What’s Your Winter Music?

AW Admin · Dec 9, 2019

I am one of those people who genuinely loves Winter holiday music; the solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas—I love them all, and reserve music for Winter. Partially it’s out of nostalgia; my parents played Christmas records. They played the standards, like Handel’s Messiah, and The Nut Cracker Suite, and lots and lots of carols. One of my favorite albums as a child was a Time Life collection of carols, many of them Medieval, that came with a trio of books about Christmas. I loved those books so much I bought my own set as an adult, and I have a digital copy of the record, complete with pops and crackles.

Some of my favorites right now are the Medieval carols from Anonymous 4 (they have several CDs; On Yoolis Night is a favorite), and Mediaeval Baebes (several albums, though Mistletoe and Wine is a favorite). I also dearly love Annie Lennox’ A Christmas Cornucopia album, and Sting’s If On A Winter’s Night. These are’t all carols, or even Christmas; some are winter related but not tied to a holiday.

What are you listening to in your Winter playlists? What are you loving right now? (Holiday/winter related or not, what's working for you?)

*Post contains AW Amazon affiliate links and now, the links actually work. I think.

Enlightened · Dec 9, 2019

I'm partial to rock n' roll, some....

Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick
Bob Seger - The Little Drummer Boy
Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Chuck Berry - Merry Christmas Baby
Eurythmics - Winter Wonderland

Marissa D · Dec 9, 2019

Love the Windham Hill series Winter's Solstice, especially A Winter's Solstice V. And Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Christmas albums like A Christmas Festival, because of so many fond memories as a kid of going into Symphony Hall in Boston at Christmas. And finally, the Handel and Haydn Society's recent recording of Handel's Messiah, recorded live (which we were present for.

) And of course, Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas.

DanielSTJ · Dec 10, 2019

I don't like many Christmas songs, but I do like The Killers one.

Don't Shoot Me Santa- The Killers

mccardey · Dec 10, 2019

“White Wine In the Sun” ain’t going anywhere very soon. (Tim Minchin, but I can’t link because I’m still on this stupid iPad).

ETA: I expect some other Aussie will be in soon, with the Gravy...

Elle. · Dec 10, 2019

I normally listen to the Smith & Burrows Christmas album, favourite track being "This Ain't New Jersey" Listen Here

mccardey said:
“White Wine In the Sun” ain’t going anywhere very soon. (Tim Minchin, but I can’t link because I’m still on this stupid iPad).

ETA: I expect some other Aussie will be in soon, with the Gravy...

Tim Minchin <3

Ari Meermans · Dec 10, 2019

mccardey said:
“White Wine In the Sun” ain’t going anywhere very soon. (Tim Minchin, but I can’t link because I’m still on this stupid iPad).

ETA: I expect some other Aussie will be in soon, with the Gravy...

Here ya go 'cause I listen to it throughout the year thanks to Helix turning us on to it: White Wine In the Sun (Tim Minchin).

"Silver Bells" is a particular favorite and it can lift my spirits even on the dreariest days.

Helix · Dec 10, 2019

mccardey said:
ETA: I expect some other Aussie will be in soon, with the Gravy...

And here that other Aussie is!

How to Make Gravy. Oh, to be able to write stories like Paul Kelly writes songs.

Hello Dan, it's Joe here, I hope you're keeping well
It's the 21st of December, and now they're ringing the last bells
If I get good behaviour, I'll be out of here by July
Won't you kiss my kids on Christmas Day
Please don't let 'em cry for me...

mrsmig · Dec 10, 2019

Ooo, I love "Blow Northern Wind" from Mistletoe and Wine.

Huge fan of The Christmas Revels, and I listen to their albums leading up to Christmas week. I also love all the old Windham Hill Winter Solstice collections and have discovered some great artists from listening to them (Marissa D, the first track of Winter Solstice V - Barbara Higbie's "The Simple Birth" - is such a favorite that the opening bars are my cell phone ringtone). Another favorite is Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel's The Gift. And last month when I was in Sweden, I bought a CD of Swedish folk music for Christmas. It's delightful.

InsomniaShark · Dec 10, 2019

Enlightened said:
I'm partial to rock n' roll, some....

Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick
Bob Seger - The Little Drummer Boy
Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Chuck Berry - Merry Christmas Baby
Eurythmics - Winter Wonderland

I like Run, Rudolph, Run (Chuck Berry) and I Want Elvis for Christmas (Holly Twins & Eddie Cochran). :]

Kat M · Dec 10, 2019

I'm mainlining Handel's Messiah right now because the choir's doing it next Friday and I'm an auditory learner.

Anyone ever heard of Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Rendition? It's not my style, but the fusion is so perfect. I adore it as much as the original.

I'm partial to Celtic Christmas CDs. The Chieftains' Bells of Dublin, of course, and a couple of local bands.

Jason · Dec 10, 2019

Burl Ives is a cousin to an uncle twice removed or something like that. He always obliged over the holidays to lead a selection of carols, so Silver and Gold has a special place for me. It’s not because of family but because no one really knew the lyrics back then very well so I got to hear his rich baritone voice live and a capella.

Probably why I sing baritone when I really should just commit to 2nd bass...

Kjbartolotta · Dec 10, 2019

Current 93, Sol Invictus, some Wand & the Moon. I get extremely goth/neofolk around the holidays, not just in musical taste but in temperament.

Siri Kirpal · Dec 10, 2019

Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Jason, my mother was a Burl Ives fan, so I learned to sing the ballads and folksongs he collected that she sang around the house.

As far as holiday music: I love Christmas music: Bach's Magnificat (which I have sung) and cantata #140, Handel's Messiah, and the religious carols, especially Joy to the World, Angels We Have Heard on High, and O Holy Night (the version sung by Leontyne Price and conducted by Von Karajan being my absolute favorite.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Biffington · Dec 11, 2019

Carol of the bells. Singing it in four part harmony is a trip. It's a shame my kids aren't into singing much.

Hark the Herald Angels sing is a favorite with the kids.

Steel Panther's "The Stocking Song" is my favorite intimate Christmas song that my wife hates.
(I should probably specify that Steel Panther is NSFW)

Lavern08 · Dec 11, 2019

Marissa D said:
… And of course, Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Word - It plays non-stop in my house and car from Black Friday, until midnight on December 25th. :snoopy:

Snitchcat · Dec 11, 2019

Mostly Christmas music, but only from 12 Dec (12 days before Christmas). Not religious, but something I've done for a long time and don't want to break that routine.

Enlightened · Dec 11, 2019

InsomniaShark said:
I like Run, Rudolph, Run (Chuck Berry) and I Want Elvis for Christmas (Holly Twins & Eddie Cochran). :]

Yep, great songs too!

mccardey · Dec 11, 2019

In 2012, I was in a choir that sang Messiah in an 11thc church in a tiny village in France. The weekly rehearsals conducted entirely in French and rife with scandal and tears are my second favourite memories from that year

.

Kat M said:
I'm mainlining Handel's Messiah right now because the choir's doing it next Friday and I'm an auditory learner.

Anyone ever heard of Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Rendition? It's not my style, but the fusion is so perfect. I adore it as much as the original.

I'm partial to Celtic Christmas CDs. The Chieftains' Bells of Dublin, of course, and a couple of local bands.

ETA: (for Kat- because the stupid ipad has decided to put this here instead of making a new post... ) We sang in English (with gorgeous accents because I was the only English-speaker there) and got yelled at in French. It was brilliant - but I came back to Australia just before the performance *sigh*.

Kat M · Dec 12, 2019

mccardey said:
In 2012, I was in a choir that sang Messiah in an 11thc church in a tiny village in France. The weekly rehearsals conducted entirely in French and rife with scandal and tears are my second favourite memories from that year .

Oh my gosh! That sounds amazing! From the crazy rehearsals to the concert venue. Was the performance also in French or did you sing in English?

I know the piece well (the symphony does it every year), but we've spent the entire autumn with the women all together, so I've been taking my cues from the altos. Now we've just found out concert seating and the sopranos are in front of the basses. Also, the concert venue is so echoing you can't hear people far away from you. So I'm having to relearn my cues. That's fun. I'm also right in the director's line of glare. Even more fun.

mrsmig · Dec 12, 2019

I forgot Christmas Island, the late, great Leon Redbone's entry into the holiday album melee. Some standards and some not-so-standard holiday tunes, given Redbone's signature mellow, affectionate treatment.

NadiaBlair · Dec 21, 2019

AW Admin said:
Some of my favorites right now are the Medieval carols from Anonymous 4

Thank you for mentioning the Anonymous 4. My dad used to be a huge fan of them, but I'd forgotten all about them!

A few of my own faves: Pavarotti's version of O Holy Night, Trans Siberian Orchestra doing Carol of the Bells, Judy Garland's version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, just about any version of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, Carly Simon's The Night Before Christmas, and Sarah McLaughlin's Song for a Winter Night. Oh, and I can't forget Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby.

What’s Your Winter Music?

AW Admin

Enlightened

Always Learning

Marissa D

Scribe of the girls in the basement

DanielSTJ

The Wandering Bard

mccardey

Elle.

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter

Helix

socially distancing

mrsmig

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

InsomniaShark

Kat M

Ooh, look! String!

Jason

Ideas bounce around in my head

Kjbartolotta

Potentially has/is dog

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

Biffington

Father of a thousand spawn

Lavern08

Sit Down, and Shut Up!

Snitchcat

Dragon-kitty.