Christmas!

[mstakenidentity]

Ok people, recommendations for good, traditional carols? I would prefer the non-religious Christian type.

Thanks!

Comments

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

Not at all :-)

I really love Christmas, but I hate some of the things associated with it. I can't stand Christmas pop songs, I don't like music I think of as "commercial" in the sense that it's asking me/us to buy something, I dislike things that detract from the festival I guess. It's hard to explain.

I used to like decorating the tree and listening to the Messiah, or to other traditional religious carols. I'm not so religious these days, in fact I've spent a large part of the last two years trying to work out where I stand on the whole religion issue, what my faith is and how I feel about it all. So I feel a bit of a fraud celebrating Christ's birth, especially because I did used to celebrate it with true religious fervour and feeling. However, it's not like i can avoid Christmas, and I do like things about it that aren't part of the religion aspect, so I was hoping to find some music to listen to while decorating the tree (which still hasn't arrived...) that was appropriate, wouldn't make me feel guilty , and wasn't "Jingle Bell Rock", "I saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus" or anything by Bing Crosby. :-)

Of course, with that in mind I then got a blank and couldn't think of anything not religious or insipid, so I asked the internet. :-)

That rambled, sorry about that! In short: I want to decorate my tree when it gets here.

[clappamungus.livejournal.com]

Oh, but come on. Bing's the King!

I get where you're coming from. It's part of the reason that I hate Christmas nowadays. When I lost my faith, I guess I lost all tolerance for any sort of festival with even vaguely religious overtones.

[vass]

I can't stand Christmas pop songs, I don't like music I think of as "commercial" in the sense that it's asking me/us to buy something, I dislike things that detract from the festival I guess. It's hard to explain.

No, I'm totally with you there.

In short: I want to decorate my tree when it gets here.

Good luck with that, and good luck with the religious thing too. It can be very hard. And most of the best tunes are religious (I've struggled with that one myself: Bach's a powerful argument for Christianity. And the only non-religious carol I like is Deck the Halls (I wouldn't count Good King Wenceslas as non-religious.)

(This icon is from my favourite Advent carol, 'Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent'.)

[ephant.livejournal.com]

I have a barenaked ladies chrismas/holiday album (at least one member of the band is jewish so there are a couple of hannukah songs on there) which I quite enjoy. Are you coming to my housewarming party? I can give you a copy then. I do not see you very often and would like to see you more frequently. Perhaps we could have lunch some time?

[ephant.livejournal.com]

and by 'quite enjoy' I mean that I think it is very awesome indeed (it's BNL how could I think otherwise!?)

I especially love love LOVE their lyricless version of Carol Of The Bells.

[kitty-ryan.livejournal.com]

oh my god, that sounds genius.

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

I am planning on coming to your housewarming, and I feel the same, we should catch up more. I only have a short lunch break but if you're ever around near the uni at lunch and would like to catch up give me an sms. I also finish at 4:30, so am up for an after work beverage :-)

And I'd love a copy, it sounds brilliant!