Happy Christmas Esquire! On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 9:49 AM, <[email protected]> wrote:
> 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] <wnndl%[email protected]>. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/wnndl?hl=en. > -- pong cheats and more --------------------------- http://armoredbaby.com -- 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.
