or
My favorite Christmas tunes reminds why as a child the Yuletide used to be my favorite time of the year. An idealized daydream of what the festive season should be - or once was.
"The only listenable Christmas compilation…ever!" I half-jokingly added to my first volume in this series - cowardly washing my hands from responsibility while claiming my innocence (or wait that’s easter) for its questionable content. But four xmas-compilations later; it has grown to become my no. 1 genre of music! No not really - its not even a genre. But the best discoveries are usually either oldies, jazz, latin, folk/medieval or classically oriented - sometimes combined. And I love all of that.
So a Merry Christmas to you all and I hope you enjoy our antimaterialistic gift of music!
-Moahaha
1. Pete Seeger - Carol of the Beasts (whistle version)
(French, Bernard LaMonnoye ca.1700)
2. Berry and Beth Hall - Christmas Eve
(Traditional English)
3. Kindred Spirits - Pat-a-Pan
(French 17/18th century - Bernard de La Monnoye)
4. Martha Bassett - Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
(Greek 4th. Century/English translation, 1864)
5. Modern Jazz Quartet - England’s Carol
(15-17th century England)
6. Zebra - Christmas Morning (part 1)
(Sean Bonniwell)
7. Margaret Whiting - While the Angelus Was Ringing
(Jean Villard Gilles & Marc Herrand, 1948)
8. Burl Ives - Jesous Ahatonia
(French-Canadian 17th century - Saint Jean de Brébeuf)
9. The Brothers Four - The Borning Day
(Traditional West Indian)
10. Tica Grau - Doneu-me Tonyetes
(Catalan)
11. El Gran Trio - Navidad No Me Hagas Llorar
(Gerardo Santiago Jr.)
12. Vern Van Hovel and Joe Springer - Adorad al Nino / Come to Bethlehem
(Traditional Venezuelan)
13. Zuzana Lapcikova & Zuzana Lapcikova Quintet - Zavitej K Nam, Dite Male
(Bedrich Bridel, Czech/Bohemian Baroque)
14. Banquo Folk Ensemble - Nowel Sing We Both and Some
(15th. century England)
15. Gisella - Maria Durch Ein Dornwald Ging
(Traditional German)
16. Jean Ritchie - The Holy Well
(15-17th century England)
17. Winter Star - March of the Kings
(Traditional French, 13th century)
18. Ensemble Gallei & Maggie Snasone - Nowell, Nowell: Tidings True
(15th. century England)
19. The Swingle Singers - Fall, Fall, Fall
(Peter Hunt)
20. Burnett Thompson - Drei Könige
(Peter Cornelius, 1856)
21. Sandra Arida & The Robert De Cormier Singers - Miladuka / Thy Nativity
(Traditional Syrian)
22. Ensemble Unicorn - Beata Progenies
(Leonel Power d. 1445)
I - IV REUPLOADED!
We decided I’d might as well make a grand Xmas Delights Vol. I-V bonanza for our blog-visitors. A carefully designed and finely selected six hours of music in total to get you and your beloved ones through the holidays in one piece!
- In 2015 I shaped the cover art in a 1970’s christmas card kind of style (or rather stole Ivo Caprino’s and added my own title). One for the sophisticated listener. A purely european, traditional folk/semiclassical mix. Looks joyful and childish on surface but contains about 3/4 pure melancholic beauty and only 1/4 of festive joy.
- A little all over the place - mostly fun and filled with forgotten treasures. 100% vintage coziness and nostalgia-vibes guaranteed.
- Unquestionably my all-time sloppiest cover design job... ever. Imaging two young women dressed as babies for christmas presents. Hm - but the actual songs collected are as great as-or better than ever.
- The original and first. Back then I was yet to become this genre’s connoisseur par excellence* and the beginning of the pentalogy is naturally the closest to resemble a regular collection of christmas-tunes. Containing quite a few household names and a number of actual hits. Just the good stuff though.
*I’m not
