h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Christmas season is upon us. That means, for many, the season for listening to more music than usual. Special kinds of music that evoke the space/time for us. (I don't use the word 'evoke' lightly, but here it is appropriate.)

Judging by what I hear on 'Christian' radio stations and in the mall, most of my fellow Americans find 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' evocative of the season. Which only proves what I suspected all along: We are living in different universes, they and I. Since they own almost all the bandwidth, I'm going to stake out my tiny corner here and offer a little concert of my own, courtesy of Youtube. Be warned: When I think of Christmas, I DON'T think of 'Jingle Bell Rock' or 'Merry Christmas, Baby'. I'm so retrograde, I even hate 'Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire' and 'I'll Be Home for Christmas'.

Here are some favourites of mine:

For the reason for the season: 'Veni Emmanuel': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjUHjJ_frtg

For the original story, 'Child in a Manger': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgfmspwl3wc&feature=related

For another view, 'A Spaceman Came Travelling': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0q5EEm6iHA (Don't you just love Gregorian chant and Chris de Burgh together?)

For a bit of old-time Christmas feeling, 'Masters in This Hall': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN5OXyok4cE

Just because: Some William Billings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjg6p4y0qXc

Just for fun, a new take on the 'Hallelujah Chorus' (take that, you noisy Gregorian-chanting monks): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU&feature=related

Perhaps counterintuitively, Christmas for me is about that homesickness for the place we've never been before, so I'll end with 'I Vow to Thee, My Country':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTogpa6xnU4

Whatever your carolling or listening preferences, I wish you the joy of the season. May the sounds you love awaken memories, bring insights, and stir hope for a better future.

Kalo Christougenna and Craciun fericit,

DG

Just listening to your suggestions. Wonderful, thanks for sharing.

"Perhaps counterintuitively, Christmas for me is about that homesickness for the place we've never been before"

Nice line - who did you steal it from?

Someone's been threatening for two days to send me every Christmas song Elvis ever sung, so it's nice to see he's absent from your list.

I was born in Memphis. I am very disloyal, and do not worship The King. (To us, he was just that truck driver kid from Tupelo who couldn't sing as well as Johnny Cash...)

But since you've mentioned the subject of Fernweh, and I *know* you get this sort of music over in NI, too, here's the definitive Fernwehlied, 'Beulah Land', as performed on the alien planet of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - a resort area which abounds in uplifting stage performances....:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O45EpSYJbHk&feature=related

(Remember, this is an alien planet. Big Hair Alert...)

That was wicked.

Please don't say we have that kind of music in NI. It's like death. Everyone knows it exists, but we go through life trying to avoid it!

I know what you mean.

It sounded tinned. Oh, and I only listened, didn't watch it. Did they have big hair?

There was a certain amount of hairspray involved, yes.

Old joke: You know you may be a redneck...if your girlfriend's hairstyle was ever ruined by a ceiling fan.

Sorry, I don't get that one.

Awww, I like rednecks. They get a lot of unfair stick heaped upon 'em.

I got it the moment had hit 'post message'. The Groschen dropped pennywise, as we'd say here.

Perhaps if I find an illustration, Bel...of 'big hair'...

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://momgrind.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/big-hair.JPG&imgrefurl=http://momgrind.com/2008/09/07/you-read-womens-magazines-ill-give-you-ten-reasons-to-stop/&usg=__sGxLIVkQuYOFQMMOyRMtIBXX5FE=&h=365&w=300&sz=18&hl=en&start=39&zoom=1&tbnid=OLTrfyHYCUX6VM:&tbnh=132&tbnw=112&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbig%2Bhair%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1436%26bih%3D699%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=407&ei=Rt4MTdTRKMO78gbl6sSbDg&oei=Nd4MTeW1M4K88ga_mPXIDQ&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=39&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:39&tx=69&ty=104

And a ceiling fan:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ceiling-fans-info-source.com/images/ceiling%2520fan%2520picture2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ceiling-fans-info-source.com/&usg=__jK4oRm7wFzYOdpSpDEoSBcdbqkw=&h=361&w=450&sz=135&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=5R5PqAqzPBOdFM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=168&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dceiling%2Bfan%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1436%26bih%3D699%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=766&ei=e94MTa23F8qr8AaIooHZDQ&oei=e94MTa23F8qr8AaIooHZDQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0&tx=98&ty=54

And a redneck:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/kits/images/CarRevell/revell-billycarter.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.city-data.com/forum/automotive/724154-redneck-thread-all-topics-redneck-mechanical-26.html&usg=__pvMkEx1CJbZq6Ikg7R15Ch_CJS0=&h=382&w=528&sz=25&hl=en&start=32&zoom=1&tbnid=0kiS7dfEjVIbMM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=160&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dredneck%2Bpickup%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1436%26bih%3D699%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=531&ei=B98MTZyoEsL98AaI4ZDvDQ&oei=594MTf26GYO88gavr73bDQ&esq=2&page=2&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:26,s:32&tx=96&ty=64

(Brother of former president)

Careful there, next thing you'll know is that it is now offensive to mention ceiling fans.

But you can mention rednecks ?

Anyways Dmitri I enjoyed the music links!

We had big hair here in South Africa back in the 1960's and 1970's. I've a few old photos of my mom like that!

And ... us Afrikaners here call all English people 'rooinekke' (rednecks).

Only in winter. All the ceiling fans are off now - including the one in the hallway.

But criticising Big Hair and rednecks might be offensive...

Come to think of it, why isn't the word 'redneck' on the list along with them stripedy cats?

Pale, freckled, uneducated guys with pickup trucks can get dissed, and nobody lifts a finger...this must be remedied...

Campaign to add 'redneck' to the profanity filter...

You DO, Willem? That's just precious.

Well, I chose ceiling fan because it's a perfectly innocent word which should be moderated by the filter.

For Bel's sake I shall not mention what we call the Germans!

I'd never have the right to call anyone a redneck. When I was working in the US I had a farmer's tan that would have put Tom Joad to shame.