Our Friday Five for this week relates to the music of the Season...ReverendMother wants to know...

1. A favorite 'secular' Christmas song.

From those that are well known: "The Christmas Song"
(Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

Those that aren't: "A Wish"
(the signature holiday song for the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus)

Here's a wish for everyone,
Tis the way of humankind
As we face the coming of the dawn
In the darkness of the longest night.

May you always have a place to stay
May there be a fire to keep you warm
May your friends ever be with you
In the darkness of the longest night

May you always have a song to sing
May there always be a tale to tell
May the light ever comfort you
In the darkness of the longest night

Solstice, Winter, Christmas,
Hanukkah, New Year, Solstice,
Mem'ries, Dream, Sleep

2. Christmas song that chokes you up (maybe even in spite of yourself--the cheesier the better)

"Hard Candy Christmas" by Dolly Parton
"O Holy Night" when done simply

3. Christmas song that makes you want to stuff your ears with chestnuts roasted on an open fire.

Secular: "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"
Religious: "O Holy Night" (when it is oversung)

4. The Twelve Days of Christmas: is there *any* redeeming value to that song? Discuss.

It makes for great parodies...that's about it.
I've done lawfirm and church related parodies of these lyrics...too easy actually.

5. A favorite Christmas album
This is hard. I love Barbra, but she gets disqualified for basically being a hired voice. The new Bette Midler one is fun, but she gets disqualified for choosing a name that is the same as the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus' first holiday CD. (Our second one, a live recording, is out now--"Favorite Things" and I'm on it! Pick one up at www.cgmc.org) I'll disqualify the chorus, since that would be self-serving.

I'll have to divide this up:

Choral: (A Tie) "Sing We Christmas" and "Christmas with Chanticleer" by Chanticleer

All traditional: "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole

New era: "When My Heart Finds Christmas" by Harry Connick, Jr.

Just remember, don't sing any Christmas songs in church til the 25h (unless it's in a service of Lessons and Carols)...or the Advent liturgical police will get you. (I'm a deputy.)