srah blah blah

Sancta nox, placida nox/ Nusquam est ulla vox

I am an inveterate list-maker, so here is a list of some of my favorite Christmas songs, inspired by all of the Muzak and All Christmas All The Time radio stations I've been subjected to during my holiday shopping.

1. "Carol of the Bells"
2. "Sleigh Ride" - Instrumental versions only, and especially the one with horse-whinnying at the end.
3. "The Nutcracker Suite" - No particular song within the suite - I pretty much like the whole thing. It's been my cookie-baking soundtrack lately.
4. "O Holy Night" - Choral versions, because soloists get all divalicious and operatic about it and I would rather have either a soloist belting or a choir loudly singing the "fall on your knees" part. Choral versions seem safest from the divaliciousness.
5. "Angels We Have Heard on High" - Again, choral versions. I want a big loud, festive "GlOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooooria inexpensive mayo", please.
6. "Silent Night" - It's been translated into a million different languages so Alfie and I have established the tradition of taking a few pages of translated lyrics to church with us to sing instead of the 18,000 verses in English. This year: Arabic!
7. "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" - For singing. Loudly. With other people so my own voice is drowned out by the crowd. I especially like a big crescendo for "Come and behold him, born the king of angels."
8. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" - This would not have ranked so high if it weren't for Staples using it out of season, but every time I hear it I remember that commercial and laugh.
9. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" - But only when it's snowing. Otherwise it's just depressing.
10. "Santa Baby" - But only as sung by Eartha Kitt, because all other versions of Santa Baby really suck. It's a terrible song, but there's something about Eartha Kitt's version that I love, especially when she requests decorations "bought at Tiff-an-y's". I think I might kind of have a crush on Eartha Kitt. Help.
11. "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon
12. "Feliz Navidad" - I like things that are foreign.
13. "Jingle Bells?" by Barbra Streisand - It's bizarre and pretty awful, but it doesn't seem like Christmas until I've heard it. Once. And no more, please. The same goes for Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime", which I like only because my friends hate it with a white-hot rage.

I will not get into a list of my least favorite Christmas songs - coughJingleBellRockcough - because that would be - coughDoTheyKnowIt'sChristmascough - an affront to all that is happy and good - coughAllIWantForChristmasIsMyTwoFrontTeethcough - about the Christmas spirit.

srah - Thursday, 14 December 2006 - 12:01 PM
Tags: christmas, holidays, music