"Christmas" music

[torquill]

I detest the tunes played on loudspeakers in the mall and the supermarket as much as anyone else. I have no particular objection to religious music -- some hymns are just beautiful -- but I can't stand many of the "songs" the rest of the population seems to adore. "Jingle Bell Rock" makes me downright homicidal... and even good ol' Bing gets old after a while.

My idea of real Christmas/Yule music is rather different... here's what I break out every year:

Carol of the Bells (aka "Hark How the Bells")
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, which you might know if you heard it
Where Sheep May Safely Graze
O Come, Little Children (German)
Lullaby for the Baby Jesus, an almost mournful Brazilian instrumental
All Through the Night
The Cradle

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few... but I really should take some of these off the CDs we have and make my own compilation. Then I might not have to grit my teeth so much at the umpteenth repetition of "Silent Night".

Comments

[mroblivious.livejournal.com]

I'd add Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town".

There was an incredible piece of music, "Russian Christmas Music", arranged by Alfred Reed. Remind me to play it for you sometime.

[our-meg.livejournal.com]

All Through the Night

In English or in Welsh? ;)

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

Well, even the version sung in "A Child's Christmas in Wales" was in English, so I'm not sure I've ever heard the Welsh. Seeing as I like the language, though, it would probably be very pleasant.

I'm always amused by the fact that an instrumental of it is in "The Adventures of the Baron Munchausen". :)

[luna-torquill.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. Also "Riu Riu Chiu" (Spanish, very catchy) and "Pat-A-Pan" (the French version of Little Drummer Boy, much more interesting). I seem to like European songs... not too surprising, given the Angliophile bent of this family. :)