Two and a half hours, but don’t let that scare you. It’s gorgeous, one of the most polished performances I’ve ever seen. You may want it playing in the background all day ..read more

From 2022 ..read more

This is the season that calls out for handbells. Here are some wonderful performances. Carol of the Bells, Bethel University Handbell Ensemble: Marche from the Nutcracker Suite, Raleigh Ringers: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Daejeon Handbell Choir, South Korea: Silent Night, Andrea Feist: A Christmas Medley (Hark, the Herald Angels; The First Noel; Away in a Manger; Angels from the Realms of Glory; What Child Is This; O Come All Ye Faithful; all played by a soloist identified only as Mary; also, Good King Wenceslas occurs in the piano accompaniment): Hallelujah Chorus, Forté Handbell Quart ..read more

This is a Christmas playlist from the wonderful Petersen family musicians. There are 20 videos in this playlist; they should play one after another. I hope you will come back and enjoy them all weekend ..read more

The Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago used to give way books to children at Christmas. In 1939, a catalog writer for Montgomery Ward named Robert L. May came up with an idea for a new book and wrote the story of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Montgomery Ward gave away two million copies, which were a great hit with kids, teachers, and store managers. In 1948, May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, wrote a song based on the book. He offered it to Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, who both passed on it. But Gene Autry recorded it, and it became a huge hit for him. Here is Autry p ..read more

From 2018 ..read more

One of the activities I’ve missed since the beginning of the pandemic is playing in the handbell choir in church. They started up again in September of 2021, but I opted out until September of this year. Here is the Desert Cross Lutheran Church Ringing Praise playing “Angels We Have Heard on High” in 2017. And here is “To the World Joy” in 2018: I discovered a wonderful virtual handbell concert recorded in 2020. The program includes: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus O Come, O Come Immanuel (not a separate piece, but woven into a couple of arrangements) Ding Dong Merrily on High Angels We Have ..read more

For your listening pleasure, here are some best ever performances of some best ever Christmas music. I was introduced to Handel’s Messiah when I was in high school. It was a tradition for our premier chorus, the Tower Singers, to sing the Hallelujah Chorus, along with all chorus alumnae, at the annual winter holiday concert. I go to live performances of Messiah whenever I can. (But not this year. Maybe next year) Another favorite for Christmas is The Nutcracker Ballet. We went as a family several times when our children were young. When I attended Duquesne University, our Music School Chorus ..read more

This article appeared last year on ARHtistic License. ARHtistic License You know those $5 bins of CDs they have at Walmart? I always take a peek in the Christmas bin in case there’s a gem in there I don’t have yet. This year I treated myself to Sarah McLachlin’s The Classic Christmas Album, and I am obsessed with it. I’ve listened to it every day since mid-November. It is so good, and it is not your typical Christmas album, though there are many classics on it. It’s her more unusual choices that blow me away. Her version of Prayer of St. Francis moves me to tears, as does her rendition ..read more

One of the things I miss most during this pandemic is the opportunity to play in my church’s handbell choir, Ringing Praise. I love the camaraderie with my fellow ringers (they are the nicest people). The sound of bells lifts my heart, especially at Christmastime. I’ve put together a little virtual concert of Christmas music. (And if this is not enough for you, you can listen to a handbell post I put together previously.) Joy to the World: Solo: Angels We Have Heard on High: Coventry Carol: All I Want For Christmas Is You: Sing We Now of Christmas: Christmas Fanfare: Fum, Fum, Fum: A Mi ..read more