Advent of Christmas Music

It has taken me some time to get around to blogging this, but so many people are puzzled by my choice to travel with an Advent soundtrack, that I thought I'd share my experience of Advent 2012.
For the past several years, I have collected Christmas Albums. Some are vinyl (though not many), some as CDs, and many are digital copies.  I started this when I recalled the compilation album we had when I was a child. The nostalgic moment was shared with at least one brother (I have three), but neither of us have been able to find our own copies. 

Centre fold-out Manger

of our Family Christmas Album in the 70's (photo found online)

This album had Johnny Mathis, Perry Como and many other artists of the time singing a mix of both Christmas Carols and Christmas Songs.  I wanted the eclectic nature of that album to infuse my Christmas, and also my preparation during Advent.  

I am familiar with Christmas music, having spent much of my university years as a choral singer. Our choir would arrange groups to sing in shopping centres, at corporate events and hospitals and nursing homes to raise funds during November and December to fund our concerts and exploits for the rest of the year.  I should have been as thoroughly sick of Christmas music as many of my choral friends, or as those who work in retail, particularly the Santa-copiae. However, I am not. I enjoy the different versions, laughing at the terrible ones and blissing out on the lovely ones.

So, to this Advent. I have over 60 albums, and have decided to listen to at least one album per day. It started well, with a decision to focus on Country artists during the first week. Generally, I don't purchase the compilation albums, preferring to sample all of the song choices made by an artist or their Label. I carry the music with me, and when unable to have my earbuds in place (they always get tangled with my work lanyard for a start) I have the speakers on low, and walk along to my own personal soundtrack!

Today, I have listened to Reba McIntyre's Christmas Collection. 

I enjoyed the somewhat hokey nature of the music, her 'real down home charm' is present throughout, and I keep picturing that she is actually singing to her TV Family, though I am sure that they had nothing to do with it. Still, I hope she was slapping some one along side the head at some point, just to keep it real!

My ear worm for today - Happy Birthday Jesus!