Favorite Holiday Music and Nativity Plays

[macloudt at yahoo.co.uk]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Ebony" <ebonyink at h...> wrote:

> It's the music.  Not the food, not the decor, not the time off from 
> work, not the snow (oh, please let us have a white Christmas 
again!),

In Weston-super-Mare!?  Fat chance :(  Here's one Canadian who goes 
through serious Snow Withdrawal every Christmas since moving here.
 
> not even seeing the family again (I see them lots anyway).

I don't, but my family has always literally been oceans apart.  Our 
little nuclear family spends Christmas day together...chaotic and 
great fun.  Christmas really is for kids!

> For me it's the music.
> 
> I know it's December when I hear carols and popular holiday music.
> 
<snip!>  Nothing personal; I snipped your favourites so the Mod Squad 
won't hurl sharp objects at me for sloppy snipping :) 

By far my favourite carol is The Huron Carol.  Yes, it's as Canuck as 
Canuck can be, but it honestly was my favourite carol before moving 
to England.  Since moving here I've acquired a few more favourites 
such as In the Bleak Midwinter and Little Donkey (both childrens' 
songs, but sung quietly).  Others I've always enjoyed are O Little 
Town of Bethlehem (North American version) and O Holy Night, though I 
never manage to hit the high notes.  

(At the moment my 2 older monsters (aged 3 and 4) are tearing around 
the house singing carols they're learning at school, and if I hear 
Jingle Bells one more time I may nix Christmas altogether.  Down, 
Scrooge, down!)

Now this is an embarrassing confession, seeing as I've grown up with 
classical music...I can't actually name any of my favourite classic 
Christmas music.  Oops.  Even more embarrassing, the CDs are just in 
the next room, but darned if I'm getting off my ample back end to 
check!  When the kids are around their kiddie tape of Christmas songs 
is playing (cue Mommy leaving the room), and in the evening Stu and I 
play our classical music.

At the risk of being flamed by fellow Brits (many of whom I know are 
heartily sick of these songs), I *love* Slade's and Wizard's 
Christmas songs.  Sorry...

:::::Mary Ann ducks to be on the safe side:::::

Meanwhile it's school nativity play time again.  This year I have to 
come up with a shepherd outfit for Gareth, but thankfully Beth's 
school is providing her angel costume.  Kids' nativity plays are an 
absolute scream, but coming up with costumes year after year (why is 
the younger sibling *never* the same character the older sibling was 
the previous year!?) is a pain in the backside.  Never mind, it will 
soon be over.

I'm off to cook tea.  Cheers!

Mary Ann 
(#So here it is, Merry Christmas!  Everybody's having fun#...gads, 
I'd better duck again!!)