Your Daily Dose of Christmas

On the penultimate night of the Christmas season, here is an entire album, which is one of my favorite listens this time of year. We're almost there! Christmas is almost here!

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

I'm not a terribly big fan of Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas music, but this setting of "Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella" is quite lovely.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

It's been true since 1993, when I graduated college: I will never not be able to listen to this work without thinking of Dr. Janice Wade. Here is Tchaikovsky's ever-wonderful Nutcracker Suite.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

"Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow...."

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

So yesterday was my "grab bag Little Drummer Boy" post, and then today YouTube helpfully offers this suggestion, so here you go.


Meanwhile, in Christmas music that involves neither little boys nor drumming, we have a classic by Bing! Off to Hawaii we go....

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

Here are some variations on "The Little Drummer Boy," culminating with my favorite.

(Although, as someone pointed out on Facebook earlier, if "the ox and lamb kept time," what's the drummer doing?!)

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

Neil!


When this song came out I thought it was a colossal misfire, but in the seasons since, it's worn me down and now I can't help loving this incredibly goofy tune. Have a cherry cherry Christmas, everyone!

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (Today edition)

Yo Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott play Bach and Gounod.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (Sunday edition)

Check out this lineup: Sarah McLachlan, Loreena McKennitt, Andrea Corr, Hayley Westenra, Jana Mashonee, and Amy Petty. Wow.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (Saturday edition)

You know what the lesson this year is? I need to get back to my previous years' practice of pre-selecting music and scheduling posts. Wow, I am not good at this in 2018.

That said, here is Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

I always share this one, because it seems to me a perfect illustration of the kind of wistful emotions that are inevitably a part of this season.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

Dean Martin!

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (from Wednesday)

John Rutter's "Candlelight Carol". This piece is achingly beautiful.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas AND Tone Poem Tuesday

Two birds, one stone! Here's a symphonic poem by British composer Arnold Bax, titled "Christmas Eve". Apparently it was originally titled "Christmas Eve in the Mountains", but Bax revised the work some years later and shortened the title. It's an atmospheric and dense work, typical of Bax's sound. There is no specific "Christmas" material here, but the work is redolent of Bax's usual meditations on nature and mood. Here he is after the feel of a cold, crystal-clear morning in the mountains, and what morning is colder or clearer than Christmas Eve?

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (yesterday edition)

OK, I messed up and forgot yesterday. So here's an entire album of medieval carols! This is very peaceful, meditative music. I love it!

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

At least once or twice I year I try to find something completely gonzo for this feature, and this certainly qualifies. It's the Christmas Timpani!

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (yesterday edition)

Willie!


(Yesterday was another busy day and I totally forgot to post. Sorry!)

Something for Thursday (Friday edition)

How about leavening the crystalline beauty of all the Christmas music in the air with an ominous operatic overture? Here's the overture from the first great opera of the Romantic era, Der Freischutz, composed by Carl Maria von Weber.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (today edition)

Back on schedule! Here are two members of the United States Navy, with a nifty rendition of Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride".

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (yesterday edition)

Yesterday was something of a train wreck, folks. Not awful, but a few time-consuming inconveniences happened at the end of the day that occupied my attention for what was left of my day. But we're back in the saddle! Here's yesterday's selection, which is a rendition of "Carol of the Bells" that I just heard this morning. Time is weird, huh?

Anyway, this performance is by a group called "BarlowGirl". I'd never heard of them until this very tune popped up on a Christmas music channel at work. Apparently they were a Christian music group that disbanded some years ago. I'm not much for that genre so I doubt I'll be exploring much farther than their Christmas music, but as far as this song goes, they have some really nice vocal harmonies going on. I've never much liked "Carol of the Bells", but this is actually impressive.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas!

I seem to be leaning toward the funnier end of the pool this year, at least at the outset of this month's Christmas offerings. Here is Allan Sherman, who I think of as one of Weird Al Yankovic's forebears....

Your Daily Dose of Christmas (and Tone Poem Tuesday!)

Leroy Anderson excelled at these brief pieces that set a cheerful tone, and his most famous one is one of the more enduring Christmas pieces. Here's "Sleigh Ride", conducted by none other than Maestro John Williams himself!

The COVER is revealed!!!

If you want to see the cover to my next book, The Chilling Killing Wind--and why wouldn't you?--just head on over to the official site! Wheeeee!

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

A non-musical selection this time! Here's a Saturday Night Live sketch in which Alec Baldwin parodies his role in the ruthless-businessmen drama movie Glengarry Glen Ross. This time he's sent to motivate Santa's elves!

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

As I've noted before, I really loved Donna Summer. So here she is.

Your Daily Dose of Christmas

It's December at last! Here we go!