Christmas on the farm, circa 1950

Hi, Kate Flora here. Sunday I was at Symphony Hall in Boston, listening to the Handel and Hayden Society’s version of the Messiah. It’s so stirring to be in the room when everyone rises for the famous Hallelujah chorus. It reminded me of an old post I did many years ago about holiday music, which I’ve just dug up and edited to include here.

Soon, (like today!!) it will be time to start cooking for my annual holiday party, and I love to listen to music while I’m cooking. Second, I love listening to music while I’m cooking, because I’m be so grateful to be in my quiet kitchen instead of out at fine stores everywhere, assaulted by the zillionth version of “Little Drummer Boy.” As I put together the crab cakes for forty people, I’ll imagine those poor, desperate shoppers, thinking to themselves, “And so I knocked him down, a rumpa pum pum. . . .”

There was plenty of traditional Christmas music in my childhood. I sang in the choir at the People’s Methodist Church for about twelve years. Those carols still resonate even though I now sing like a frog with a range of about two notes.

Some years ago, I was in Cambridge, England, on Christmas Eve, and although we didn’t have tickets, we stood outside the King’s College chapel and could hear the carols. That magical experience introduced me to the alternative version of “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem,” to “The Holly and the Ivy,” and that lovely song that Julia Spencer Fleming used for one of her book titles, “In the Bleak Midwinter.” I still like to listen to the King’s College choir in a live recording, complete with chairs creaking and throat clearing between songs and that stunning moment when a single young boy’s voice begins, “Once in Royal David’s City.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RC34N1TfCQ&feature=related

Over the years, the stack of holiday albums has grown to include Windham Hill, Maine’s own Paul Sullivan’s album “Christmas in Maine,” Mannheim Steamroller, Shaken not Stirred, Bob Dylan, as well as many compilations. I have Gene Autry, the singing cowboy, doing “Frosty the Snowman,” Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and Mario Lanza, the swoon of my youth, singing “The Lords Prayer.”

I have some hauntingly beautiful new age music. If you haven’t heard Enya’s version of “O come, O come, Emmanuel,” you should listen to this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHh3nMMu-I Or try Serah singing the same song. Or Loreena McKennitt’s album A Midwinter Night’s Dream. I had never heard of her until I was writing Finding Amy and learned that McKennitt’s song, “Dante’s Prayer,” was one of Amy’s favorites.

Of course, there has been plenty of goofy music as well. Many Christmases ago, my younger son, Max, gave us something by Rush Coil called 8-bit Christmas, with holiday tunes using the sound of Super Mario Brothers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozKsW3pF_a0&list=PLfDb8lRd0aGZXACH6zRD4n2Pm5SWIXzxC&index=9

Back when I was more of a workout queen, I used to have the world’s single most awful aerobics holiday compilation, Cardio Christmas. It was so bad my family used to beg me to turn it off. I thought those jazzed up versions of holiday tunes were the bee’s knees. Sadly, it is now lost somewhere in the recesses of my house. Unless, of course, my family finally got smart and made it disappear. Here’s an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6oSG-fc18U&list=RDx6oSG-fc18U&start_radio=1

For years, my older son, Jake, has made his aged P’s music compilations to bring us up to date on what’s happening in the music world. For Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, and Chrismas my husband and I each get our own mix. My lovely daughter-in-law Robyn joined in the fun and made a great Christmas mix for oldsters. So, as I struggle with phyllo dough, marinate ten pounds of mahogany chicken wings, and create the giant taco and the caviar pie, I will be dancing around the kitchen, listening to Elvis sing “Blue Christmas,” Chuck Berry singing “Run, Rudolf, Run,” the Ronettes and Crystals, Dean Martin and Brenda Lee.

It won’t be like being in Cambridge outside the chapel, listening to a choir. But it will definitely put me in the right mood for the season.

What will you be listening to? And here is a favorite holiday recipe:

Caviar Pie

6 hard cooked eggs

8 oz. cream cheese

3 T. mayo

1 c. minced onion

2/3 c. sour cream

1 4 oz. jar of caviar

Mash eggs with mayo. Spread on bottom of 8″ greased springform pan. Mince onions and sprinkle on top. Combine cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and spread over onions with wet spatula. Refrigerate. Just before serving serving, spread caviar on top. Serve with crackers. (Can also be made in a hollowed out loaf of bread)

And a reminder: Someone who leaves a comment on one of our posts this month will win a bag of mysteries.