Secular Christmas Music

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  • Ooh, I do love a bit of ‘Big Mick’ - I must check that out.

    Thinking of French songs, we also do ‘Petit Papa Noel’ in our concerts, in French and English (pinched from the Celine Dion version).
  • ChastMastr wrote: »
    Is the Rudolph response one the one with things like “had a shiny nose… Like a lightbulb!” Etc.? And was that also with the adventurers club or somewhere else?

    Sadly the Adventurers Club was before our WDW time. But yes, that’s the one. Mike Wazowski does it at the Christmas parties.
  • Telford wrote: »
    KarlLB wrote: »
    Telford wrote: »
    Fairytale of New York ???? I can't be doing with drunken dirges.

    I will stick with Cliff !!!

    Whatever else FoNY may be, a dirge it isn't.

    It's not just a dirge. It's a dirge mainly sung by a man who can't sing very well and who appears to be drunk.

    It's a full on drunken screaming match outside a pub complete with things being thrown and characters being utterly trashed, set to music. It's a fantastic piece of musical theatre.
  • ChastMastr wrote: »
    Gill H wrote: »
    I wouldn't mind if they played 'Saviour's Day' more often - it's far superior to the glurge that is 'Mistletoe and Wine'. Or best of all, Chris Eaton's arrangement of 'O Little Town'.

    It does make me smile that in the US, the version of 'Saviour's Day' which Sheila Walsh released omitted the 'raise up your glasses and drink to the King' part. Obviously too decadent for them...

    Did the UK release include it, I hope?

    "Far superior to Mistletoe and Wine" is damning with faint praise if ever I heard it.
  • ChastMastr wrote: »
    Nick Tamen wrote: »
    ChastMastr wrote: »
    For pathos, “We Need a Little Christmas” (from Mame) may also do, since the context is not at Christmastime, but right after Mame and friends/family have just found out that she’s lost her fortune in the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929.
    It’s presumably early December, though. Remember that Patrick sings “But, Auntie Mame, it’s one week past Thanksgiving Day now.”

    Oh that’s true! Hmm. Depending on the year of course. Ah, Nov 28 that year… my goodness, the thought of it being unusual to do all the Christmas stuff in early December! :open_mouth: (Apart from opening presents, dinner, etc.) And the musical was in the mid-60s!
    Yes, that’s what I find really interesting.


  • White Wine in the Sun by Tim Minchin is an interesting song that is relevant to Christmas (well an Australian Christmas) but more about human emotion than religious belief. Tim is a comedian and sometimes comes out with outrageous comments, but White Wine is on a different level and stirs deep human feelings.
  • KarlLB wrote: »
    Telford wrote: »
    KarlLB wrote: »
    Telford wrote: »
    Fairytale of New York ???? I can't be doing with drunken dirges.

    I will stick with Cliff !!!

    Whatever else FoNY may be, a dirge it isn't.

    It's not just a dirge. It's a dirge mainly sung by a man who can't sing very well and who appears to be drunk.

    It's a full on drunken screaming match outside a pub complete with things being thrown and characters being utterly trashed, set to music. It's a fantastic piece of musical theatre.

    When I was at work I could cope with that most weekends but on Christmas Eve night, one of the busiest of the year, it really made me depressed.

  • Half Man Half Biscuit really should be fitted into the secular Christmas canon with It's Cliched to be Cynical at Christmas

    And maybe (naughty word warning!)Midnight Mass Murder
  • SarasaSarasa All Saints Host
    Every Christmas the family have to put up with Bon Dylan's Christmas in the Heart album while decorating the Christmas tree. His renditions of Little Drummer Boy is the only one I can half way stand, and he is so sincere in his singing of carols even if he can't quite hit the notes.
  • His ‘Must Be Santa’ is a hoot. Watch the video. I want to party with Bob!
  • Not come across that before - love it!
  • I am quite fond of Tim Minchin's "Drinking white wine in the sun", glad to see you have already mentioned it @rhu it captures the laid back outdoor Aussie Christmas feeling, as does Paul Kelly's How to make Gravy.

    I remember doing for our school assembly" Six white boomers, one year", not sung like a choir, but done as a performance with all the students taking various parts.

    For me it's not Christmas unless I hear the 12 days of Christmas by Frank Kelly and our local radio station is always besieged by people either begging for it to be played, or begging for it to be left off the playlist. That always makes me laugh. It takes me back to days at home with our son when small, in the hot summer and baking gingerbread to take into my work colleagues and for the kids to give to friends.

  • Sorry @rhubarb not sure what happened there!!
  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    I love this Christmas song by Fascinating Aida.

    WARNING!! Contains very strong language. Definitely not safe for work (unless you work on a building site or dockyard)

    https://youtu.be/OU2MJEM3PqM?si=8qq-ox6C6kijlT8p
  • Spike wrote: »
    I love this Christmas song by Fascinating Aida.

    WARNING!! Contains very strong language. Definitely not safe for work (unless you work on a building site or dockyard)

    https://youtu.be/OU2MJEM3PqM?si=8qq-ox6C6kijlT8p

    Oh @Spike that's amazing
  • I can guess which one that is, and while I hate that word, they use it with precision and elegance as always!
  • Spike wrote: »
    I love this Christmas song by Fascinating Aida.

    WARNING!! Contains very strong language. Definitely not safe for work (unless you work on a building site or dockyard)

    https://youtu.be/OU2MJEM3PqM?si=8qq-ox6C6kijlT8p

    Brilliant.

    I have worked in a dockyard.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    I was thinking I could have sworn I already posted that - but then realised it was on the weird songs thread.
  • I love Joy by Tracey Thorn. Sorrow mixed with celebration.
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    edited November 2024
    Sarasa wrote: »
    Every Christmas the family have to put up with Bon Dylan's Christmas in the Heart album while decorating the Christmas tree. His renditions of Little Drummer Boy is the only one I can half way stand, and he is so sincere in his singing of carols even if he can't quite hit the notes.

    What, you don’t like the Grace Jones version?

    https://youtu.be/98JrWm9IMMA?si=v3_sIHjmCzFKBIIU
  • 0730 December the first and we’ve had (I have very young children) Slade, Wizzard, Chris de Burgh, Greg Lake, Elton John, the Darkness so far
  • DeeValleyBantamDeeValleyBantam Shipmate Posts: 45
    “Bells are Ringing” by Mary Chapin Carpenter - never fails to move me. I agree with @betjemaniac about “The Ballad of Denshaw Mill”. Whilst on the subject of British classic rock, if you love the Moody Blues, as I do, please avoid their Christmas album: “December”. Apart from a couple of tracks, it’s utter crap and worse than anything else they’ve ever done by a country mile.
  • I agree with @betjemaniac about “The Ballad of Denshaw Mill”

    Thanks for reminding me. Here it is in all its glory

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d193d4VXVV4&pp=ygUaVGhlIGJhbGxhZCBvZiBkZW5zaGF3IG1pbGw=

  • Like the rest of that album the production was odd, and they struggled with arrangement after Woolly left, but I maintain there is a track of great, magisterial, beauty hiding there. If Dave Rohl or Elliott Mazer had produced the album (as they had both done with previous ones) it would have been a classic
  • Those of us with the dubious pleasure of knowing me on the Book of Face will probably already be aware that I've started a daily Christmas song up to the 25th itself, which will try to put the WTF? back into Christmas music.

    Those who have escaped, I will attempt to enmesh here, with apologies for duplication as some songs were unearthed here.

    Anyway, today's is from a great Christmas movie, and celebrates the last day before Shop Advent begins.

    https://youtu.be/CzEYV5a8mtQ?si=207oO5wZgNSmXO5B

  • “Bells are Ringing” by Mary Chapin Carpenter - never fails to move me. I agree with @betjemaniac about “The Ballad of Denshaw Mill”. Whilst on the subject of British classic rock, if you love the Moody Blues, as I do, please avoid their Christmas album: “December”. Apart from a couple of tracks, it’s utter crap and worse than anything else they’ve ever done by a country mile.

    I love Mary Chapin Carpenter's album Come Darkness, Come Light. The songs mix sacred & secular, doubt & faith in a wonderful, sometimes melancholic way in a way that I also find very moving.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    I agree with @betjemaniac about “The Ballad of Denshaw Mill”

    Thanks for reminding me. Here it is in all its glory

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d193d4VXVV4&pp=ygUaVGhlIGJhbGxhZCBvZiBkZW5zaGF3IG1pbGw=

    I rather like that, and was wondering how I'd managed to get through more than 60 years on the planet without coming across it before. Maybe because it lasts nearly 10 minutes, and didn't get much air play?
  • Hillel wrote: »
    “Bells are Ringing” by Mary Chapin Carpenter - never fails to move me. I agree with @betjemaniac about “The Ballad of Denshaw Mill”. Whilst on the subject of British classic rock, if you love the Moody Blues, as I do, please avoid their Christmas album: “December”. Apart from a couple of tracks, it’s utter crap and worse than anything else they’ve ever done by a country mile.

    I love Mary Chapin Carpenter's album Come Darkness, Come Light. The songs mix sacred & secular, doubt & faith in a wonderful, sometimes melancholic way in a way that I also find very moving.
    I was going to mention the song “Come Darkness, Come Light,” which gives its name to the album. It’s a favorite.


  • Denshaw Mill now on my list, thank you! Two days unfilled, I shall rummage upthread!
  • Filled in, thank you!
  • Those of us with the dubious pleasure of knowing me on the Book of Face will probably already be aware that I've started a daily Christmas song up to the 25th itself, which will try to put the WTF? back into Christmas music.

    Those who have escaped, I will attempt to enmesh here, with apologies for duplication as some songs were unearthed here.

    Anyway, today's is from a great Christmas movie, and celebrates the last day before Shop Advent begins.

    https://youtu.be/CzEYV5a8mtQ?si=207oO5wZgNSmXO5B

    Oh please send a friend request if you like!
  • DeeValleyBantamDeeValleyBantam Shipmate Posts: 45
    @Piglet @Sandemaniac . In case you haven’t come across this either, “Hymn” used to receive some infrequent airplay as it was thought to be a Christmas song. The band however insisted the message was anti-drugs. Whatever - it’s shorter, less sparse, and perhaps more immediately appealing than “Denshaw Mill”. Give it a try. (The theology is a bit dubious though)
    https://youtu.be/bRUQKEiQHls?si=7ZzGg5e4sK2fC-eC
  • ChastMastr wrote: »
    Those of us with the dubious pleasure of knowing me on the Book of Face will probably already be aware that I've started a daily Christmas song up to the 25th itself, which will try to put the WTF? back into Christmas music.

    Those who have escaped, I will attempt to enmesh here, with apologies for duplication as some songs were unearthed here.

    Anyway, today's is from a great Christmas movie, and celebrates the last day before Shop Advent begins.

    https://youtu.be/CzEYV5a8mtQ?si=207oO5wZgNSmXO5B

    Oh please send a friend request if you like!

    You'll have to message me with your real-life name but if you do, certainly!
  • @Piglet @Sandemaniac . In case you haven’t come across this either, “Hymn” used to receive some infrequent airplay as it was thought to be a Christmas song. The band however insisted the message was anti-drugs. Whatever - it’s shorter, less sparse, and perhaps more immediately appealing than “Denshaw Mill”. Give it a try. (The theology is a bit dubious though)
    https://youtu.be/bRUQKEiQHls?si=7ZzGg5e4sK2fC-eC
    The live version with the Slaithwaite Philharmonic in Huddersfield last year was magnificent
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Thanks, DVB!

    I remember my older brother and sister having Barclay James Harvest albums back in the day, but I didn't pay much attention to them; I rather wish I had!
  • DeeValleyBantamDeeValleyBantam Shipmate Posts: 45
    [/quote]
    The live version with the Slaithwaite Philharmonic in Huddersfield last year was magnificent
    [/quote]
    Still “Slawit” in those parts?
  • I wonder if anyone here has adapted non-Christmas music as a part of their own Christmas traditions. I, for one, most often play Arcangelo Corelli's 12 Concerti Grossi, Op.6 when putting together our batches of pies and cakes, both the ones we'll enjoy ourselves, and the ones we'll give as gifts.
  • Oh God, Corelli, wonderful.
  • Oh God, Corelli, wonderful.

    Ha! Yes! Partly because I've listened to Bach's Brandenburg Concerti to death, LOL, but also because Corelli's concerti are superb.
  • The_Riv wrote: »
    Oh God, Corelli, wonderful.

    Ha! Yes! Partly because I've listened to Bach's Brandenburg Concerti to death, LOL, but also because Corelli's concerti are superb.

    There was a period in my life when I listened to little else, alas, that time has gone.
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