All posts tagged "carols"

A Very Multitrack Christmas: the Christmas Music Singularity ContinuumDay One: Christmas Carols Well, yeah. These are the songs you can sing with Grandma and Grandpa, ‘cause they probably sang it with their grandmas and grandpas. They’re straight from the church, rife with images of northern stars, wise men, and the little baby Jesus (who’s the reason for the season, apparently). Jeannie’s pick: “In the Bleak Midwinter.” This was written in the late 1800s but didn’t make it to carol status until the turn of the 20th century. Check out these evocative descriptions in the first verse: “Earth stood hard as iron/Water like a stone/Snow had fallen, snow on snow/Snow on snow.” I’m linking Ed Harcourt’s version, which I like best. —baton pass— By becoming a former Catholic, the unwritten rules of your anti-religion state that you must resent the holiday season with your whole heart, and make deliberate attempts to complain about the amount of holiday music at every store you go to. Realizing that this made me a huge piece of shit, I’ve done my best to get past this particular mental block, and get into the holiday season with actual jolly tunes. Matthew’s pick: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Okay, I know this is covered by every person who has ever A) owned a guitar, and B) lived through Christmas, but most every version makes me smile because of one line - “Good tidings of comfort and joy.” At its core, the Christmas season is all about this. Stop being depressed! Good tidings! Everything will be okay!

A Very Multitrack Christmas: the Christmas Music Singularity Continuum
Day One: Christmas Carols

Well, yeah. These are the songs you can sing with Grandma and Grandpa, ‘cause they probably sang it with their grandmas and grandpas. They’re straight from the church, rife with images of northern stars, wise men, and the little baby Jesus (who’s the reason for the season, apparently).

Jeannie’s pick: “In the Bleak Midwinter.” This was written in the late 1800s but didn’t make it to carol status until the turn of the 20th century. Check out these evocative descriptions in the first verse: “Earth stood hard as iron/Water like a stone/Snow had fallen, snow on snow/Snow on snow.” I’m linking Ed Harcourt’s version, which I like best.

—baton pass—

By becoming a former Catholic, the unwritten rules of your anti-religion state that you must resent the holiday season with your whole heart, and make deliberate attempts to complain about the amount of holiday music at every store you go to. Realizing that this made me a huge piece of shit, I’ve done my best to get past this particular mental block, and get into the holiday season with actual jolly tunes.

Matthew’s pick: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Okay, I know this is covered by every person who has ever A) owned a guitar, and B) lived through Christmas, but most every version makes me smile because of one line - “Good tidings of comfort and joy.” At its core, the Christmas season is all about this. Stop being depressed! Good tidings! Everything will be okay!