December 2024

It's Holiday Time Again
Greeting the season with glorious celebration music.
Article By Roger Skoff

  Now that the Thanksgiving feast has been reduced to leftovers and we're already seeing homes, stores, and even downtown streets decorated with holiday cheer, what are you doing to prepare for what's to come?  Have you put together your gift list for Christmas or Hanukkah – either who should be remembered or what to get them? Have you planned the parties or events to throw or attend? If you're going out, where are you going to go? And, with winter on the way, are you prepared to spend more time at home, whether with family, friends, or just by yourself, keeping warm? Either way, you'll likely be spending more time there, so do you know what you're going to do with it, other than such mandatory things as keeping up with sports or watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve?

Whatever it is, chances are it either does or ought to include music. Everywhere I go now, I'm already hearing Christmas music – either carols or old favorites like "White Christmas", "Here Comes Santa Claus", or the inescapable "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". They're in every store or restaurant I go to, of every kind – and I'm in California, where, except in the dead of night, the weather hasn't yet gotten below the 60F.

And it's not just in public places that music is going to play an important role during the entire holiday season. How about those parties? Aren't you going to want suitable background music? Or, if people will be dancing, there's more music you'll need, right there.

Also, for holiday gift-giving, if you haven't already gotten all of the presents for everybody on your list, why not give a gift of music? There are plenty of holiday-themed gifts or albums to choose from, of any genre you can think of. You can either give them the music, itself, as a CD, LP, tape, MP3, or whatever format they might prefer, or gift them with a subscription to one of the music streaming services for just a few dollars a month. (The one from Amazon claims to offer more than 100 million selections, ad free, so that could be the gift that keeps on giving... and giving... and giving, for far beyond anyone's ability ever to use up, or even make a significant dent in!)

Another possibility, whether the person you're planning to give it to is an absolute musical innocent or a confirmed music lover or audiophile, you could always give them a gift of something to play the music on. It might be a component, an accessory, or, if you've got the budget for it, even a complete system. There are even record players now that can play people's existing LPs, converting their analog output to a digital signal, so that they can play or store the music on any digital device, wherever they are. Do you know someone who might enjoy a thing like that? Go for it; it's available, and not all that expensive!

Or, for something different from either a recording or a thing to play it, why not give the gift of live music? Concert tickets for a favorite performer or a favorite kind of music are a gift that will never be forgotten, even years long past the event, itself. And, if that's not a possibility, either because timing, location, or expense problems (Concert tickets can sometimes get shockingly expensive), why not resurrect the ancient custom of caroling, gather together or join a group of singers, and go, on Christmas Eve or whenever else, to friends' homes or even out on the streets of your town or neighborhood singing all the old songs? Think about it; that way, you and your friends could be the "Merry Gentlemen" you're singing about, and, perhaps, even be invited into people's homes to enjoy a cup of Christmas cheer! What better way to have fun, meet the neighbors, and wish peace on earth and good will toward men?

And the holidays are not all about other people, either. There's yourself and your family to think of , too. Whether professional, at a local concert venue, or at a local church or meeting house, the holidays are a time of glorious live music – much of it free, just for going. Among the things one might find are Bach's Christmas Oratorio, the Magnificat's of either Bach, or Vivaldi's Gloria... all of which, even in an amateur performance, are soul stirring and an experience never to be missed – even by the non-religious.

Another musical offering often found in local performance around this time of year is Giancarlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, an inspiring twentieth century English language opera about a crippled boy and his mother who are visited by the Three Kings as they travel to Bethlehem to witness the Nativity. It's not The Little Drummer Boy, but just as much a classic and a lasting seasonal favorite.

Do definitely, if there's any way you can, go and see live performances of the music listed here. If you can't, though, at least listen to it in the performances linked to this article. Even if you don't normally like classical music, I think that, if you'll give them a chance, you'll find them as thrilling as I do. And, if you do like them, add them to your collection. Each has been recorded many times, by many performers and orchestras, so there's plenty of selection available. Who knows, if you listen to them, you may find yourself, like me, owning and treasuring many different versions, each of which has its own unique and special qualities.

And the year doesn't just end with Christmas. New Year's Eve follows just one week later, and listening to music and singing, dancing, and partying to it are all great ways to celebrate and usher in the coming new year.

Especially this particular coming New Year as companies and analysts have already begun to announce their expectation that 2025 will be a better year for the global economies than 2024. If that's correct, it means that our hobby and industry may be looking to good times again, and that we may be seeing all kinds of wonderful new Hi-Fi products – especially in the more affordable price range, which was where things seemed to be starting to trend, anyway – and all kinds of wonderful new music to play on or through them.

Good! 

Have a very Happy Holidays and as always...

Enjoy the music!

 

Roger Skoff