I enjoy Christmas music, in moderation. I have no desire to hear it before Thanksgiving. And while I enjoy “All I Want for Christmas Is You” as much as the next person, many of the songs that are played over, and over, AND OVER leave me cold. If I hear “O Holy Night” one more time….
To tell the truth, I’ve always been a bit contrary, rejecting many popular things simply because of their ubiquity. So I like odd carols like “A Stable Lamp Is Lighted” (sorry, it’s not on any of the recordings on this list). And I love albums that don’t get a lot of radio airplay. None of the albums on this list are new, and music aficionados will know at least some of them. But if you’re looking for Christmas music that isn’t overplayed, try one of these recordings:
Noël (Joan Baez, 1966)
Joan Baez worked with Peter Schickele to create Noël, a beautiful classical album with a deeply religious orientation. The arrangements have a marvelous, centuries-old flavor. Joan’s voice is stunning. Many of the songs are well-known carols and hymns, including an arrangement of “O Holy Night” that I can tolerate. But there are also more obscure songs, such as “Mary’s Wandering.” While I’d hate to ask you to skip the other albums on this list, if you could buy only one album, this is the one to get.
Jingle Bell Jazz (1985)
Jingle Bell Jazz is a collection of Christmas songs recorded by such artists as Carmen McRae, Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis, and Paquito d’Rivera. It includes both instrumental and vocal music, mostly (though not entirely) secular. Some songs are jazz interpretations of classic carols, like Herbie Hancock’s joyous version of “Deck the Halls” (my favorite track). Some songs are originals, such as “Blue Xmas (to Whom It May Concern)” by Miles Davis, with Bob Dorough on vocals. This cynical song never mentions Jesus, but with its criticism of holiday commercialism, it feels like the most Christian song on the album.
This album is a compilation of two earlier releases: Jingle Bell Jazz and God Rest Ye Merry Jazzmen. To complicate things, the original 1962 Jingle Bell Jazz was reissued twice with some changes. I haven’t heard the previous incarnations of this title, but I can tell you that you definitely can’t get Herbie Hancock’s “Deck the Halls” on the 1962 album. Missing that would be a crying shame.
A Winter’s Solstice (Windham Hill Artists, 1985)
If you know anything about Windham Hill, you know it was a popular New Age record label when that musical genre was at its height. So why am I recommending a New Age “Christmas” album from a defunct label?
First, the music on this album definitely isn’t what you’re hearing pumped through the speakers at your local big box store. From David Qualey’s arrangement of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” to Shadowfax’s “Petite Aubade,” which doesn’t sound like typical New Age fare at all, this is a beautiful album, the perfect accompaniment for a quiet winter morning at home.
Second, because most of the songs reflect the album’s title (note that it is “A Winter’s Solstice,” not “A Windham Hill Christmas”), virtually all of them can be played out of season, and people won’t look at you askance.
Yes, New Age is a dated genre, but swallow your pride and seek this album out anyway.
On Yoolis Night (Anonymous 4, 1993)
A collection of medieval carols and motets, On Yoolis Night may be my oddest suggestion on this list. This is the music my husband asks me to turn off, so I don’t listen to it very often. If you’re familiar with Anonymous 4, you don’t need me to tell you that these women have beautiful voices. While it’s not for everyone, if you’re looking for something different in Christmas music, On Yoolis Night fits the bill. The ancient music is perfect for setting a contemplative, worshipful atmosphere.
Christmas (Bruce Cockburn, 1993)
My first blog post was about Bruce Cockburn, so of course I had to include his Christmas album. I remember hearing a story, perhaps at one of Bruce’s concerts, about how a man once told him that if he ever released a Christmas album, he would stop being a fan. I wonder if the man carried through on that threat after Christmas came out. For my part, I’m glad to have this album. Bruce does some wonderful takes on traditional tunes as well as introducing listeners to some less-familiar songs. He opens and closes the album with short renditions of familiar carols on a solo acoustic guitar. In between, he includes songs from different times and cultures, including “Early On One Christmas Morn,” “Riu Riu Chiu,” a version of “Down in Yon Forest” that is radically different from the one Joan Baez sings on Noël, “Shepherds” (an original song, not nearly as good as “Cry of a Tiny Babe” on Nothing But a Burning Light), “Jesus Ahatonnia” (“The Huron Carol”), “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” in a minor key, and several others. This is a Christmas album done as only Bruce could do it. I hope the fan forgave him.