The Christmas tunes have been on here pretty incessantly since late November! Must say my personal favourite is Carol of the Bells. Though the tune that instantly transports me to a Christmassy setting is the Lakme duet. Not a Christmas tune as such, but it was playing in Grand Place in Brussels on my first visit there. The wonderful ornate buildings lit up with dramatic colours in time to the music, moving snowflakes projected onto them, a bit of sleet in the cold air. Shoppers buying chocolates and wafts of vin chaud on the fringes of the square with a huge tree in the centre. Good times.
By the way... if anyone goes to carol concerts typically and are missing it, have a search online. Some places are recording them (Shelter did one at St Martins in the Field) and publishing them to youtube, and some are streaming live. Last weekend we drove to Holland Park and did our weekend walk around there (you get some amazing decorations on the huge expensive mansions around there and chelsea, huge nutcrackers wreaths and lights... (even saw Ian Hislop going for a wander with his family) and saw that St Mary the Boltons were doing some carol services.
Wow, JP! Never heard that version before. An incredibly bluesy and very melancholy treatment. I'm used to hearing the full Grimethorpe ensemble kicking in, which is perhaps a bit more commercial. I listened to this version while carrying on reading the Board but found I had to come back and concentrate. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
This isn't classical but I think it fits and personally I think its a brilliant Christmas song. It says it's a cover but I'm not sure what classes as a cover here as the pianist is the composer.
And a bit more uplifting. Primarily for the first 2:15, although the whole performance is worth listening to. Vivaldi Gloria at La Pieta, Venice - YouTube
You know all the words? Impressive. I’ve been a Steeleye fan since 1969 when this song appeared on the Below the Salt album (track number 7) and despite all the changes in personnel the standard is still the same. Top, top quality. I’ve owned most of their LPs at different times but they’re gone now, along with the CDs that replaced the vinyl. Apart from one or two still on the shelf my music collection now survives in digital form.