And we end with Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio,” as how could we not? Surely one of the most exuberant statements of faith ever composed. Here’s the opening chorus presented by the Dresdner Kreuzchor.

Well, the only real mystery is why these pieces, each a sheer delight, aren’t better known. Both works concern the mysteries surrounding the birth of Christ and his divinity, and both are […]

John Fahey was one of the two or three most influential guitarists of the past sixty years or so (Les Paul was the other one.) He revolutionized how we play and hear […]

An old song, one of the few surviving songs with lyrics in Middle English, and one which seems appropriate for today, the shortest day of the year. The modern translation would be […]

Medieval and Renaissance Spain and Portugal have given us music a bit different from the rest of Europe, even when written in European styles. This is the result of the unique blend […]

This is such a lovely song that it comes in versions by multiple composers, two in particular. The first and better known comes to us from Gustav Holst, the German-English composer; the […]

Debates about the best rock and roll Christmas song, kind of like any debate about the best rock and roll anything, tend to become tedious. For my own part, Slade’s “Merry Christmas […]

Not only do songs change their feel over time, but this can also change in the hands of an interesting arranger. Consider “Deck the Halls,” that old warhorse. Here’s a pretty strait-up […]