More Christmas Music Recs
“Good King Wenceslas” is my favorite carol, and I love this version by the Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge, from their 1974 album. (However, I also love every version I’ve ever heard.)
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, led by Neville Marriner, has a wonderful album that I return to whenever I can’t think of what to listen to: 1994’s Christmas With the Academy [spotify].
And I grew up going to the yearly Christmas Revels concert/play in Cambridge, MA, and while nothing beats the live shows, I also love their albums, especially this spirited 1978 one: The Christmas Revels: In Celebration of the Winter Solstice [spotify]. The Revels also feature the “Abbots Bromley Horn Dance” in every show, and seeing it live usually sends chills up my spine:
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I'm curious if there is any good Christmas Ambient, I'm thinking along the lines of Music for Airports at Christmas or Selected Ambient Works Christmas edition, Talk Amongst Xmas Trees, or The Tired Sounds of Xmas (Stars of the Lid).
A cursory search on Spotify didn't surface much.
“Talk amongst Xmas trees”
Also my favorite carol. But have you heard this version? It’s such a great melody you can put any silly lyrics and still sounds great.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/good-king-wenceslas/1443121556?i=1443122309
lol I had not heard that before
Oh my, a Christmas song post? This is my jam.
I too love “Good King Wenceslas” with the Mannheim Steamroller version being on I dig.
My favorites of late:
- "Jingle Bells" by Bleached. A version of the song that gets me pumped up. Could add this to a workout playslit.
- "Christmas Don't Be Late" by Norah Jones. I never thought an Alvin & the Chipmunks song could be improved upon, but here we are.
- "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. A fun, funky, organ version of a classic.
I'd like to humbly recommend Sound of Christmas by the Ramsey Lewis Trio. It's been our go-to for decades. All familiar tunes, but not like you've ever heard them. A cool, lounge-y, low-key vibe. No vocals. Just try to not to tap your feet during Christmas Blues, and listen to Ramsey slightly sing to himself as he jams in the studio on piano. (It's on Apple Music and probably elsewhere.)
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