Christmas Music

Christmas music is one of the most cherished elements of the season. Name any other day or season on the calendar that celebrates with music. Nothing matches Christmas in its celebration through song. Those traditions date back hundreds of years long before the advent of modern recording technology. Like all things associated with the season Christmas music dovetails with history and tradition that makes celebrating Christmas a rich and satisfying part of our lives. We approach holiday music in two ways here at My Merry Christmas: in the features of this section and in the Merry Podcast — where Christmas music isn’t just explained it is shared. And because it continually evolves and expands we also explore new releases coming out every holiday season.

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Vocal Point Christmas Album Due Soon

Vocal Point, the BYU men's group that has enjoyed so much success these past several years, has a new Christmas album coming October 9th. Those unfamiliar with Vocal Point are in for a treat. "Vocal Point's mission statement is 'to enlighten…
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Joe Bonamassa Has a Lonesome Christmas

Love the blues? You'll love this on day #130 of the Countdown to Christmas as Joe Bonamassa tells us about his Lonesome Christmas:
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Christmas Hallelujah

By request we re-post this Cloverton version of Hallelujah -- a Christmas Hallelujah. This song is very well known but this moving version burst on the scene last year to wide acclaim: Leonard Cohen's 1984 tune has been covered by the…
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Mannheim Steamroller Christmas

Quick trivia question: what group has sold more Christmas albums than any other in the past 30 years? That would be Mannheim Steamroller, that improbable group of classic rock/classical/baroque combo that makes music like no other. Steamroller…
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History of Where Are You Christmas

Mariah Carey was denied a 2nd smash hit of Christmas back in 2000 all because of her marital woes. Today is August 14th, 2015 and there remains just 133 days in our Countdown to Christmas and today we mark it by declaring it Where Are You…
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LeAnn Rimes Announces Christmas Album and Tour

LeAnn Rimes has officially named her new Christmas album Today is Christmas and has announced a new tour to support it to launch December 4th, 2015. “I wait for Christmas all year long; it’s my absolute favorite holiday;” Rimes says…
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Glen Campbell’s Christmas Variety Shows Coming to DVD

Two Christmas specials of the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour Variety Show dating from the 1970s will be made available on DVD this fall. The shows originally aired in December 1969 and December 1970, and featured a mix of sketches and musical…
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Blake and Miranda Go Home for Christmas

One of last year's biggest Christmas television specials was Blake Shelton's Not-So-Family Christmas. It was seen by millions but who knew then what we know now of the soap opera that has become Blake and Miranda? On day #135 of the Countdown…
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Rumors Swirl of a Katy Perry Christmas Album

Katy Perry did more this week to advance the swirling rumors of a soon-to-be-released Christmas album by remarking on Instagram “When your derp squad writes a Christmas song in August ???.” -- all underneath a festively decked photo of mysterious…
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Christmas with a Chapman Stick

A friend on Facebook shared a video of a musician playing something called a Chapman Stick. I'm no musical dummy but I had never heard or seen anything like a Chapman stick before. As I watched the video I naturally wondered if any Christmas…
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Sam Smith Has a Merry Little Christmas

At 138 days in the Countdown to Christmas we take a listen today to crooner Sam Smith -- we still call them that, right? Crooners? -- well, he's crooning here and doing it well in a popular video from last December: It is funny how a…
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Danny Gokey to Release a Christmas Album

American Idol alum Danny Gokey is following up a successful 2014 album release with a new project, reported to be a Christmas album to release in time for Christmas 2015. Gokey has released just one Christmas tune, 2010's Tennessee Christmas,…
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Mariah Carey Making Christmas Movie for Hallmark

As we reported earlier this year Mariah Carey is hoping to revitalize her career with another shot at Christmas. Hallmark confirms today that she will do it with song both in front and behind the camera. Carey will direct Mariah Carey's Christmas…
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Brian Setzer Orchestra Announces New Christmas Album

For the first time in 10 years the Brian Setzer Orchestra will record a new studio album -- and it's all Christmas. Rockin' Rudolph will release on October 16, 2015 supported by a major concert tour, the "12th Annual Christmas Rocks! Tour,"…
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A Message of Peace on Earth — from Mexico

The below video of Christmas cheer comes to us via Homar Sanchez Diaz, director of what he calls a "virtual choir" named Vuela Alto from the Colegio Sembradores de Amistad junior high in the State of San Luis Potosí in Mexico. This is not a…