Saturday, December 8, 2012

Favorite Music for Christmas

www.wikipedia.com


I've kept the radio tuned to the Sirius channel on the "Traditional Holidays" channel, listening to favorites from the 1940s through 1960s. So many old numbers that bring back so many memories of Christmases past.

It's difficult to decide on absolute favorites, but off the top of my head I have to say that anything by Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Elvis Presley.


www.wikipedia.com



www.thrillermag.com


www.last.fm.com


Dean Martin favorites include
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! 
Silver Bells; 
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Winter Wonderland
Baby, It's Cold Outside
A Marshmallow World
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Winter Wonderland

Elvis Presley's favorites include 
Blue Christmas
Here Comes Santa Claus
White Christmas
I'll Be Home For Christmas
If Every Day Was Like Christmas
Silent Night
Santa Claus Is Back In Town
Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me
And all of Nat King Cole's Christmas recordings.

Favorite classical: Andrea Bocelli's 
rendition of Panis Angelicus.
I adore Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt.

Another big favorite are all the songs from the original soundtrack of A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi.
Feliz Navidad, Jose Feliciano

I'm sure I'm leaving off some that I like very much, but this is a list to begin - the ones that have been my favorites for many years.

I'll leave the topic open, for you to add your favorites and perhaps we'll all be inspired to remember and seek out other songs to listen to.

I have Christmas music on my iPod, iPhone and numerous Christmas CDs, but I'm finding I can hear everything I want to on Sirius radio.

How do you listen to your Christmas music? Please share your favorites.



16 comments:

  1. How wonderful to have a dedicated Holiday Channel. Today in the supermarket I was listening to Elvis singing a carol, and found it very soothing. I love 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire' - is that Tony Bennett? not sure ... and who can forget Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby? Not I. My ladies choir group have been rehearsing for a carol service, including a beautiful Christmas Lullaby by John Rutter, and a new arrangement of another fave, Coventry Carol.

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    1. I love John Rutter's Christmas music,have you sang his 'Starlight'.Are you alto/soprano? Lovely to sing in a choir at Christmas.Ida

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    2. You are introducing me to a new person, Ida. I went and listened to his music on YouTube. Very nice! Sounds like an interesting composer as well.

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    3. Patricia, I believe many artists have recorded "The Christmas Song," but Nat King Cole's is probably the most famous and most often heard.

      I would love to hear your ladies choir group sing. Enjoy the season!

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  2. Christmas music starts for me with the carols in the small hamlet churches (I am not a church person but try to attend for carols as these churches are not used often now.)
    Also Christmas would not be the same without carols from Kings College Oxford, on Christmas eve we always brought the tree in,and decorated it to the music of this choir magical.You can listen to it on the radio or watch on tv.During the day I listen to classic FM on the radio, they do a good mix of Christmas music.

    My favourites are....The Holly & the Ivy,Silent night,Once in Royal David's City,In the Bleak Mid-Winter......better stop now before I bore you.
    Not keen on sugary singing hear enough of it belting out in the supermarkets (laughing).

    Thank you for an interesting pre-Christmas post,look forward to hearing what other bloggers enjoy. Ida

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    1. I am familiar with the Kings College music. They do a live performance on Christmas Eve, don't they? Have heard it in past years. The ones you mention are very special.

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  3. Sanda, you pretty much covered it. I love Sirius' Holiday Traditions channel, too! E. Kitt's "Santa Baby" makes you feel so 'naughty & nice'! "The Christmas Song" (..chestnuts roasting on open fire..) my all-time favorite was recorded by many; love Nat King Cole's version. I love Elvis' Blue Christmas. Trivia: Elvis did not want to record that because it was too slow & sad, didn't particularly care for it; so he jazz'd/blues'd it up just to make it interesting. Lady singing the high part on the record, Millie Kirkham (friend of mine), said "it turned out being the most fun song recorded on that session, and Elvis ended up loving it."

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    1. What an interesting piece of trivia you have shared about Elvis' recording of Blue Christmas. You have interesting friends! Thanks!

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  4. I´ve noticed, that the channel on the radio, I usually have on all the time ( also driving the car ) has gradually increased the amount of Christmas music.
    Not only Finnish ones, but lots of songs in different languages.
    I do like some of the older ones, but the new songs are pleasing too.
    Three weeks of Christmas music is ok, but only in small bites.

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    1. I'm wondering if there are carols in Finnish that are different from the American ones? Probably all the same, as music is the international language!

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  5. Oh I love Eartha Kitt, such a classic. My favorite, for all seasons and eras though is and rmains Frankie :-)
    Another holiday classic is Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas. A bit corny but it sure sets the mood.

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    1. Oh, Frank Sinatra does have some wonderful ones, doesn't he? I am ready for a Christmas preparation blog from you! :))
      Would love to hear about some of the things done in your country to prepare for the holidays.

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    2. Sanda, this year Christmas will be a bit subdued unfortunately. I have already decoraded the apartment and took a few pics to feature on my blog. The posts are starting to line up now :-)
      But you're welcome to check my blog archives for last December when I did a whole DIY Christmas post series. As for things indigenous to Slovenia: apart from culinary specifics and the obligatory nativity scene under or next to the Christmas tree, it's pretty much the same as in America. No misletoe though, not part of our tradition.

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    3. Almost forgot, but now I'm going to look up that blog post you did last Christmas. Thanks!

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  6. Elvis is my favorite Christmas music I suppose. However, after reading comments here it sent me to Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's recording of Time to Say Goodbye - so beautiful. I love both of them! and ---- I went on a search thru CD's and found both of their albums I've had for a long time. Just like going shopping in a store, except better no money exchanged, -- found some treasures!!

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    1. I am not sure I've heard Sarah Brightman's recording, or I may have and not known. I will check it out. How lucky you were to find you had just what you were wanting to. What a way to shop!

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