6 Holiday Playlists from Our Music Experts

1) If You're Classy

• The Holy and the Ivy
• "This Little Babe" from A Ceremony of Carols - Benjamin Britten
• Blanca Navidad (White Christmas) - Marimba Maderas Chapinas
• Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - the Houston Symphony Chorus
• Venite, Adoremus - Dan Forrest

"The Holy and the Ivy is more traditional and This Little Babe by Benjamin Britten is a more esoteric option.” - Dr. Charlotte Mizener, Harp and Music Education.

“[Blanca Navidad (White Christmas)] features a prominent style of music special to the country of Guatemala. The marimba chapina heard in this recording is a xylophone-like instrument made out of wooden bars and large gourds. After centuries of cultural tradition, the popularity of this style spread to other countries starting in 1900s and eventually led to the development of the modern marimba, which is now heard in concert bands and commercial music across the world!” - Francisco Perez, Percussion.

"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" as sung by the Houston Symphony Chorus showcases the human voice at its finest, collaborating in an ensemble. This particular song focuses on the "why" of Christmas, and I use it for personal meditation and for inspiration. The lyrics are thought to date back to around 275 A.D., and the more popular tune dates to the mid-nineteenth century. When listening to this particular arrangement, you may notice that it begins with a more ancient feel, but it fills out into the grand style we most often associate with the holidays.

Another piece that I use for more meditative study is "Venite, Adoremus" by Dan Forrest. Its text is the Latin setting of "O Come All Ye Faithful," also known by the original tune name ADESTE FIDELES. The composer uses fragments of the traditional tune to carefully construct a new melody. The traditional refrain makes a debut at the climax and becomes a beautiful descant above the new melody. "Venite, Adoremus" is an example of musical fragmentation at its finest, but it is also an example of a worshipful resetting of a beloved classic." -Judith Morehouse, Administrative Associate & Voice

2) If You’re Just a Little Bit Rock’n’Roll

• I want you for Christmas - Cheap Trick
• Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight) - Joey Ramone
• Another Lonely Christmas - Beck
• Christmas - The Who
• New Year’s Day - U2
• Happy Xmas – John Lennon
• Christmas is Going to the Dogs - Eels
• Christmas Time All Over the World - The Smithereens

3) If You Like Your Holidays Chill

• Silver Bells - She and Him
• Christmas Lights - Coldplay
• Christmas at the Zoo - The Flaming Lips
• Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
• O Come O Come Emmanuel - Sufjan Stevens
• Alone on Christmas Day - Phoenix, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzmann, Buster Poindexter, Paul Shaffer
• Please Be Patient - Feist
• It’s Not Christmas ‘Til You Come Home - Norah Jones

4) If You Move to Your Own Rhythm

• Santa’s Coming For Us - Sia
• Christmas In Harlem - Kanye West, CyHi The Prynce, Teyana Taylor
• What Christmas Means To Me - Ciara
• Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande
• Everyday is Christmas - Sia
• This Christmas - Usher
• 8 Days of Christmas - Destiny’s Child
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Mariah Carey

5) If You Top Your Tree With a Cowboy Hat

• Let it be Christmas - Alan Jackson
• Jingle Bell Rock - George Straight
• Christmas in Dixie - Alabama
• Candy Cane Christmas - Darius Rucker
• Christmas Without You - Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton
• Silver Bells - Brad Paisley
• All I Want For Christmas Is You - Lady Antebellum

6) If You’re Nostalgic

• Linus and Lucy - Vince Guaraldi
• Last Christmas - Wham!
• The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole
• White Christmas - Bing Crosby
• Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee
• It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Johnny Mathis

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