Published on 12, July, 2020
With Christmas rapidly approaching - it seems only twelve months since last time - I thought I would start a thread on Christmas - what it means to us, our memories, what traditions we have (locally or of our own), what we like or don't like, and also to share our favourite films and music of Christmas.
I do not like the commerciality of Christmas. My favourite memories of Christmas were when I was young, and returning from Church before Christmas to the glow of the the wireless/gramophone set in the living room, the light of which was an eerie green colour, the room being lit by the lights of the Christmas tree and a collection of 78's of Christmas Carols playing on the gramophone. It was a truly magical time.
In the late 1980's a programme was made for Channel 4 of Dylan Thomas's 'A Child's Christmas in Wales'. This is a film I watch over and over again, it just evokes memories of my early Christmases, when we did not have a television set. This film isW beautifully shot, and brings the humour of Dylan Thomas out. 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' was originally a short story, and there are versions of Dylan Thomas himself reading it on You Tube. Dylan Thomas had such a beautiful way of putting things into words, and perhaps because of my own Welsh heritage it always brings a bit of a tear to my eye, in a good way!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BTSQYdBuZY
I also think humour is an important part of Christmas and the Christmas season. I like all sorts of Christmas music from religious to secular, and songs which are really about the season rather than Christmas. So for my first song which I will put here is this one from Bob Rivers (who is a record producer, not the singer!), the song is a parody of a delivery by a certain brother and sister who were very popular in the 1970's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GONd04tiLk
Please share what Christmas means to you here. And I will add more as the days pass!
I have been a fan of Shirley Collins for nearly fifty years, when she was among the very first artists to have a record released on the 'Harvest' label, 'Anthems in Eden' in 1969.
On an early album, Sweet England, recorded for the Argo label, and re-released on CD by Topic and Fledgling she recorded this version of a traditional song, the Cherry Tree Carol. Interesting in this version the birthday of the Christ Child is said to be 5 January, which is traditionally known as 'Old Christmas Eve' due to the changing of the calendar from the Julian to Gregorian.
Shirley Collins has a voice that to me is beautiful (or perhaps I should say 'had a voice' as her voice is now so much deeper and she gave up singing for a number of years although she has now begun recording and singing again. Anyway, here is The Cherry Tree Carol:
www.youtube.com/watch