Christmas Music
When it comes to holidays, I can be a real nut! I am never more in my element than when Christmas rolls around with all its tinsel and lights. I even run an active holiday blog and group which allows me to get my fix all year. As a musician, I am also naturally drawn to the music and collect a great deal of holiday albums, especially on vinyl. Needless to say, I have more than my fair share of favorites, but I thought I would share a few of those and why they are special to me. Let’s begin…
My favorite Christmas recording of all-time, from my favorite Christmas album of all-time, which is the soundtrack to my favorite Christmas special of all-time. There is something about the things of childhood that deeply affects the soul. No matter what time of year it is, or where I am, this song immediately transports me to a scene with lightly falling snow and glowing colored lights. I would say Skating is also high on the list for me…it’s one I put on any time of the year when I need a pick-me-up and a return to childhood innocence.
I really just love the atmosphere of this entire album. I was first introduced to the Mike Sammes Singers at a young age on a Disney Christmas album I had in which they did a beautiful rendition of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, but the reason I chose this song, in particular, is because it is the closest thing I could find to a song that played while we ice skated on the Navy Pier in Chicago many years ago. The song played on a loop and I could never quite track down the actual version, but it sounded a lot like this, so whenever I hear this version of Winter Wonderland it makes me think of my favorite visit to the Windy City.
I adore this romantic, charming little Christmas song and the whimsical imagery it invokes of ice skating hand in hand with that special person. There’s something about that scene that’s always appealed to me. Bundled in scarves and mittens and the sweetness of sharing the joys of childhood with your loved one.
Snowfall is perhaps the most pensive Christmas composition of all-time. The first version I ever heard was by Claude Thornhill, but I am highlighting this particular version by George Shearing because it’s a bit more of a polished recording and excellent in its own right. There are many versions I recommend though, including Jackie Gleason, Doris Day, Wally Stott, John Pizzarelli etc, but the aforementioned versions are nearest and dearest to my heart. It evokes the melancholy feeling on the evening of Christmas after all the presents have been opened and the feasting is over, when all that’s left is a quiet stillness of the holiday season winding down.
When it comes to romantic Christmas songs, this may be my favorite. Steve and Eydie have such wonderful chemistry and I relate to the lyrics in that Christmas just wouldn’t happen without my husband next to me. We’ve never spent a Christmas apart, but we have spent other holidays apart and it just didn’t feel the same. Holidays are an essential part of our life and there is always a sense of urgency to be together for those special moments, which is captured perfectly in this song. I myself can recall several occasions where we did all we could just to spend even a short time celebrating a lesser holiday together, so how much more would that be the case for Christmas?
This song is sure to bring out your inner child. Even though I didn’t grow up with this record it still invokes a sense of nostalgia, as if it was a record I could imagine listening to every year growing up. It takes you back to a simpler time when recordings like this were commonplace, but are now a rare commodity and nearly forgotten. I truly enjoy finding these special gems and making them part of my regular rotation every year.
Sure, the Beach Boys are much more well-known for Christmas hits like “Little St. Nick” and “Man With All The Toys”, but this is definitely my personal favorite Beach Boys Christmas track. The recording is a bit of a departure of their usual sound, but contains the same great harmonies. It tells of the original Christmas story…the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world.
I’ve almost never went an entire year without watching one or both of these John Hughes Home Alone classics. Even though they were first known for its comedic attributes, I think it is now best known not only for its heartwarming messages, but also the excellent soundtracks, which rejuvenated some great pop Christmas recordings, along with some brilliant compositions by John Williams. This particular recording pulls on my heartstrings and causes me to feel a bit melancholy, longing to go home to a Christmas from the past that’s just out of reach.
Bing Crosby is without a doubt a key figure of Christmas and has had many holiday hits. This one, however, is less well-known but deserves to be in league with the best of them! It is certainly catchy enough and really puts you in a joyful mood. It’s become a classic for our family over the years and always puts me in the mood to celebrate!
As far as instrumental holiday albums go, second only to Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas, is George Winston’s December. It is a stunning array of piano solos that are simply breathtaking. George Winston’s compositions are simply unique in its ability to evoke the emotions and imagery that each of his seasonal albums set out to accomplish. This may be my favorite track from December, but really it is a wonderful album from beginning to end. You can almost see the snow begin to fall…
Sleigh Ride is one of the most upbeat and exciting Christmas song of all-time. Still, I defy anyone to find a more fun, energetic version than this. The New Christy Minstrels do an excellent job of getting you to want to jump up and dance along to their snappy rendition. It’s just an excellent, top-notch arrangement!
This song was featured in the movie Toys, starring Robin Williams. Due to the fact that the movie wasn’t well received, this gem was overlooked, but it’s a beautiful modern Christmas song that more people should hear. The video is also fun and even features Seal singing a few lines. Unfortunately this soundtrack is hard to get your hands on, but it’s worth hunting down for this track alone!
And being avid collector of Holiday music, just thought I would share 25 of my very favorite Christmas album of all-time!
