander". They play only one verse of the first, then segue right into the other with the addition of a harp.

"The Coventry Carol" is one of my favorite classical Christmas songs, and "Lullay Thou Tiny Little Child" is a different take sung by The Boston Camerata, as kind of a medieval chant with interesting harmonies.

Finally, I've included a song by the Irish group Anúna (which is my favorite choral group) called "Winter, Fire and Snow". This isn't really a Christmas song, but a winter-themed song, but it's so good I put it in the list anyway.

Stuff you won't ever see in my Christmas playlist on iTunes: annoying garbage like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Silver Bells", "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and other shallow pop songs with insipid lyrics. I prefer the minor-key type (though it doesn't have to be) reflective songs that have actual substance to them.

Merry Christmas!