Sounds of the Season

Last night on my drive home from choir practice, I scanned the radio for Christmas music. I don't turn into a Christmas nut this time of year--having to have Christmas absorb every aspect of my life--but I do enjoy the season. I especially enjoy the music of the season.

During the time I was scanning the radio, I heard three different arrangements of The Christmas Song ("Chestnuts roasting on an open fire"), the arrangement of White Christmas with the really cool backing vocals ("Dup-dup, dup-da-dup-dup"), and the perhaps the oddest thing I have ever heard anyone play on the radio, The Twelve Days of Christmas performed by The Muppets. It was all thoroughly enjoyable although I'm having trouble figuring out why anyone would play last one on the radio. Muppets are kind of visual . . . I digress. It got me thinking about how important music is to me in making Christmas real.

I am amazed at just how many Christmas songs there are. Even more amazing is the shear number of Christmas songs that I like. I have no use for Elton John's Christmas Song, or George Michael's and (dare I say it) I can't stand The First Noel. But my reasons for not liking these songs stem from stupidity in the lyrics. For example, Elton John's Christmas Song, actually begins with the lyric, "Welcome to my Christmas song." Blech! For those of you who are wondering about The First Noel, just take a minute to look it up and read the text. It's very poorly written. The message is good I guess but ever since I realized what a bad poem it is, I can't sing it without being annoyed. Anyway, aside from these three I can't think of a single Christmas song that I don't like. (Unless Neil Young ever made a Christmas album and then I hate everything on that.) That's really saying something considering how many there are.

And it is so great when you come across a really good arrangement of a beloved Christmas song. One of the arrangements of The Christmas Song that I listened to on the way home was by Vince Gill. It was wonderful, if for no other reason but that no one on earth has a voice to compare with Vince. Raven Simone (of That's So Raven) was singing Silent Night the other night on the Disney Channel. What she did with that song was absolutely beautiful. And Steven Curtis Chapman does O Come, O Come Emmanuel on his first Christmas album in a way that is both touching and glorious. There's no real way to describe how I feel when I hear a Christmas song done well. It's magical.

I also love the fun songs. A couple of years ago, the country group Ricochet recorded a version of Let It Snow that is unbelievable to listen to. There is perhaps nothing cheesier on earth than the backing vocals on Elvis' Blue Christmas, and I absolutely adore it. I love Sleigh Ride in all it's forms and variations. And of course there's my favorite novelty song of the season, Christmas with the Family. (You were expecting something about grandmothers and reindeer, weren't you?)

But it's not just my individual experience of hearing these songs on the radio that makes them special. It's when I get to sing them with a choir, or with my kids while driving home from work, or with the congregation of my church, that makes them special. See, to me it seems, that no matter what the song talks about, if it celebrates Christmas it is in fact, celebrating Christ. And where two or three are gathered in His name, He has promised to be there. That's what Christmas is about--God coming to be with us. What better way to gather in His name than to lift our voices in song?

I sincerely hope that everyone out there in blog-world will have a very Merry Christmas!