As I anticipate the approaching season, I find that the single best way to get myself into the holiday mood is through music. And so, without further ado, I offer my recommendations for the very best – or, at least, my most favorite – music for decking your halls and jingling your bells.
MUST-HAVE HOLIDAY MUSIC
Traditional
* Mistletoe and Wine: A Seasonal Collection by The Mediaeval Baebes (2003)
The Mediaeval Baebes, a group of eight women who bring 21st-century sensibilities to music several centuries old, outdo themselves with this stellar collection. The songs range from the bold (“Salva Nos,” “Kinderly”) to the ethereal and soothing (“Blow Northern Wind”). Several will be immediately recognizable to Christmas connoisseurs (“The Holly and the Ivy,” “Coventry Carol”), though all of the songs are deservedly called classics. Since some of these appear on other Mediaeval Baebes albums, this CD does double duty as a “best of” collection, and serves as an excellent introduction to an innovative and inspired group of artists.
* Winter’s Knight by Nox Arcana (2005)
Nox Arcana represents the partnership of fantasy artist Joseph Vargo and composer William Piotrowski. In Winter’s Knight, the two view the season through a haunting, Gothic lens. From symphonic arrangements and acoustic guitar to Gregorian chants and choral harmonies, the album enchants the listener with its evocative, appropriately chilling imagery. Highlights include reinterpretations of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Coventry Carol.” If you like your holidays with a little imagination and mystery, this is the album for you.
* To Drive the Cold Winter Away by Loreena McKennitt (1994) Loreena McKennitt updates traditional folk tunes with the harp, accordion, and the occasional chime of church bells in this album, leaving intact the authentic Celtic flavor that is her trademark. Less daring than the Mediaeval Baebes and Nox Arcana, McKennitt delivers a muted, restrained, complex work that is the ideal antidote for mindless repetitions of “Jingle Bells” and “White Christmas,” and the perfect background for holiday gatherings.
* Noël by Joan Baez (1966)
This album is the genuine article, an unplugged tour of traditional songs from years past, delivered by a woman who has the voice of an angel. Nearly forty years old, Noël is itself something of an artifact, but one listen shows why it has survived the years. Baez presents almost painfully sincere and elegant versions of songs, some in English and some in German, with instrumentals thrown in for good measure. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and “I Wonder As I Wander” are particularly haunting, but there is no false note in this gem.
Parody
* A Very Scary Solstice by The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (2003)
For those who read the “weird fiction” of the early 20th-century author H.P. Lovecraft (and if you don’t, you should), there is no better gift than A Very Scary Solstice, a collection of classic Christmas tunes warped out of shape by frequent references to Lovecraft’s tales of cosmic terror. As The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society explains, the album allows lucky listeners to “enjoy the horror of the holidays with twenty-five of your favorite seasonal songs infused with an insane dose of the Cthulhu Mythos.” This kind of insanity allows one to brave crowded malls and perilous parking lots with a fresh perspective, appreciating that Christmas might be around the corner, but humanity nonetheless is still hopelessly doomed. Gleefully blasphemous, “Do You Fear What I Fear?,” “It’s The Most Horrible Time of the Year,” and “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Fish-Men” are personal favorites.
* Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics from South Park (1999)
With tongue firmly in cheek, the minds behind South Park create a new, happily tasteless collection. “Presented” by one of the seasonal characters from the show, a singing, dancing bit of human feces, the songs leave no person of good taste unmocked, regardless of his/her religious orientation, delivering a needed dose of “get over it” during a season that seems to grow increasingly uncomfortable for many. “Swiss Colony Beef Log,” a heartfelt tribute to consumer excess, is a worthy example of how this album caricatures and yet celebrates the madness of the holidays.
Soundtracks
* The Soundtrack to The Lion in Winter (1968)
“Christmas. Warm and rosy time. The hot wines steams, the Yule log roars and we’re the fat that’s in the fire.” The Lion in Winter is not only my favorite holiday film, but my favorite film of all time. John Barry’s score captures the “ups and downs” of the 1183 Christmas court held at Chinon by King Henry II in James Goldman’s brilliant script. Aggressive chants give way to delicate vocals and instrumentals, with “The Christmas Wine” and “Allons Gai Gai Gai” as particular standouts.
* The Soundtrack to Love Actually (2003)
I broke my own rule against romantic comedies for Love Actually, and I’m glad I did. The soundtrack does justice to the offbeat humor and pathos of the film. The centerpiece of the CD is the so-bad-it’s-good “Christmas is All Around,” performed by “Billy Mack” (Bill Nighy), imploring “If you really love Christmas, come on and let it snow.” Other songs run the gamut from Otis Redding’s “White Christmas” to Lynden David Hall’s cover of “All You Need is Love.” A listen will remind you of the truth at the very heart of the season: love actually is all around.
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