The Christmas Soundtrack...

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi


Mardel asked about Christmas Music on her blog; I started to answer in the comments and then realized it was WAY too long for a comment; better to just do a post...lol...

We have accumulated quite a collection of Christmas CD's over the years; and we have a 5-CD changer, so the music goes in and stays for a bit, then slowly gets rotated out.  That's been the SOP since, oh, forever ago....as long as we've had a 5 CD table (and this is the second one...).

And of course, there are Rules.   Christmas music goes into the CD the day after Thanksgiving, but it's obscure Christmas music.  Not-very-Christmassy Christmas music.  Stuff that is new and unfamiliar, or rather untraditional, or annoying to certain members of the family.  The mix changes frequently with less popular stuff in the changer.

That is the mix until Dec. 1.  On December 1st, some Mannheim Steamroller will enter the mix.  Some Narada.  Straight No Chaser.    I try to keep one instrumental group, one solo/acoustic instrumental, one a capella  group in the mix as we start in with the music that we love.

But the SERIOUS Christmas music...the stuff that was on the cassette tapes that we listened to when making the drive to and from Indiana for Christmas all those years we drove up with the kids...that doesn't go into the changer until the last week of Advent.

The Christmas Day list (or New Year's Day, depending on when we were actually in our house) hasn't changed since we got the 1st 5-disc changer, I don't think.

The inaugural Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CD, Andy Williams, Charlie Brown, a delightful (pun intended) CD I picked up from a bin at the Christian bookstore sometime in the early 90's from the Oklahoma Woodwind quintet (and I've looked for other recordings by that group with no luck).  I managed to find a couple of more copies the following year and gave them as gifts; it's a favorite from everyone in the family who has it.  And, finally, John Denver and the Muppets.

This was the playlist the kids liked growing up; it's what's in the CD player when we celebrate.

After Christmas, I still leave in seasonal music through Epiphany....or when I have to take the trees down, if I have to before Jan 6.  But it's all instrumental and sometimes just winter-related.  Windham Hill has a series called 'Winter Solstice' that is particularly nice.

Funny how traditions get hung up on even small details.  But maybe that's the point of traditions...

Enjoy your Christmas soundtrack...whatever it is!