Evangelicals Now
<< December 2004 >>

Beating Time:

Do we know it's Christmas?

Do we know it's Christmas?

How can we not? It must be. Our local supermarket has been playing seasonal jingles since November 1!

For me this heralds two months of suffering the insufferable all-time happy holiday favourites of Slade, Peggy Lee, Band Aid, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Rich Clifford, Nat 'King' Cole, Adam Faith, State Of The Heart, Aled Jones, Mel & Kim, Steeleye Span, The Spinners, The Weavers and Mud (to name but a few).

Christmas music is big money. Amazon.co.uk has over 6,000 CD titles matching 'Christmas' alone. Their number one best-seller (ranking 336 across all sales as early as November 2) is, apparently, The Best Christmas Album In The World Ever (from the Virgin label, at a mere £12.99). Suffice it to say, that's where I stole the above list of names. You have been warned!

Sickly

The Christian music industry is at it too. Emmanuel - The Very Best Of Vineyard Christmas, Traditional & Modern (Vineyard Worship) consists of six songs from two previously released albums, plus a couple of new tracks to make up the numbers. The very best thing about this album is that they didn't attribute their rending (sic) of 'Away In A Manger' to Martin Luther. Sickly-sweet and sentimental. Avoid.

Then there's Irish Christmas - Traditional Christmas carols featuring authentic Celtic instruments (Spring Hill Music). This is very much as described. The Celtic instruments certainly do feature. Perhaps the very best thing about their rendition of 'Away In A Manger' is that it has no words at all (this is an instrumental album)! Nice background music when you invite the neighbours round for mince pies, but no message.

Big sound

Perhaps we would all be better off just sticking with Handel's Messiah? Amazon list over 200 recordings, so you should be able to find something to match your budget and taste. However, don't settle for the highlights. Get the whole work, it will do you good! If you're looking for a big sound I would suggest Mozart's arrangement sung by the Huddersfield Choral Society.

If, like me, you prefer something a little more authentic, then John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir is always a sound investment. In a word: sublime!

PGDH