Reply #89: That's the spirit! (literally)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

Fortunately, my church choir does mostly Renaissance and European traditional music, along with some works from the English cathedral hit parade for Advent and Christmas.

Another great option, especially as background music for a dinner party, is brass music from that same period from composers such as Gabrieli and Monteverdi.

Since I don't listen to any non-public radio and don't spend a lot of time in stores between Thanksgiving and Christmas (or at any other time of the year), I have been spared the "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" crap.

However, looking through catalogues of CDs, I wonder why every famous singer from Bing Crosby to the present day seems to have been compelled to record a Christmas album featuring all the same damn songs.