25 Greatest Christmas Songs Countdown: #22 The Twelve Days of Christmas

Matthew E22 Comments

Another one of my favourites from when I was little was “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, which is essentially the Christmas version of “Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall.” I guess I was operating under the assumption that “more is better,” which, in modified form, continues to be one of my basic guiding principles.

Yeah, it can be tiresome if you’re not into it, but then maybe all you need is the right performance, and I don’t know what performance is righter than the one from the John-Denver-and-the-Muppets Christmas special.

So give a big internet welcome to John Denver and the Muppets.

#25: Sleigh Ride
#24: Huron Carol
#23: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!/Count Your Blessings/We Wish You a Merry Christmas

25 Greatest Christmas Songs Countdown: #23 Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!/Count Your Blessings/We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Matthew E27 Comments

When I was a kid my parents had a couple of Christmas albums by the Ray Conniff Singers. The contents ranged from cheesy to not bad. My sister has said that, for her, Ray Conniff is what Christmas sounds like. But the one that sticks with me (the one that made me track the album down on CD years later!) is the medley of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”, “Count Your Blessings”, and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”.

I know that at the time, “Let It Snow…” was my favourite Christmas song. Not sure why it was. It isn’t now; it’s just one of many acceptable songs. And “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” is neither here nor there, although I am surprised to find out how old it is. Sixteenth century! No, the one that gets to me now is “Count Your Blessings,” which is the least known of the three; it was written for the movie White Christmas but is much better here. The thing about this song for me is, well, it plays on my weak spots.

One time two friends and I were talking, and this one friend asked the two of us what our thoughts were about marriage. We’re both married, see, with kids, and he’s not, and he was wondering if it was actually something we would recommend to him. And we did. But I said that one problem with it was that you’re giving hostages to fortune. You now have these people in your life that you not only care about but that you have to care about, and therefore you’re opening yourself up to how terrible it would be if anything happened to them. And there’s nothing to be done about that.

And my other friend said, basically, yeah, but you also get to share in their joys and triumphs and stuff, so you actually come out ahead on that.

Which had never occurred to me.

Not only hadn’t it occurred to me, it doesn’t even work for me. Not that I don’t enjoy watching my kids have fun or I’m not proud when my wife does something awesome again. I do and I am. But deep down I’m paranoid that something’s going to take it all away.

So that’s why the song’s so poignant for me: it’s giving me advice that I know I need and I know I’m incapable of following. This is just me, you understand; I don’t suggest that your reaction to it would or should be anything like mine. But it’s a good song.

Anyway, I give you the Ray Conniff Singers.

#25: Sleigh Ride
#24: Huron Carol

Dec 2 2011 Ded & Sac Update

Matthew E1 Comment

Chapter 12 of the first draft is in the can. That’s what, about a month since the last update? More than a month. I’d certainly like to do better than one chapter a month. Funny, too; seemed like this one went a bit faster.

I’ve started Chapter 13 and I’m having trouble with it. I know exactly what I want to accomplish with this chapter but I have no idea what I want to have happen to accomplish it. My standard technique for dealing with blocks like that is, “invent a whole new thing,” and I may end up going that way. On the other hand I may have enough stray plot threads lying around that I can just use one or two of them. (Which wouldn’t be a bad idea if I can do it.)

Also Christmas is coming, which means I should have some time off that I can use productively. Or, at least, that’s one way that could go.

25 Greatest Christmas Songs Countdown: #24 Huron Carol

Matthew E23 Comments

Next toy out of the bag is the Huron Carol, sometimes known as “‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime”. Because Canada, that’s why. This is an old one; wikipedia tells us that it’s been around for more than three and a half centuries. I don’t know about a definitive version; check ’em out yourself. I will draw your attention to the Nylons rendition of it on their A Wish for You Christmas album, though; they go all spoken-word on the “Children of the forest…” part and it’s cool.

#25: Sleigh Ride

25 Greatest Christmas Songs Countdown: #25 Sleigh Ride

Matthew E23 Comments

So I have it in mind to count down the definitive list of the greatest 25 Christmas songs. (As determined by the scientific method of coming up with a list off the top of my head.)

The first item up for bid is “Sleigh Ride”, by anybody you like. Because here’s the thing about “Sleigh Ride”: I’ve never heard a bad version of the song. It seems to be pretty hard for musicians to mess up; you can get just about anybody to do it and it’ll come out okay. (There’s another Christmas song that shares this property, and we’ll get to it a bit later in the month.) (The wikipedia entry for “Sleigh Ride” says that it’s been done by a broader range of performers than any other song “in the history of western music.”)

One thing I like about it is that it’s sort of a vocal instrumental. The lyrics come at you so fast, tumbling over each other, that it almost doesn’t matter what they are; it just matters what they sound like. But if you can pick them out, they’re just as Christmassy as ever you please, even if they don’t specify Christmas. I give you Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride”.