Christmas Playlist Bonus Track: "Auld Lang Syne"

Because it wouldn't seem like New Year's Eve without the classic "Auld Lang Syne."

Christmas Playlist Bonus Track: "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?"

Although not a Christmas season, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" is often included on Christmas CDs. I know that was how I was introduced to this piece--listening to Christmas CDs for a Christmas shop I used to work for.

Christmas Playlist: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" Part 4

The last three renditions of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (until next year), courtesy of Allan Sherman (and my dad who introduced me to "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas", Dr. Who (for the Whovians in my family), and the Navy Band (spoofing Straight No Chaser's version, since I love that version so much).

Christmas Playlist: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" Part 3

Yes, more "The Twelve Days of Christmas." You're not tired of the piece yet, are you? We have six more versions to go. Today's three versions come from Hawaii ("Numbah' One Day of Christmas"), Kenya, and Equestria (Pinkie Pie from My Little Pony).

Christmas Playlist: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" Part 2

More "Twelve Days of Christmas," the versions by The King's Singers and the Mormon Tabernacle, 101 Strings, and First Call, respectively.

Christmas Playlist: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" Part 1

Yes, you must have "The Twelve Days of Christmas," or the playlist isn't complete. Indeed, multiple versions are required for the most well-rounded list. Surely you didn't think you would escape so easily, did you? No, yesterday only marked the first of the twelve days of Christmas, and so accordingly I will provide you over the next four days, twelve versions of this classic Christmas piece.

Today, the versions by Straight No Chaser (since it's one of my favorites) and Disney Princesses (because I'm a Disney fan), along with a homeschooler's version because I was one.

Christmas Playlist: "Joy to the World"

Joy to the world; the Lord is come!!!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Playlist: "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day"

Sometimes Christmas joy doesn't seem to meet with the reality of life. I know that I've had Christmases that seem so. So perhaps for that reason this song has been done so many ways (I've included here two of the most popular). I know I find the lyrics of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" so comforting, especially the lines "God is not dead / nor doth He sleep. Wrong shall fail / Right shall prevail." May they also encourage you this Christmas Eve, wherever it may find you.

(By the way, Longfellow's story behind the song is also pretty fascinating, and worth the while to look up.)

Christmas Playlist: "Feliz Navidad"

For today's selection, I'm dipping again into childhood. My first memory of hearing "Feliz Navidad" was from a Sesame Street Christmas special. I'm not sure why it made such a big impression on my child's brain, but to this very day, Big Bird and ice skating are the first things of I think of when I hear the song.

Christmas Playlist: "Little Drummer Boy"

I think I've mentioned once or twice that I'm a story addict. So of course I can't neglect to include one of the most recorded story-songs out there: "Little Drummer Boy." Its theme of giving out what you have been given and Christ finding pleasure in that gift has always resonated deeply for me. Indeed, because of how it resonated with me, I had constructed a much different story than the film by the same name, and when I saw Little Drummer Boy by Rankin and Bass, the story put me off-kilter it was so different.

Anyway, more problematic today is choosing which version to include. Do I choose the folk-styled version by Burl Ives, or the classic duet by Bing Crosby and David Bowie? Or perhaps the version done for the Rankin & Bass film? Finally Josh Groban's rendition won out, just because it fit my mood today:

Christmas Playlist: "The Friendly Beasts"

Okay, we're into the last week into Christmas, and I'm running out of time to share all my favorite Christmas songs. And there's still so many to choose from! But I will exercise restraint and not cram all the unshared songs into this last week.

Today's selection is "The Friendly Beasts." While my childhood's church Christmas programs don't stand out in my mind for the most part, I do remember getting to sing the donkey's verse. I was very proud about having landed the solo, though looking back it probably wasn't much of an achievement. What I do remember is working at memorizing the words and Mom playing the melody on the piano for me as I learned it.

So as a nod to children's Christmas programs, I once again present Veggietales with "The Friendly Beasts":

Christmas Playlist: "Mary's Boy Child"

Have I mentioned I'm a sucker for story? I am. I love story. I love songs that tell a story, including the Christmas story. So today I give you "Mary's Boy Child," another song embedded deep in my memory from those childhood Gamble Folk concerts.

Christmas Playlist Bonus Track: "Let It Go" with Vivaldi's "Winter"

I'm a Disney geek, or so I am told. I love Disney movies and Disney trivia. And yes, Frozen is one of my favorites (although Beauty and the Beast still holds the top slot).

I'm also a string player. So while I never had the chance to play Vivaldi's Four Season, I love the intricacy of that string piece.

That makes The Piano Guy's "Let It Go" with Vivaldi's "Winter" a doubly fun piece for me. Okay, neither of Vivaldi's "Winter" nor "Let It Go" are Christmas songs, but both evoke images of winter, which is why I'm including it here as a "bonus track."

Christmas Playlist: "Carol of the Bells"

I learned to love "Carol of the Bells" early on listening to Christmas piano-organ duets played by my mom and older brother. So I have many versions of the song I love. But several years ago at Williamsburg I heard it played on a glass harmonica. The crystalline ringing fitted the piece so beautifully that it has been a favorite rendition ever since.

 

Christmas Playlist: "Mr. Heat Miser"

Christmas movie collections aren't complete without a few Rankin & Bass films, especially their labor-intensive stop-motion movies. The work in one of those shows is utterly amazing to me. More than that, many of their Christmas song renditions are classic as well, such as Burl Ives' "Holly Jolly Christmas" or even Jimmy Durante's "Frosty the Snowman." It was a hard choice to pick one, but I finally settled on one that is almost exclusively associated with the film, "Mr. Heat Miser" from "The Year Without a Santa Claus."

Christmas Playlist: "Penguin, James Penguin"

Many people think my Christmas playlist is quite long and varied. I have nothing on compared to my sisters. They both have a knack for finding some unusual Christmas. One such song to which my younger sister introduced me is "Penguin, James Penguin" by Brad Paisley. I hope this tickles your funny bone as much as it did mine the first time I heard it:

Christmas Playlist: "Marshmallow World"

It's snowing! Now it looks like a "Marshmallow World:"

Christmas Playlist: ""Let It Snow!" & "White Christmas"

Yes, even here in Minnesota we sometimes have a brown Christmas, with no snow in sight. Which is a very sad thing. However, they're predicting snow tonight, so with bated breath it seems only appropriate to post, "Let It Snow!" with "White Christmas."

Christmas Playlist: "Little Saint Nick"

No stories to tell about today's selection. I just like the Beach Boy's upbeat "Little Saint Nick" and Christmas light shows are fun.

Christmas Playlist: "Jesus Child"

Several years ago my mom found a batch of bargain CDs at a store. One of those CDs had Rutter's "Jesus Child" on it, which I enjoyed because it told the story of the whole Nativity.

Christmas Playlist: "For Unto Us a Child is Born"

As I stated yesterday, no Christmas playlist for me would be complete without the classic Nutcracker and Messiah. So today I picked the classic Christmas selection, "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from Messiah. I debated whether to do a traditional rendition, which I love for its complex beauty, or a more light-hearted version. I couldn't decide. So I give you "For Unto Us a Child is Born," done by Veggie Tales and the London Symphony Orchestra.

 

Christmas Playlist: "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"

I grew up around a lot of classical music, so of course no Christmas playlist would be complete without a little Nutcracker and Handel's Messiah. Today's selection is a unique rendition of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," from Nutcracker, performed by the acapella group, Pentatonix.

Christmas Playlist: "Mary, Did You Know?"

"Mary, Did You Know?" is another one of those haunting songs that makes me stop and pause during Christmas in awe. This is the God I worship, Jesus Christ, fully human, fully divine. The last line especially puts chills up my spine.

Christmas Playlist: "We Three Kings" with "Farandole"

I enjoy playing piano-organ duets with my mom, who is a church organist. One of our favorite arrangers is Linda McKechnie, who adapts her orchestra-piano music for organ and piano. She has an amazing ability of mixing classical pieces with hymns and praise songs, often layering one right over the top of the other. I love many of her arrangements, but her "We Three Kings" with Bizet's "Farandole" is probably one of my favorites:

Christmas Playlist: "The Christmas Can-Can"

Last week I introduce you to the acapella group, Straight No Chaser. This is entirely my older sister's fault. Several years ago she showed me the YouTube video of their "Christmas Can-Can" and I've been hooked ever since . . .

So today, the song that started it for me:

Christmas Playlist: "The Christmas Shoes"

I'm a novelist. Story is my heartbeat. So for that reason alone "The Christmas Shoes" has a great attraction for me. But the song's poignancy turns this into a Christmas favorite, even though it makes me cry almost every time I listen to it:

Christmas Playlist: "When Wise Men Came Seeking"

When I was learning piano, each Christmas I would receive a new Christmas piano book from my piano teacher. It was a tradition I looked forward to each year, and I loved learning the new arrangements. One year I received a Mark Hayes Christmas book, which included an arrangement of "Away in the Manger," "The Cradle Song" (alternate tune for "Away in the Manger"), and a carol I'd never heard of, "Normandy Carol" (also called "When Wise Men Came Seeking"). I immediately fell in love with its haunting tune, and when I found the lyrics, I found them perfect for the tune:

When wise men came seeking for Jesus from far,
With rich gifts to greet Him and led by a star,
They found in a stable the Savior of men,
A manger His cradle, so poor was He then.

Though laid in a manger, He came from a throne,
On earth though a stranger, in Heaven He was known.
How lowly, how gracious His coming to earth!
His love my love kindles to joy in His birth.

So today I give you the rarely sung "Normandy Carol":

Christmas Playlist: "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers"

Orchestra music has always been a major part of my world, and some of my favorite recordings are those done by the Boston Pops directed by Arthur Fiedler. So not surprising, the Christmas music done by them are also among my favorites. While there are many selections I could pick, I finally settled on "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" today, because I (being a speculative writer) love the fancifulness of the original song, and this playful arrangement captures well the whimsy of the song's lyrics.

Christmas Playlist: "Christmas Boy"

Some of my earliest memories of Christmas include attending the concerts which the Gamble Family (as I knew them) would give at one of the local colleges. As a result, much of their folk-styled music remains deeply embedded in my memories, including this one, "CHRISTmas Boy."

Christmas Playlist: "Christmas Canon"

I don't listen to the radio much as quiet is a necessary part of my life. So even when I travel in the car, I rarely turn anything on. Christmastime is the one exception to this norm, and one day listening to the radio, I heard the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Canon." Since I loved Pachelbel's "Canon in D" already, this song became an instant hit with me.

Christmas Playlist: "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"

Last night I enjoyed re-watching the animated Christmas classic, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Not only is the story fun, but the wordsmithing of Dr. Seuss never ceases to delight the ear and awe me as a writer. So it's only appropriate that my Christmas playlist includes the humorous "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." This is a fun rendition by the acapella group, Straight No Chaser:



(P.S. If you aren't familiar with Straight No Chaser, look them up on YouTube and enjoy the many videos of their wonderful concerts.)

Christmas Playlist: "Sleigh Ride/Jingle Bells"

Today it is snowing where I live, the first real snow of the season! So it only seem appropriate to pull out my favorite version of "Jingle Bells," especially since it is mixed with "Sleigh Ride." After all, it isn't every Christmas piece you get to listen to yodeling!