It's that most irritating time of the year again, when our ears are constantly assaulted by some of the most obnoxious noises ever made. (My wife is particularly fond of Alvin and the Chipmunks' Christmas music, and the Muppets Christmas with John Denver. She plays the Chipmunks' tunes on the juke box at the Miss Florence Diner, while people look around to see who played it, and I try to hide under the table.)
I dream about this Utopian fantasy of A Tasteful, Musically Beautiful Christmas. My wife thinks I'm a sicko and I should just Give It Up already. The essence of Christmas, she explains, is Elvis singing about Christmas on a beach in Hawaii.
Tonight we are attempting to compromise. I was driving around a few days ago and on the marquee of our Calvin Theater (named for Calvin Coolidge, once our mayor) it said:
VIENNA BOYS CHOIR
So this ought to be eine schoene Nacht fur the ears, I am thinking, ja? Has anybody had the pleasure of seeing/hearing diese Wienerkinder before? What am I in store for, Barnum or Bach? Is this High-Class and Tasteful, or a Great Moment in Travelling Adolescent Yule Schlock?
Your thoughts on all aspects of Musical Christmas would be greatly appreciated, and as annually, please toss in your favorite Christmas music quickly available on CD or iPod or whatever people get their music as these days. Can you still touch it? Or is Touchable Media sooooo 2002?
My fave still: "I Wonder As I Wander." Just got a new version as an early Christmas gift, the most haunting vocal interpretation by a boy soprano named Jesse Goldberg (yes, Jesse Goldberg), backed by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
And whaddya want or whaddya gonna give in music this Christmas? Including machines, instruments, books, sheet music?
Bob / Elmer