There’s a YouTube snippet video showing the reaction of a car driver when he starts hearing Christmas music: he opens the car door and bails himself out. Of course this may seem a slightly extreme action to take but it does describe what many of us may feel when bombarded with seasonal festive songs in supermarkets, at service stations, in public lavatories, in office elevators or in suburban streets at this time of year. The problem of muzack is even more infecting as December 25th approaches.

I haven’t opened the car door as yet to throw myself into a bottomless ravine (although we have plenty of them in this mountaineous part of the world) but do like to listen to my own kind of sounds relating to the birth of Christ.

First in my choice are the Christmas carols both old and new ranging from the exquisite Coventry carol to some of John Rutter’s marvellous creations. Of all these dance tunes (for that is what these carols were originally designed for) my favourite remains ‘In the Bleak.Mid-winter’ with words by Christina Rossetti and various musical interpretations. Here is Holst’s version:

https://youtu.be/cBCYZ9jIJkI?si=u3SYwCULZtr8ALJ4

Ranging to longer works I can’t let slip this time of music without those two kingpins of the Nativity repertoire: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Handel’s Messiah both because they are sublime works and because, thanks to our music teacher at school, we performed them during Advent.

Another large-scale piece of Christmas music we have sung in is Saint Saens’ Christmas oratorio. This time, however, it was in Italy at the Franciscan monastery of Borgo a Mozzano. It’s a charming work written when the composer was barely out his teens.

Some may regard this one as ‘coca-cola santa’- kitch but I think it’s one of the best ‘popular’ Christmas offerings ever produced. I refer to the Carpenters 1978 album. Richard’s arrangements are second to none and Karen’s voice is as melting as ever. Continuing the ‘pop’ interpretation of nativity songs Celine Dion’s rendering of ‘O Holy Night’ – by the composer incidentally of the ballet ‘Giselle’ – is quite breathtaking.

There is always a way of avoiding hearing saccharine renderings of the seasons songs which does not involve jumping out of one’s car (or escaping from the supermarket without accomplishing one’s shopping). And that is to stick on one’s cell phone headphones and listen to something like this:

https://youtu.be/p6m0NfrEn_k?si=Ihd4pcg2zjLvSZHs

May you enjoy your own Christmas listening!