From childhood, I have always loved Christmas music. I looked forward to singing those songs in school and church, enjoyed playing them at home, and loved playing Christmas records at home. Over the years, however, certain types of Christmas music have really turned me off. So while I still love Christmas songs, there is quite a bit of it that I detest.
This is not the religious vs. secular debate. I tolerate songs about snow and Santa. Conversely, there are religious songs (or particular performances of those songs) that I hate. Actually, my split-personality over Christmas music reflects my taste in music generally: Give me authentic performances of good songs over schmaltzy or overblown music any day.
Here is what I hate about bad Christmas music: 1. Sleigh bells. 2. Bombastic arrangements of simple songs. 3. Overly-sentimental productions. Here is what I like: 1. Good solid lyrics and melodies. 2. Arrangements that let the song shine through rather than showcase the performers. 3. Performances that well match the song.
For example, yesterday in the mall, I heard a slow, lush, overproduced version of Up on the Housetop. It served as a wonderful showcase for the singer's voice, but completely missed the lighthearted mood of the song. It made me wonder if the singer spoke English. If she did, she wasn't paying attention to the words.
My all-time favorite Christmas album is by Bruce Cockburn. This 1993 release--simply title Christmas--contains 15 songs. All are religious. Some are familiar (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen), others very obscure (Early on One Christmas Morn), and a couple of surprises (Angels We Have Heard on High in its original French version). In the liner notes, he states his goal was to capture the "songness" of each piece. And he does this in a masterful way.
If you, too, are tired of artificial music, try to find a copy of this album. You will again remember why you originally liked Christmas music.
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