Christmas is a very extraordinary time of year for Christians and particularly for Christians living in Christian countries. A large part of the atmosphere at Christmas is created by Christmas music. Christmas music has traditionally consisted mainly of carols and hymns, but some pop songs have become firm favourites in the repertoire of music for Christmas.
This special blend of traditional Christmas carols and pop music made especially for Christmas makes the month of December immediately identifiable.
Obviously, the kind of Christmas music that you will hear the most often depends on where you go and what stations you listen to. If you listen to stations that specialize in well-liked music for the young, you will hear very little Christmas music.
If your taste is for so-called ‘easy listening’, you will get to hear ‘White Christmas’ by Bing Crosby a number of times a day, because it is said to be the most well-liked Christmas music of all time. You will also hear many songs by Cliff Richard, who has been bringing out Christmas ‘specials’ for decades.
Christmas specials are records brought out with a Christmas message of peace and goodwill. Artists who release these specials are attempting to be the number one best selling artist over the profitable Christmas period.
The number one record over the Christmas period will be played millions of times over the airwaves and in discotheques making bags of money for the singer and the song writer in royalties.
Classical radio stations will play traditional Christmas music such as Handel’s ‘Messiah’ and choral renditions of popular carols and nativity songs like ‘Away in a Manger’, ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. This sort of song is also sung in schools, churches and Christmas parties all over the country – every western Christian country.
Well-liked time-honoured children’s’ Christmas songs are ones like ‘Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer’, ‘On the First Day of Christmas’ and ‘Good King Wenseslas’. Then there are songs from the Fifties and Sixties which were sung in renowned Christmas films. Songs like ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’ and ‘I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus’.
There is, in fact, a colossal selection of Christmas music available, but many songs are repeated over and over again ad nauseam. On the one hand, most people find it just lovely to hear a couple of Christmas songs every day, but on the other hand, most people are happy when the Christmas music ceases on Boxing Day.
This is because the modern trend has been to start playing Christmas music on December the first or even late November. A month of this music repeated endlessly becomes mind-numbing. Everybody loves the Christmas holiday season and the parties, celebrations and joviality that goes with the season, but the Christmas music goes on for too long for the majority of people.
Everybody ought to have a selection of Christmas music to play over the festive season, but remember, when you have friends visiting, not to over play these records as everybody will have heard them dozens of times already that day.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a range of topics, but is currently involved with Bose Radioss. If you would like to kcurrently more, please go to our web site at Bose Digital Radio.
Ten Film Idol Obituaries From Ten Years Ago.
It is common to hear people say that time flies and it is true. I have put together a list of screen idols who died ten years ago. When I began researching this list of screen idols’ obituaries, I was surprised to read who had died and how old they had been when they died. I have sorted them by date. Doesn’t time fly?
Hedy Lamarr: 86, Viennese born picture star, whose seductive beauty tempted all the male stars of the 1920′s and 30′s. Credited as co-inventor (with composer George Antheil) of a patented device for radio-controlled missiles. Old age, Orlando, Fla., Jan 19, 2000.
Durwood Kirby: 88, Kentucky born TV personality, announcer and foil to Garry Moore. Host of ‘Candid Camera’. Cause undisclosed, Fort Myers, Fla., March 15, 2000.
Claire Trevor: 91, Brooklyn-born movie actress. The brash moll in ‘Stagecoach’ and the Oscar-winning alcoholic singer in ‘Key Largo’. She played in nearly 70 films. Of respiratory disease, Newport Beach, Calif., April 8, 2000.
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr: 90, U.S. actor and producer. He created a movie career despite being under his father’s shadow. Best known for ‘Gunga Din’ and ‘The Prisoner Of Zenda’ in the 1930′s. Cause undisclosed. New York, May 7, 2000.
Sir John Gielgud: 96, legendary British actor. Long time star of stage and screen in the UK and US. Remarkable Shakespearean actor. Won an Oscar for ‘Arthur’. Old age, Aylesbury, UK, May 21, 2000.
Walter Matthau: 79, U.S. actor. Best known as Oscar Madison in the ‘Odd Couple’. He was everybody’s favourite grumpy old man. Of a heart attack, Santa Monica, Calif., July 1, 2000
Sir Alec Guinness: 86, renowned British actor. Best known for Oscar-winning performance as the mad colonel in ‘Bridge Over The River Kwai’ and Obi-Wan Kanobi in ‘Star Wars’. Very versatile actor. Old age, West Sussex, UK, Aug. 5, 2000.
Loretta Young: 87, U.S. picture star from Hollywood’s golden age of the 1930′s and 40′s. Oscar winner for ‘The Farmer’s Daughter’ (1947). Emmy winner for ‘The Loretta Young Show’ (1954-63) on TV. Of ovarian cancer, Los Angeles, Aug. 12, 2000.
Richard Farnsworth: 80, U.S. actor. In films for 60 years, first as a stunt man, then at 57 as an actor. Twice nominated for an Academy Award including ‘The Straight Story’. Suicide, Lincoln, N. Mexico, Oct. 6, 2000.
Steve Allen: 78, U.S. comedian, entertainer and songwriter, who pioneered the late-night TV show format of the. He wrote over 5,000 songs, including ‘This Could Be The Start Of Something Big’ and ‘Impossible’. An apparent heart attack in Los Angeles, Calif. Oct. 31, 2000.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with custom wall calendars If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars