Sunday, December 04, 2011

The Twenty-Four Days of Christmas: Day Three

Music

I have some unconventional (eclectic?) musical tastes.  I like baroque music.  So two of the things that I must listen to during Advent are Handel's Messiah and The Magnificat by Giovanni Pergolesi (or Francesco Durante...they have a hard time deciding who really wrote this one).  A lot of people do not care for the Magnificat, partly because it is often done in Latin.  I sang this in college, so it has fond memories for me.   

 

Each year in the Birmingham area we receive a special gift from our local Civic Chorale.  They perform Handel's Messiah free of charge on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  This tradition started over sixty years ago, and the daughter of the man who began this tradition is continuing it and conducting and coaching the entire thing.  They are an amateur group with no auditions required and do it for the love of the music.  Standing ovation, Alabama Civic Chorale!  

But I don't just love classical music.  Who can help listening to classics like Mannheim Steamroller?


And of course there is Transiberian Orchestra.  Yes, the one who loves baroque and singing in Latin was rockin' out at a TSO live concert a couple of years ago!  This one is my favorite; I think the kittens add a nice touch.


What are your "must-listen-to" pieces?






1 comment:

Tracy Lingle said...

My all time favorite Christmas song is O' Holy Night. It brings tears to my eyes every time. I have no clue why. My sister can sing it without music and it takes my breath away.

Of course my kid type favorite is "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth"