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December 2021

December 27, 2021

Will the Real Santa Claus Please Stand Up?

Ho, ho, ho. Merry beginning of Christmas, you low Protestant plebs! In the spirit of the ongoing...

December 26, 2020

Let the Heart Its Music Bring

Unlike some of you, I had the good fortune to attend a church service this...

December 21, 2018

The End of All Our Exploring

This year, we marked the 175th birthday of A Christmas Carol. Yesterday, we marked the 72nd birthday...

December 24, 2015

The Bitter-Sweetness of "White Christmas"

Christmas greetings! Thank you for your patience as this blog has gone semi-dormant this...

December 24, 2014

Christmas: To Know it For the First Time

One of my favorite Christmas movies is It's a Wonderful Life. Technically, you could say...

December 22, 2014

The Grinch Critiques… Revisionist "Joy to the World"

The last carol revision that came under the Grinch's eye involved changing ye olde-fashioned grammar to...

December 19, 2014

More Essential Tracks of Christmas: "Emmanuel/Little Town/Christmas Hymn," by Amy Grant

So last year I did this thing called "The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas," and...

December 12, 2014

The Grinch Critiques… Revisionist "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

This Christmas I... uh, I mean the Grinch thought he would get a few complaints off...

December 02, 2014

Keith Getty on Christmas Carols

Music pastors, take note! These are the real “crossover” songs of Christian music—appearing in movies,...

January 2014

January 05, 2014

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 12: Haven of Rest Quartet's "As With Gladness"

First, my inner Anglican has to apologize---technically this final track is not a Christmas song but an Epiphany song....

January 04, 2014

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 11: David Phelps' "O Holy Night"

It's the penultimate day of our series, and I have saved the best for near-last!...

January 03, 2014

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 10: Mannheim Steamroller's "Silent Night"

Mannheim Steamroller's last entry in this series was their rockin' "Good King Wenceslas." But Mannheim...

January 02, 2014

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 9: Take 6's "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"

Happy New Year Everybody! We are starting to wrap up (har-har) our Twelve Essential Tracks...

January 01, 2014

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 8: Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops' "Sleigh Ride"

Minus the cloying lyrics, the melody of "Sleigh Ride" is allowed to soar free and...

December 2013

December 31, 2013

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 7: "Lo, How a Rose"

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. For this selection, I was torn between...

December 29, 2013

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 6: Mark Lowry and the GVB's "Mary Did You Know?"

Some songs are born great. Some achieve greatness. Some have greatness obnoxiously and incorrectly declared...

December 28, 2013

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 5: Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters' "Jingle Bells"

This track is one of my earliest memories of jazz music. The close harmonies and...

December 27, 2013

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 4: Matthew Ward's "What Child Is This"

Note: I've noticed views are down for this series, possibly because it's Christmas but possibly...

December 26, 2013

The Twelve Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 3: Mannheim Steamroller's "Good King Wenceslas"

Happy St. Stephen's Day, and Day 3 of our 12 Essential Tracks of Christmas! Christmas...

December 25, 2013

The 12 Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day 2: Michael W. Smith's "All is Well"

On this Christmas day, let the American Boys Choir's original cut of this contemporary classic...

December 24, 2013

The 12 Essential Tracks of Christmas, Day One: Straight No Chaser's "12 Days"

Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas! As my gift to you readers, I'm trying something a little different...

December 12, 2013

Christmas Top Fives: "Go Tell It On the Mountain"

This will kick off a new Christmas series here at the blog. I choose a...

December 25, 2012

Savoring the Incarnation

At this time of year, we celebrate the beginning of Jesus' life on earth. But...

December 21, 2012

Original Christmas Songs: Your Favorites?

We all know the old Christmas carols, but every now and then an original Christmas...

December 11, 2012

Songs of Advent

Too often it seems that the Advent season gets neglected in the rush towards Christmas....

December 05, 2012

Trailer for Collingsworth Family's Feels Like Christmas

Go to their website to get it!

December 03, 2012

Matt Fouch Christmas EP Sampler

I'm relenting because it IS December now. Matt Fouch recently sent me a generous sampler...

January 2012

January 06, 2012

Christmas Favorites #5: The Star Still Shines–A Diamond Rio Christmas, by Diamond Rio

A few years ago, country super-group Diamond Rio released a greatest hits album. As a...

January 05, 2012

Christmas Favorites #4: The Season of Love, by 4Him

I know the twelve days of Christmas officially are about to end, but I'll try...

January 03, 2012

Christmas Favorites #3: Christmas… Not Just Any Night, by Buddy Greene

I sort of have this thing for bald, bearded, bespectacled folk musicians. Seriously, when you...