A Brand-New Christmas Song
Music seems to always be playing through the halls here at The House of Edward. Both Edward and Apple have grown up with music all around them, following The Songwriter to his studio often and listening to our classical radio station whenever we are out - a fact that, I am convinced, plays no small part in the cultivation of their calm and genial demeanours.
I often think that everyone’s life has a soundtrack - music that we instinctively reach for whenever we’re happy, or blue - music that seems in a strange way to define us, at least in part. I see the face of a good, old friend whenever I hear the strains of a Sergio Mendes tune on the radio. And every single Beatles song reminds me of The Songwriter. Certain songs can immediately spirit us away to a favourite spot, unique in our memory. Others can call to mind a person we’ve perhaps not seen in years.
I wholeheartedly believe in the magical power of music to set the perfect mood for any occasion. If you think about it, I would bet that the songs you choose to listen by the seaside are not the same ones you opt for in a snow-covered ski lodge. For myself, every summer dinner party always benefits from the sounds of Astrid Gilberto drifting past a breezy window. I always clean out closets each season to Billie Holiday. There’s something about her mournful tone that fits the task nicely without becoming tiresome. I can’t tell you how many outfits I’ve tried on - standing in front of the mirror, assessing whether this skirt or that jacket stays or goes - whilst Billie sings Moonlight in Vermont in the background. She makes the task much more than bearable.
This year I cooked the Thanksgiving meal to the accompaniment of Bach’s Brandenberg Concertos No. 3 and No. 5, along with a sprinkling of John Prine, and I cannot imagine waltzing through the Christmas season without a bit of Perry Como or Johnny Mathis to make my steps a bit lighter.
These past few days I’ve been enjoying a beautiful new recording of Gabriel Faure’s Requiem op. 48, sent to me by a dear blogging friend who resides in the French countryside. It, along with Edward and a hot cup of Horlicks, has been the perfect companion on these bone-chilling nights.
And just this week, The Songwriter released a brand-new Christmas song that, I have to say, is really lovely. It’s destined to become a part of our holiday soundtrack here and it might perhaps become part of yours as well.
You can download it HERE,and it’s also on iTunes.
Happy Listening.
Happy Christmas.
