Thursday, November 25, 2010

One month to Christmas!

American Thanksgiving is my official kick-off to the Christmas season. I wake up, watch the Broadway musical excerpts on the Macy's Day Parade telecast and check to see if any of the Rockettes are out of sync.  This tradition started when I first saw A Miracle on 34th Street (the original uncolourized version.) with a very young Natalie Wood and a very handsome John Payne.


Hubby's is a week later. He won't tolerate Holiday music to be heard in the house until December 1st. So I wear my headphones around the house a lot.


Last week I had downloaded a few gigs of Xmas music onto my iPod.  A few moments later, I was working in my office and heard this howl from upstairs.


".. .WTF? Christmas music! It's the middle of November ...!!!!"


Seems the "genius" in my iPod grabbed some merry tunes to put into the "mix".  Our friends at Apple didn't get the memo about not including Chritmas music in Genius Mixes until December 1st.


So I ran upstairs and put an end to the offending cacophony by forwarding to some inoffensive non-seasonal tune -  Peace to all and to all a good night.


I have a lot of Christmas songs in my library; jazz, country, classical, pop, standards, and novelties. But there's always room for more. That's why they keep making bigger and bigger hard drives, isn't it?


I just gave Annie Lennox's new Christmas album a listen and have to say, it's one of the few new releases that I really enjoy. Even if it is very traditional. Or maybe because it is. Not sure.


I particularly like this version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The video is exquisite. It's so her - theatrical and poetic.


She was born on Christmas Day and sang in choirs as a girl. Her selections reflect a very english tradition.


1) Angels From The Realms Of Glory
2) God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
3) See Amid The Winter’s Snow
4) Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant
5) The First Noel
6) Lullay Lullay (Coventry Carol)
7) The Holly And The Ivy
8) In The Bleak Midwinter
9) As Joseph Was A Walking
10) Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem
11) Silent Night
12) Universal Child


There is only one original composition included, the album closer “Universal Child”. The proceeds of individual downloads will be donated to the Annie Lennox Foundation, which raises money for projects supporting and educating women and children in Africa with HIV/AIDS.


Take a listen and most of all, a look. It should get you in the Christmas spirit or at least warm you up to the possibility of having one.

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