“It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down the trees
They’re putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on”

Joni Mitchell, River

There’s not much that can be done to prevent December’s music to cook to from being, well, just a bit at least, Christmasy. How can you hope to get into the swing of things unless you have heard White Christmas at least once (I agree, more than three times might be enough?).  Herb Alpert is also an acquired taste. And so, in an entirely different way, is Kate Bush.

But the classical music is gorgeous for all, including the Scrooges of the world. Yesterday I heard The Shepherd’s Carol by Bob Chilcott for the first time and thought it was simply gorgeous. I have looked and there is no recording of it that I can find, but there is a youtube clip of it below together with a sample of the Christmas Oratorio, and the extraordinary voice of Kate Bush singing Under The Ivy. There’s also the Celtic band Planxty singing The Frost Is All Over. And Emile Pandolfi’s Once Upon A December. And Kronos Quartet & Friends: Salam Aleykom (Peace and Health Be Upon You), music by Sahba Aminikia (based on a melody by H. Kassai)