Are you jinglin’ all the way? A cousin of mine just posted an invite to come a-caroling to local shut-ins. I’m glad groups are still doing that. Since the end of October, we’ve been bathed in the sounds of Christmas, a warm cozy sensation evoking nostalgia and lifting our spirits.

On our Thanksgiving drive to Ohio, Hubby and I searched Sirius XM Christmas stations to officially open the holiday season. On Channel 71 we found Holiday Traditions, aka classic oldies: Bing Crosby singing White Christmas, Andy Williams and his Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season, and Johnny Mathis’ rendition of O Holy Night, along with all the other great crooners and female singers of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. It became a game to see if we could name the artist before it was revealed on the dashboard, because those were the songs we remembered from our childhoods. We rarely missed Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Brenda Lee, but Bobby Vinton’s voice stumped us.

Channel 79 is called Holly and plays the modern contemporary songs from Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, Pentatonix, Kelly Clarkson and others we didn’t have any clue who they were. For many of the artists, the selections were songs, not carols. Themes were less about the Christmas spirit and more about the perfect gift Santa needed to bring.

Channel 105 Jolly is described as upbeat, energetic, sing-a-long, feel good carols. That’s where we found Jose Feliciano singing Feliz Navidad, Elmo & Patsy’s Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, and my favorite sing-a-long, The Chipmunks’ Christmas Don’t be Late. AALLLLLVIINN!! My grandparents had the Chipmunk Christmas album and they didn’t buy it only for their Grands.

As I’ve written before, a favorite Christmas album of my sisters and I was the Great Songs of Christmas-Goodyear Vol.5 featuring Williams, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Maurice Chevalier and others. Several years ago, one sister found a cd of the album and it’s the first one I play every year, a ritual like bringing out the Advent wreath and candles. I still love hearing Chevalier’s French accent as he sings Silent Night and Jolly Old St. Nicholas. Somehow the accent makes Silent Night sound even more sacred.

What were the first carols you learned? I’m sure mine were the religious ones: Silent Night, Away in a Manger, The First Noel, We Three Kings, along with Jingle Bells, Frosty, and Up on the Housetop. Eventually I learned a ‘few’ more from four years of high school choir and girls’ ensemble, and from playing and singing in the church folk choir. For a couple years when Hubby and I were first married and we had our family pre-Christmas gathering, my grandma came and played piano while we sang carols. In my hometown there’s a tradition of our community chorus and orchestra performing Handel’s Messiah, you have to arrive early to get a seat. 2023 is its 69^th year. Live music has always been part of my Christmas celebrations.

This past week was bookended with Christmas concerts that could not have been more different. The first was Sarah Brightman in a 2100 seat venue. There were lights, an orchestra, and a choir, but her voice carried through all of it. She sang some lesser known carols and reached notes that hung from the rafters. Her range is unbelievable. She was the original Christine Daae in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and part of her closing was Masquerade/Why So Silent, sung with a guest soloist. It was a ‘pinch me’ moment. Another pinch me moment came when she sang Time to Say Goodbye, a song she’s sung with Andrea Bocelli.

Then Saturday’s concert at our local Cultural Arts Center to hear one of our favorites, Noel Friedline and Maria Howell. Even though our venue holds considerably fewer, 180?, the performers are no less talented and accomplished–among other things, Noel played for Julia Roberts’ (yes, that Julia Roberts) birthday party, and Maria acted in The Color Purple. Their style of music is jazz, with just Noel on piano, and three other musicians, a bass player, a drummer, and a saxophonist. Their spin on old classics keeps feet tapping and bodies moving. Have you ever heard Deck the Halls with Boston Charlie? I hadn’t, but I wish you could hear Noel sing it! In the more intimate setting, the group interacted with each other and with us, and it felt more like a family gathering than a performance. When Maria sang Mary Did You Know I’m not sure there was a dry eye in the audience.

Driving the Grands home from play day last week I was singing carols and one fell asleep. Not sure what that says about my singing … Yesterday I leafed through my piano books hoping I had the music for Friendly Beasts. Other carols readily came back to mind as I read the titles. And I do have Friendly Beasts that I can’t wait to teach the Grands.

What are your favorite carols, and what memories do they hold?

It’s late Sunday evening/early Monday morning as I write this. The Christmas tree lights are on, I’m listening to Celtic Christmas III, A Windham Hill Sampler. Tomorrow as I clean and decorate it will be John Denver and the Muppets. It’s definitely one of the most wonderful times of the year.

I hope you have a great week, filled with the joyful, sacred, silly sounds of Christmas.