Just for fun today and to nudge you a little further into the spirit of Christmas. If you don’t get a laugh out of this then there’s no hope.
Showing posts with label Christmas music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas music. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Christmas--It's All About the Music
It’s still a couple of days before Christmas and like many others, I am by now extremely weary of the incessant clang of that which passes for “Christmas music” assaulting my ears. Each year a local radio station goes to 24/7 Christmas music just after Thanksgiving.
Sometimes I think if I have to hear Andy Williams or Burl Ives one more time that I’ll go ballistic. I can take about 2 hours of it at work—unfortunately a lot of days at work are 12 hours long.
But, to me, Christmas has always been, more than anything else, about music. Over the years I have performed Christmas music in school choirs, church choirs, in informal groups, in quartets, solo in my car along to favorite recordings and sometimes out of either loneliness or a desire to express what’s hiding deep inside yearning to come out.
I’ve sung fun, silly Christmas songs to my children. I’ve listened as a child to my Dad singing snatches of his favorite Gene Autry Christmas music. I’ve sung solos before church congregations as part of a Cantata. I’ve sung as a member of a congregation in a boisterous basso or a haunting tenor depending on the carol being sung.
It’s hard to describe in writing how the music has moved me and been part of me over the decades of my life. Twenty years ago, I was working in the Detroit area as a business executive. My family had yet to join me and still lived in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Our office closed as usual on Christmas Eve and I was driving the 500 miles back to Wisconsin to spend Christmas and New Years with my family. I had done the drive previously and knew to go to my apartment after work, take a nap and start the drive about 9 or 10 p.m. and drive through the night. That way I would miss the traffic of both Detroit and Chicago.
It was about 1 a.m. and I was driving across the short stretch of Indiana that leads into the southern portion of Chicago. It seemed as though mine was the only vehicle on the interstate highway—there weren’t even any semis rolling along.
The radio was on and playing Christmas music. The next selection came up. “For Unto Us A Child Is Born” from Handel’s “Messiah”. This is my absolute favorite piece of music from the “Messiah”—especially at Christmas. The purity of the opening phrase from the Sopranos always moves me. Done well, it’s a sound like crystal.
I slowed my car. Then I pulled over onto the shoulder. I cranked up the stereo as loud as it would go. The night was pitch dark out in the Indiana countryside—glowing with stars. I got out of the car and stood on the shoulder, the radio blaring and I sang. I sang from my heart and soul. Better than the many times that I had performed this piece of music from a church choir loft. I was amazed that I remembered the bass part without the benefit of the sheet music and I let my voice soar tears streaming down my face.
When it was over, I got back in my car and finished my drive arriving home at about 7 a.m. to a house filled with Christmas and children and love.
I miss singing at Christmas. Interesting but a couple of years ago, I happened across a CD that refreshed and made Christmas music new again. It’s the Bare Naked Ladies Christmas album. Here’s a song from it.
I guess as long as we have the music in our hearts, we'll have Christmas.
Sometimes I think if I have to hear Andy Williams or Burl Ives one more time that I’ll go ballistic. I can take about 2 hours of it at work—unfortunately a lot of days at work are 12 hours long.
But, to me, Christmas has always been, more than anything else, about music. Over the years I have performed Christmas music in school choirs, church choirs, in informal groups, in quartets, solo in my car along to favorite recordings and sometimes out of either loneliness or a desire to express what’s hiding deep inside yearning to come out.
I’ve sung fun, silly Christmas songs to my children. I’ve listened as a child to my Dad singing snatches of his favorite Gene Autry Christmas music. I’ve sung solos before church congregations as part of a Cantata. I’ve sung as a member of a congregation in a boisterous basso or a haunting tenor depending on the carol being sung.
It’s hard to describe in writing how the music has moved me and been part of me over the decades of my life. Twenty years ago, I was working in the Detroit area as a business executive. My family had yet to join me and still lived in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Our office closed as usual on Christmas Eve and I was driving the 500 miles back to Wisconsin to spend Christmas and New Years with my family. I had done the drive previously and knew to go to my apartment after work, take a nap and start the drive about 9 or 10 p.m. and drive through the night. That way I would miss the traffic of both Detroit and Chicago.
It was about 1 a.m. and I was driving across the short stretch of Indiana that leads into the southern portion of Chicago. It seemed as though mine was the only vehicle on the interstate highway—there weren’t even any semis rolling along.
The radio was on and playing Christmas music. The next selection came up. “For Unto Us A Child Is Born” from Handel’s “Messiah”. This is my absolute favorite piece of music from the “Messiah”—especially at Christmas. The purity of the opening phrase from the Sopranos always moves me. Done well, it’s a sound like crystal.
I slowed my car. Then I pulled over onto the shoulder. I cranked up the stereo as loud as it would go. The night was pitch dark out in the Indiana countryside—glowing with stars. I got out of the car and stood on the shoulder, the radio blaring and I sang. I sang from my heart and soul. Better than the many times that I had performed this piece of music from a church choir loft. I was amazed that I remembered the bass part without the benefit of the sheet music and I let my voice soar tears streaming down my face.
When it was over, I got back in my car and finished my drive arriving home at about 7 a.m. to a house filled with Christmas and children and love.
I miss singing at Christmas. Interesting but a couple of years ago, I happened across a CD that refreshed and made Christmas music new again. It’s the Bare Naked Ladies Christmas album. Here’s a song from it.
I guess as long as we have the music in our hearts, we'll have Christmas.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Hey, Mr. Bassman! I Want to Be a Bassman Too
Of all the characters on Glee, my favorite is Curt Hummel (Chris Colfer). Even better is the relationship between Colfer’s character and Mike O’Malley who plays his dad. But that’s not my topic today. I also enjoy Curt’s performances the best too—arguably because I like his character rather than Rachel’s character—he’s gutsy and can belt out a tune.
But…
Where are the basses? On “Glee” there are no basses. The lower voiced males barely eek out a baritone sound occasionally. When I was in high school and college, there were always far more baritone voices than tenor voices. It was hard to find guys who could sing 1st tenor. Most guys were baritones or 1st bass. I sang 2nd bass—low bass. We all aspired to be one of those guys who could croak out the low notes—and even better shove out a covered, rumbling string of low bass notes to provide the cellar and foundation to 8 part choir music.
And, there aren’t any on American Idol either. The preference being is high pitched male voices. Chrystal Bowersox could sing lower than the guys on last season’s Idol.
That might be a fun “plot twist” on Glee. Have a bass join Glee and then have “Shoe” find ways for his voice to be a part of the music. And, then razz the guy about his voice being the proverbial “foghorn”. And then they can do this song:
Just think of the career that Bowser’s had. Who’s Bowser, you ask? He’s the bass-man for Sha Na Na. Sha Na Na was at Woodstock for crying out loud. They were a “campy” group that was a throwback to the late 50’s and early 60’s with a terrific following that brought them to the stage right before Jimmy Hendrix at the 1969 festival. Bowser’s made a career out of mugging for the camera and carrying the low-end for this group that’s more “doo-wop” than rock.
Yeah, I thought it was really cool back in 1964 when I started 8th grade and was able to report to the Varsity Chorus at Madison Junior High School in Tampa, Florida as a baritone rather than as the tenor I had been the previous May when I tried out. My voice changed over the summer! I got puberty! And I made it to bass the next year.
My favorite singers have usually had lower vocal ranges. (OK, I’ve always liked guys like Frankie Vallee and Smokie Robinson too). And, I’m not talking about Barry White because he didn’t do much singing. What I’ve always enjoyed is someone who could bring out some low notes and still deliver one hell of a tune—and let’s eliminate Bing Crosby because that’s just too old even for me.
My all time favorite is the late Lou Rawls. I really became a fan of his in the mid-60’s when he came out with “Dead End Street”. But my all time favorite Lou Rawls song is “Lady Love”. He shows a vocal range here that’s really neat and brings a style of R&B to it that been one I’ve enjoyed and envied since it came out in the early to mid-70’s.
Except there are risks to singing bass. My very first solo in church was when I was 14 years old (nearly 15) in 1966. I sang “I Believe”. Afterwards, I was standing with my parents when someone came up to me and said, “I really enjoyed your singing. You sounded just like that Gomer Pyle guy.”
Now, to an almost 15 year old, more inclined to Elvis or Tom Jones as solo acts, to be compared to Jim Nabors/Gomer Pyle was nothing short of mortifying. Chicks don’t dig Gomer Pyle. He probably never got panties thrown at him on stage—a girdle maybe, but definitely not panties.
But…
Where are the basses? On “Glee” there are no basses. The lower voiced males barely eek out a baritone sound occasionally. When I was in high school and college, there were always far more baritone voices than tenor voices. It was hard to find guys who could sing 1st tenor. Most guys were baritones or 1st bass. I sang 2nd bass—low bass. We all aspired to be one of those guys who could croak out the low notes—and even better shove out a covered, rumbling string of low bass notes to provide the cellar and foundation to 8 part choir music.
And, there aren’t any on American Idol either. The preference being is high pitched male voices. Chrystal Bowersox could sing lower than the guys on last season’s Idol.
That might be a fun “plot twist” on Glee. Have a bass join Glee and then have “Shoe” find ways for his voice to be a part of the music. And, then razz the guy about his voice being the proverbial “foghorn”. And then they can do this song:
Just think of the career that Bowser’s had. Who’s Bowser, you ask? He’s the bass-man for Sha Na Na. Sha Na Na was at Woodstock for crying out loud. They were a “campy” group that was a throwback to the late 50’s and early 60’s with a terrific following that brought them to the stage right before Jimmy Hendrix at the 1969 festival. Bowser’s made a career out of mugging for the camera and carrying the low-end for this group that’s more “doo-wop” than rock.
Yeah, I thought it was really cool back in 1964 when I started 8th grade and was able to report to the Varsity Chorus at Madison Junior High School in Tampa, Florida as a baritone rather than as the tenor I had been the previous May when I tried out. My voice changed over the summer! I got puberty! And I made it to bass the next year.
My favorite singers have usually had lower vocal ranges. (OK, I’ve always liked guys like Frankie Vallee and Smokie Robinson too). And, I’m not talking about Barry White because he didn’t do much singing. What I’ve always enjoyed is someone who could bring out some low notes and still deliver one hell of a tune—and let’s eliminate Bing Crosby because that’s just too old even for me.
My all time favorite is the late Lou Rawls. I really became a fan of his in the mid-60’s when he came out with “Dead End Street”. But my all time favorite Lou Rawls song is “Lady Love”. He shows a vocal range here that’s really neat and brings a style of R&B to it that been one I’ve enjoyed and envied since it came out in the early to mid-70’s.
Except there are risks to singing bass. My very first solo in church was when I was 14 years old (nearly 15) in 1966. I sang “I Believe”. Afterwards, I was standing with my parents when someone came up to me and said, “I really enjoyed your singing. You sounded just like that Gomer Pyle guy.”
Now, to an almost 15 year old, more inclined to Elvis or Tom Jones as solo acts, to be compared to Jim Nabors/Gomer Pyle was nothing short of mortifying. Chicks don’t dig Gomer Pyle. He probably never got panties thrown at him on stage—a girdle maybe, but definitely not panties.
So, let’s go back to Curt just a bit. I guess when I was a kid and later as an adult, singing in the low ranges was a mark of “testosterone”. Men sing low. And yeah, it takes lots of work to do it reasonably well. Like I said earlier, Curt (Chris Colfer) can really bring it. His character shows more “balls” than any other male character in Glee and the relationship portrayed between him and Mike O’Malley is tremendous. I hope they both win Emmy’s. But damn, I wish the show would get some “real” male voices.
Friday, December 18, 2009
We Need a Little Christmas (Music) Now!
All day, every day I sit in a cubbyhole that’s 15 feet from a compact stereo which is tuned to a radio station which is playing Christmas music 24/7.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against Christmas music. I love Christmas music. I love to listen to Christmas music and I love to sing Christmas music. But it gets kind of like sharp fingernails scraping across a blackboard the 8th time each day when I have to hear Karen Carpenter sing “Logs on the fire, fill me with desire” (that just sounds so “wrong”—kinky—even though I know there’s another innocent line about wanting to be with a loved one). And if I have to hear “We Need a Little Christmas” one more time, I swear I’ll go postal on the first friggin’ elf I see.
I’ve performed Christmas music ever since Junior Hi although much more sporadically since I’ve been an adult. Christmas cantatas in a church choir are, I think, much more enjoyable for those singing than those who have to dress up and silently suffer through them. (By the way my wife just asked me what a Christmas cantata is and I told her that it’s when a choir performs this “hoity toity” classical-type Christmas music that has a lot of notes and that nobody particularly likes to hear because it doesn’t have a real good beat or snappy lyrics or a toe-tapping melody—although I still consider Handel’s “Messiah” to be kick ass even though most people don’t really seem to get that at Christmas the song is “For Unto Us A Child is Born and at Easter it’s the “Hallelujah Chorus”).
But I digress. In the cause of brevity, I offer up for your listening enjoyment a “medley” of Christmas music. It starts with one of my all time favorites, Gene Autry’s “Here Comes Santa Claus”. It’s included because it reminds me of my father who would wander through the house all Christmas season singing snatches of this delightful song in a Kentucky hills tenor twang. Every time I hear it, it reminds me of Dad and makes me smile.
The rest of the “medley” is some goofy stuff that I hope will make you smile just a bit. Enjoy.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against Christmas music. I love Christmas music. I love to listen to Christmas music and I love to sing Christmas music. But it gets kind of like sharp fingernails scraping across a blackboard the 8th time each day when I have to hear Karen Carpenter sing “Logs on the fire, fill me with desire” (that just sounds so “wrong”—kinky—even though I know there’s another innocent line about wanting to be with a loved one). And if I have to hear “We Need a Little Christmas” one more time, I swear I’ll go postal on the first friggin’ elf I see.
I’ve performed Christmas music ever since Junior Hi although much more sporadically since I’ve been an adult. Christmas cantatas in a church choir are, I think, much more enjoyable for those singing than those who have to dress up and silently suffer through them. (By the way my wife just asked me what a Christmas cantata is and I told her that it’s when a choir performs this “hoity toity” classical-type Christmas music that has a lot of notes and that nobody particularly likes to hear because it doesn’t have a real good beat or snappy lyrics or a toe-tapping melody—although I still consider Handel’s “Messiah” to be kick ass even though most people don’t really seem to get that at Christmas the song is “For Unto Us A Child is Born and at Easter it’s the “Hallelujah Chorus”).
But I digress. In the cause of brevity, I offer up for your listening enjoyment a “medley” of Christmas music. It starts with one of my all time favorites, Gene Autry’s “Here Comes Santa Claus”. It’s included because it reminds me of my father who would wander through the house all Christmas season singing snatches of this delightful song in a Kentucky hills tenor twang. Every time I hear it, it reminds me of Dad and makes me smile.
The rest of the “medley” is some goofy stuff that I hope will make you smile just a bit. Enjoy.
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