A few of my favorites and perhaps a few lesser known Christmas songs, carols or covers, arrangements. You can’t say I don’t have rather eclectic tastes.
Fred Waring Twas Night Before Xmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGv0pohoJOUKay Starr - The Man With The Bag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH-cmEPKFSYBing Crosby & Andrews Sisters - Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmCwKlOkHDwSleigh Ride - Arthur Fiedler/Boston Pops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh8_U8wQMIEBaby It's Cold Outside - Elf Soundtrack - Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPH_HT741EwDexter Gordon Quartet - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV_jgQoYoTEEtta James - Merry Christmas Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1xyYQhSuHgManhattan Transfer - Snowfall (Claude Thornhill)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TsVsrlDErwDave Brubeck - The Christmas Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILzX_e1UbPwChristmas Time is Here ~ Sarah McLachlan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBAJoF_ndbYHuron Carol Crash Test Dummies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFjFl3ZvtlABarenaked Ladies - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" Feat. Sarah McLachlan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGVNzgUxE-gEmerson, Lake & Palmer I Believe In Father Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjggWxGYLdoJethro Tull - Christmas song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdalBvgNAxIJulie Andrews - The Bells Of Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vscwDyCIqrEWassail Wassail Mannheim Steamroller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ZpbG-XxCsThe Chieftains - The Bells of Dublin (Christmas Eve)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHXVCqmbXzwThe Chieftains - Wren in the Furze
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyA1zKBUhxMRiu, Riu, Chiu Waverly Consort
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KlX_OLHcjMWaverly Consort - The Darkest Midnight In December
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7eTrqxiPPsChristmas Song "Cantiga de Santa Maria"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6InfkcHswEAn Appalachian Christmas Tour - Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSEcU-liGDs"BACH'S BELLS" Christmas Piece (2012) by Chris Coletti - Canadian Brass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3fe9dHV7J4The Wexford Carol (Alison Krauss )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJkHhZlnKCECoventry Carol - Westminster Cathedral Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIvH5GdY4JEO Holy Night - Leontyne Price
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEi9IDV3BzALo, How a Rose E'er Blooming - Renée Fleming and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUGTzpntLs8"A Christmas Carol" Suite (1951 movie version – my favorite!) (Composer: Richard Addinsell)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC2iFe_wLHgAnd I always tear up for this one as it was one of my mother’s favorite versions of Silent Night.
I sleep over on Christmas Eve with my niece and her family; her husband, their four little girls, her now 22-year-old daughter and her 19-year-old step son. Their tradition is to sit together as a family, even the bigger kids and me and listen to their mother read “Twas The Night Before Christmas”, and then she plays this version of Silent Night, to which everyone sings along, then the little girls say their prayers, give everyone a hug and kiss, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, but not before making sure that Santa has his cookies and eggnog, before going off to bed.
It is the same as her parents did with her and her brother when they were children.
But my niece’s “little ones” are growing up though. Mel is 9 and the triplets are 8.
The eldest daughter is moving out in this summer once she finishes her Masters as she’s getting a job and working on her Ph.D and her step son is also moving out soon now that he has a full time job and is looking forward to getting his own apartment. And this is probably the last year for Santa for the “little ones” (sniff). But hope the traditions will live on.
John Denver & The Muppets- Silent Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O8PfL0QnXc
