November 28, 2006
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Jamie has spoken out against insipid Christmas songs. Yesterday’s song of the day, “Suzy Snowflake,” came under fire, and also “Frosty the Snowman,” as well as one I’ve never heard and now don’t want to, called “Christmas Shoes.”
Many people hate Christmas music (not Jamie; she just objects to the insipid songs). Most of you are not looking at the sheet music, as I am, and thinking about how it could be arranged. “The Christmas Waltz” sung by Frank Sinatra is a different experience from the same song done by The Carpenters. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by The Jackson Five is actually pretty cute, if you don’t get sad just listening to the young Michael Jackson knowing what would become of him. The most commonly heard recording of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” right now is by a girl who sounds as though she is bravely continuing her song in spite of excruciating stomach cramps. These things affect the enjoyment of the music.
But I think the main problem is the lack of variety. Jamie says that you will hear “Suzy Snowflake” a couple of times if you listen to the Christmas radio station for a bit. A couple of times? In the course of the hour or so that you might listen to that? “Suzy Snowflake” can be a once-a-year pleasure.”Frosty the Snowman” might be enjoyable once in a decade if Ella Fitzgerald were singing it for us.
Unfortunately, most of the people who are subjected to Christmas music against their wills are listening to the same thing over and over and over. And often it is something like “Frosty the Snowman” sung by the Chipmunks. While they are trying to work or conduct conversations. No wonder so many people say they hate Christmas music!
This is why, at this time of year, I like to offer you a song a day, as an antidote to the horrible and repetitive stuff causing you to dislike Christmas music in general.
Today let me offer you “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” which is not insipid in the least. The words are by Longfellow and the tune by John Calkin, which lets you know that this song is not from the 20th century Christmas song renaissance, but from the previous upsurge of holiday tunes which took place in the Victorian era. It’s good poetry with a sweet and plaintive tune, and not as well-known as it should be.
Still, this song has been recorded by Harry Belafonte — well, and by other people, but really, just listen to Belafonte.
Or sing it yourself. This can be a good anti-war song played with guitar. Click here for the tab. Or play it on your trumpet. This is a great song for brass.
Comments (5)
At work they are playing a strange Christmas tune, either by The Ventures or the Flores Trio. It’s a version of Frosty the Snowman that begins like Tequila but sounds like surfer music. I always envision Pee Wee doing his Tequila dance while surfing at Christmas in the snow. Weird. Unfortunately, it leads to me absentmindedly doing Pee Wee’s moves and entertaining my co-workers unknowingly.
Get a copy of John Fahey’s Christmas CD, “The New Possibility!”
It was originally one guiter playing Christmas music, but when they made it a CD, I think they added some or all of the second album, which is two guitars.
There are no words, just guitar.
And John Fahey believes that Christmas music is too wonderful to be restricted to Christmas, so he DID things to it.
I’ve watched people listen to his syncopated version of God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen, and insist that it’s not Christmas music. Then I see the look of amazement when they suddenly recognize it.
Carol of the Bells on this album is the most joyous thing I’ve ever heard.
It’s not your ordinary Christmas music!
My, Christmas does start early over there. We haven’t got to hearing Christmas music all over the place yet .
True. I find it difficult to imagine a Winter Christmas although as a child I always thought that it would be more fun than a Summer Christmas (I no longer consider that to be the case). Part of the problem I think is that even our winters aren’t really all that bad (although we complain about them as a matter of course) so we don’t really have any idea how unpleasant continental winters can be and how much cheering up may be necessary. For us snow is a rarity (even this far south) and, when it does occur, it generally lasts for no longer than 3 or 4 days (and that’s pushing it). At this time of the year we have usually decided where we are going to spend Christmas Day (for some reason my mother allowed my aunt to persuade her to have Christmas dinner at my aunt’s place – which is small with an old fashioned kitchen so we are not really looking forward to it that much this year)
Of course our family is much smaller now – cousins are spread across the world, only two of the previous generation left and there is only one in our immediate next generation (who I think will probably be spending Christmas with her boyfriend’s big family which is what I would be doing if I were her. Christmas is not so much fun if you are the only young person there.) so what Christmas reminds us most of is how few of us there are left. Might explain our personal lack of enthusiasm for the whole thing a bit.
The people at my work HATE Christmas music. They sat around all day today complaining. They complained that it was too modern, too traditional, too upbeat, too depressing, too childish, too operatic…
And they complained about having to shop and go to church or visit their families or see carolers or give to the Salvation Army.
Also about food and baking and cooking.
They are Eeyores.