Tag Archives: Daily Dose of Christmas

I really love A Prairie Home Companion. Here is Garrison Keillor doing “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, with an assist by his always-able sound effects guy, Tom Keith, who died a couple years ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Willie Nelson:

Sarah McLachlan channels John Lennon.

Letting the music speak for itself, here is “Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella”.

I know I’ve used this for the Daily Dose before, but…well, this is one of the staples for me. Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne” is only tangentially about Christmas, I suppose — just the song’s setting, on Christmas Eve, … Continue reading →

My alma mater, Wartburg College, does a big yearly music production at Christmas, called Christmas With Wartburg. It’s always quite a production, with several vocal groups coming together with several instrumental groups to present a sacred program. Putting it together … Continue reading →

I have my issues with Aaron Sorkin, but there are still times when he grabs me and doesn’t let go. Two brief scenes from the first season episode of The West Wing, entitled “In Excelsis Deo”. The backstory here (among … Continue reading →

A very old song now, sung by the always hauntingly beautiful Loreena McKennitt: “Let Att That Are to Mirth Inclined”.

It’s the March of the Toys, by Victor Herbert!

I’ve said this before, but where I’m usually able to separate music from specific associations to things in my life, there are exceptions, and Tchaikovsky’s Suite from The Nutcracker is one of them. We played this every year in the … Continue reading →