Cheers.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Thomas Allen Heald <[email protected]> Date: Tue, Dec 19, 2006 at 15:20 Subject: Songs of the Season: Thanks for your help! To: Thomas Heald <[email protected]> From the December 14, 2006 & December 21, 2006 editions of "The Rapid City (SD) Weekly News": Mistletoes a-tappin' by Thomas Allen Heald I've been digging through several new holiday albums of late, including the folksy blue-collar "James Taylor at Christmas," lush arrangements of the smoky sumptuous "Christmas Time with Oleta Adams" to the brassy joy of Bette Midler's "Cool Yule" (with a holi-fied "From A Distance"). But I'm certainly not alone in my love of these carols, here are some of the memories you've shared this year. Judy Duhamel has "always loved 'Silent Night.' Because my mother played it on the piano and sang it. It was her favorite. The lyrics and the soft sounds are calming and comforting to me, but most of all the memories are beautiful treasures to visit. The music has a way of undoing the frenzied holiday mode by bringing a sense of peace. Now, who wouldn't enjoy that?" Dr. Anthony Diehl loves "the moment in church of singing 'Silent Night' and lighting the candles and being with my family. 'O Come All Ye Faithful' also moves me every time." "There's just something special about it when you hear 'Silent Night' sung a capella by a caroling group out in the snow. That's how it's supposed to be heard. No instruments, just you and the cold night. The memory still raises goosebumps" for Steven Otte, who also picks "'Good King Wenceslas,' because of the opening lines: 'Good King Wenceslas looked down, on the feast of Stephen. When I was a little kid, my mother used to sing that bit to me as I watched her cook Christmas dinner. It made me feel like Christmas was a magical thing that happened just for me." Steve Zukowski swears by "Melanie's (Safka) 'Antlers' Christmas CD. It's my favorite -- some rock & some middle east sounds." "Andy Williams' 'Happy Holidays' is a high energy song that never fails to get" Jacqui Hatzel "excited about the Christmas season. If I'm feeling low around Christmas time, I know that all I have to do is pull out that old album! There's something exciting about singing along with Andy - 'It's the holiday season with the whoop-de-do and hickory dock. And don't forget to hang up your sock. 'Cause just exactly at 12 o'clock He'll be coming down the chimney... down!' Man, the thought of Santa coming down my chimney was just way too exciting for me when I was a kid." "'We Three Kings' is" Arnie Melton's "favorite ... not sure as to why except they followed a star and sought out God's Son in the middle of the night, in doubt or faith, wondering if they were right, bearing gifts. It just sounds like the perfect human way to seek and love and honor God." Eric Johnson, offers "White Christmas" as his favorite modern tune. He shares his favorite carol with Curtis Price, "'In The Bleak Midwinter' captures, for me, the essence how the midwinter solstice has been beautifully adapted to illuminate the Christian faith. (It also sounds great on handbells!)" Diana Glover's favorite Christmas song? "'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,' and the reason is that it was also the favorite carol of a dear friend of my mother's. I had never paid much attention to it until Lizzie said she loved that song. Since then, I've loved it, too." Mayor Jim Shaw finds that "Paul McCartney's ''(Simply Having A) Wonderful Christmas Time' has a fun upbeat melody, and hopeful and all encompassing lyrics. It's all about the closeness of family and joy yet expresses a universal sense of optimism about the present, and future. George Michael's "Last Christmas" expresses sincere feelings of love and loss, made more intense because of its Christmas references." The powerful words of 'Joy to the World,' played and sung with great energy and exaltation proclaim 'He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove, The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love' -- are clearly the true meaning of the Christmas celebration. And who can't relate to Bing Crosby's desire to be with family and friends, with a 'White Christmas' snowfall helping set the scene, and the reflections of warmth and closeness of Christmases past, and confidently yet to come." Kim Alarie also votes for "'White Christmas.' Of course we don't see many of those in the Black Hills anymore. (I'm beginning to feel like I live in the 'Los Angeles' part of the song.) It makes me remember Christmases past and fondly remember family members who are no longer with us. And it's a good 'old-fashioned' song. I also really like 'Silver Bells' just because of its lovely musicality." Hymns and classic carols comfort certain crowds but for others, rock and roll makes the season bright, Danny Burstein loves "the Phil Spector production of The Ronettes 'Sleighride,' where you can hear the clip clops just right." Devin Pike"was blasted by all of the Elvis and Bing standards growing up, but for whatever reason, when I heard Billy Squier's 'Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You,' in 1981 on MTV it stuck with me. It has more pure sentiment attached, even if it is one of the most simplistic holiday songs out there." Debbie Speer's choice is similarly out there, a blaring "White Christmas" cover from Billy Idol "This Christmas" by Bobby Womack was a favorite of Chris Burris' "parents and grandparents, so it brings back a lot of good memories. A close second would be the Nat King Cole version of "The Christmas Song' for the same reason." Michael King grew up in a house "with lots of jazz and blues playing all the time, I'd have to say Nat King Cole, 'The Christmas Song,' hands down, with B.B. King's 'Lonesome Christmas' a close second. Bobby Blue Bland's 'Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'', The Temptations' 'Silent Night,' and Donnie Hathaway's 'This Christmas' all conjure some wonderful memories. Our house -- like so many others -- had those frazzlin' color wheels that turned, while facing the tree -- and God forbid they get stuck between two colors. I'm a Mannheim Steamroller fiend (and discovered them in the Fresh Aire days, before anyone knew who they were), so their albums are standards these days (especially that first Christmas album of theirs), I also love 'Closing of the Year' from the movie 'Toys,' plus other oldies like Eartha Kitt's 'Nothin' For Christmas' -- which She-who-must-be-obeyed plays so much that I'm sure a groove is worn on my iPod's drive from playing it." Rose Auerbach's "Top 3 Christmas songs, in no particular order": "'Thanks For Christmas,' artist variously listed as The Three Wise Men or XTC. Pure secularist fun. 'Christmas Wrapping,' the Waitresses. It's just not Christmastime unless this is playing. 'Fairytale of New York,' the Pogues with Kirsty MacColl, covered by about a zillion different people. It's pretty, it's bitter, it makes for a great sing along, and Matt Dillon is in the video. Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song is way up there, too, just kind in a special place off to the side -- the shamash of winter holiday songs. This was on the playlist for my brother's wedding last December. While I'm not sure you can really grasp the coolness of this song without having felt like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree, one thing I learned observing my brother's new in-laws: Everyone knows that 'O.J. Simpson is Not A Jew.' But, really, I mostly like that the Starbucks where I get of my work done has the 'Charlie Brown Christmas' music in heavier rotation than any of their holiday cover compilations." Anthony Foglia was driving home from an internship back in 1995, "All along the drive I heard many Christmas songs, mostly bad ones, like Kenny G and Mannheim Steamroller. Not once did I hear my favorite in the 11 hour drive. Well, not until I pulled into my parent's housing development did I hear it... 'Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.' Yes, I like it. It's childishly funny and I was a child when I first heard it. I also dig "Christmastime is Here." Every year I want to learn to play it, but I just never get around to it. And when I last moved, the postal service lost all my sheet music in transit. (Good Grief.)" Joseph Nebus also loves the "A Charlie Brown Christmas" classic. "Another favorite is from Sesame Street: 'Keep Christmas with you all through the year when Christmas is over save some Christmas cheer.' I only heard it once, decades ago, but it's (more or less) stuck with me." Mike Koval "agrees with the Charlie Brown music ... for me it provides the right amount of nostalgia, cool and spirituality that captures the essence of the season. Now a friend of mine likes "Jingle Bell Rock", but she's just plain nuts." Damon Boughamer thinks "'We Need a Little Christmas,' because we sang it in like seventh grade. Funny what sticks with a person." And my friend, New York comedian/accordionist Barry Mitchell has is own thrifty take on the whole phenomena of Christmas music, "I like 'em all -- but once or twice a season would be enough. Being forced to listen to 'Andy Williams Yuletide Favorites' while on the supermarket checkout line makes me very uncomfortable." (His anti-carol "Oh Come Let Us Ignore Them" can be found at BarryFunny.com). [Thomas Allen Heald has been jamming to Twisted Sister's "O Come All Ye Faithful/We're Not Gonna Take It Anymore." Stuff his holiday mailbox at [email protected].] --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World News Now Discussion List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/wnndl?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World News Now Discussion List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/wnndl?hl=en.
