Subject: Obscure Christmas Music (obscure to me...)
Date: Mon Dec 19 10:03:56 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:An advantage of being oblivious to most religious proceedings is that every nugget of information I receive is brand new and fascinating. This is particularly true of the associated music.
For whatever reason, I've been listening exclusively to Christmas music in my car for the past week. Not the Steve Lawrence/Edie Gormet "Jingle Bells" glop, but an XM station that explores classical renditions of general old carols. It's been pretty cool.
Here's one I've heard twice by some chorale group, and I found a gorgeous version by Judy Collins on Youtube.
Link: Cherry Tree Carol by Judy Collins
Date: Mon Dec 19 14:13:08 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:This one probably counts as obscure for anyone. It comes from the Imani Winds' Christmas album and is a cover of a 1970 Donny Hathaway song.
Link: Imani Winds "This Christmas"
Date: Tue Dec 20 08:20:38 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:Heard another big winner coming in to work today: "Born on Earth" by the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge. It's difficult to find, but it comes from a 1999 album called, Silent Night -- 25 Carols of Peace and Tranquility. Rhapsody has it, as does Spotify. It's very, very nice.
The CD will be a Christmas present to myself.
Date: Thu Dec 22 10:40:52 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:Ok. I give up.
Here's Steve and Eydie with a holiday favorite.
Link: Let It Snow!
Date: Thu Dec 22 10:47:25 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:Against my better judgment, here's Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart destroying one of my favorite songs.
Dolly and Rod will have to answer some hard questions from St. Peter about this.
Link: Baby It's Cold Outside
Date: Thu Dec 22 11:17:23 2011
User: firenze
Message:Finally, Buzz, one I can relate to. Saw it last night.
Date: Thu Dec 22 11:18:44 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:And, in the same season but different holiday...
Link: The Hanukkah Song
Date: Thu Dec 22 11:33:37 2011
User: Songcutter
Message:Here a Facebook Christmas card that I received from Eileen Carr yesterday.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2920533855645
This version of Ave Maria is from the Eileen Carr Pax album. Eileen performed all of the vocals, I wrote the arrangement and played all of the instrumental parts. The piano solo in middle is not part of the original song, but something I composed for this recording session. It was all recorded in my studio and mixed at Chicago Recording Company.
Hope you like it.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Link: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2920533855645
Date: Thu Dec 22 11:58:17 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:Excellent, Songcutter. Nice contribution.
Date: Sat Dec 24 10:25:10 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:Err.... what? Siouxsie and the Banshees singing a French Christmas carol? Oh, yeah. And it's very good.
Link: Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant
Date: Sat Dec 24 12:22:18 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:Ends up the version I posted was a bogus hatchet edit job by some Youtube butthead. Here's the original.
Link: Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant
Date: Sat Dec 24 22:00:16 2011
User: ix
Message:bucky, how you came up with the perfect vid for where i am right now is incredible, i love you bro. that was insanely excellent.
Date: Sat Dec 24 22:52:59 2011
User: mrbuck
Message:Thank Tom Waits, but I am glad to have been the delivery boy for Tom. Happy Christmas me bruddah, you're still a lovely guy.
Link: Merry Christmas You're a Lovely Guy
Date: Sun Dec 25 10:34:26 2011
User: hotnurse
Message:Great clip Buck. I really didn't know much about Tom Waits but I just finished reading his long and interesting bio on Wiki. Guess I will have to get to Amazon and purchase some of his music. Thanks!
Date: Sun Dec 25 12:36:09 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:Jack Frost nipping at your nose.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.
Link: Merry Biebmas
Date: Sun Dec 25 16:41:34 2011
User: mrbuck
Message:Here's a Clarence Carter holiday classic you may not have heard.
mrbuck
Link: Don't lock the back door
Date: Tue Dec 27 10:58:56 2011
User: BuzzClik
Message:>>>Songcutter: "This version of Ave Maria is from the Eileen Carr Pax album."
I listened to the samples on your website, and also browsed through the various tabs. Very cool. The spot that the local Fox station did on you was quite the boon. I'm sure that your clients didn't mind the extra exposure.
Date: Tue Dec 27 11:34:43 2011
User: Songcutter
Message:Thanks, Buzz.
Yes, the station has run that piece several times. Amazing how many calls and comments I receive the next day.
And, you're right, the clients mentioned in the story were very pleased to have the news anchor discussing their jingle during the news show.
It's funny when the guy on the street that they interviewed referred to me as "She." I'm still looking for him! I'll get him...
Date: Tue Dec 27 12:55:38 2011
User: Snowguy
Message:I don't get your concern, Terrie.
Date: Tue Dec 27 14:42:02 2011
User: Songcutter
Message:bastard...
Date: Wed Dec 28 01:50:39 2011
User: dede
Message:Beautiful song Tezza but you always do such great work you are brilliant...
Date: Fri Dec 14 15:40:04 2012
User: BuzzClik
Message:Time to blow the dust off this thread.
Here's a nice one I heard last night: JS Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze. It's metaphorically about Christmas, but that's the best kind.
Link: JS Bach: Sheep May Safely Graze
Date: Fri Dec 14 16:31:48 2012
User: joeygray
Message:Speaking as a long standing church choir member, that ain't no Christmas song, we usually do that one around Easter.
Date: Fri Dec 14 16:43:09 2012
User: joeygray
Message:(on the one hand, a quick perusal of the internet shows the song turns up on xmas albums all the time...)
(on the other hand, a study of the words seems to indicate it isn't a religious song at all...)
Date: Fri Dec 14 20:49:24 2012
User: BuzzClik
Message:Here's a tune for all you horticulturalists in the audience: Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen (A Rose Has Sprung Up). The a cappella harmonies are just lovely.
So, grab those gardening gloves and pruning shears!
Link: Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen (Ensemble Amarcord)
Date: Sun Dec 16 07:54:18 2012
User: BuzzClik
Message:Here's a shift of gears. This has more of a pop, folk/rock sound. No religious themes, but "Christmas" certainly is mentioned fairly frequently.
Link: Low -- "Just Like Christmas"
Date: Sun Dec 16 08:05:59 2012
User: BuzzClik
Message:And here's a cut from Sufjan Stephens's 5 CD box set of Christmas songs from a few years ago. This is one of his original compositions. (Sufjan has another Christmas set for this year!)
Link: Sufjan Stephens -- "Get Behind Me, Santa"
Date: Mon Dec 17 23:52:57 2012
User: BuzzClik
Message:What list of Christmas music would be complete without Run DMC? Well, certainly not mine.
Run DMC are the only rap artists that I've consistently liked, so this one is easy for me.
Link: Run DMC -- "Christmas in Hollis"
Date: Thu Dec 20 10:38:23 2012
User: BuzzClik
Message:Here's another nice selection with a beautiful arrangement. Purely a cappalla.
(By the way -- can you imagine the difficulty of sharing music such as this in years gone by?)
Link: Chanticleer -- "Hodie Christus Natus Est"
Date: Fri Dec 6 12:25:48 2013
User: Punster
Message:How about this somewhat classic song =>
Link: Christmas song
Date: Fri Dec 6 20:56:29 2013
User: hotnurse
Message:Some great stuff there guys...especially Pun's...love it!
Date: Sat Dec 7 00:13:27 2013
User: BuzzClik
Message:Well done! All of you.
Another interesting exploration is Annie Lennox of 80s rock fame (Eurythmics) doing Christmas carols. They are out there, all over YouTube.
Today, I heard a couple of tracks from "A Baroque Christmas" by Boston Camerata, circa 1991. Quite excellent. Follow the link below for the entire album. I particularly enjoy track 14, though they are all wonderful.
Link: "A Baroque Christmas", Boston Camerata
Date: Sat Dec 7 09:14:52 2013
User: BuzzClik
Message:I'm going to return to the botanical theme for a moment. This one was written for King's College Choir in 2002.
Link: A Spotless Rose
Date: Sat Dec 7 09:33:02 2013
User: BuzzClik
Message:Here's a live version of Harry Connick, Jr's "Santa Claus."
He (Connick) is one of my favorites anyway, so this song is a natural for this thread.
Link: Harry Connick, Jr -- "Santa Claus"
Date: Thu Dec 12 15:36:42 2013
User: Punster
Message:I just saw this on the internet. David Thibault is an Elvis impersonator doing Blue Christmas on a French-Canadian radio show. Check it out, he's good.
Link: Christmas song
Date: Thu Dec 12 17:50:03 2013
User: BuzzClik
Message:Yikes! Did not expect that voice to come out of that body.
btw -- I found a link for a song above from a previous year (below)
Link: St. John's Choir "Born on Earth"
Date: Thu Dec 12 18:23:51 2013
User: hotnurse
Message:He even does that lip curl too! Great voice!
Date: Fri Dec 13 17:51:34 2013
User: BuzzClik
Message:Another contribution -- Huron Carol by Chanticleer. Not exactly a toe tapper, but a nice listen.
Link: "Huron Carol" by Chanticleer
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