Xmas listening now sorted

[Audio Al]

Well thats me sorted for Xmas day :lol:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/bigboobs/IMG_2075.jpg

:lol::lol:

[Wakefield Turntables]

Yeah good luck with that one.

[RichB]

new law, effective today... any use of the word 'Christmas' must be preceded by the word 'F**king'.... so of those classic songs you'd have.

'Thank God its f**king Christmas'

'I wish it could be f**king Christmas every day'

'Last f**king Christmas I gave you my heart'

'Have yourself a merry f**king Christmas'

'Rocking around the f**king Christmas tree'

Even with this new law in effect, I'd still rather shove wasps up my arse than listen to that album.

[Audio Al]

new law, effective today... any use of the word 'Christmas' must be preceded by the word 'F**king'.... so of those classic songs you'd have.

'Thank God its f**king Christmas'

'I wish it could be f**king Christmas every day'

'Last f**king Christmas I gave you my heart'

All the same, I'd rather shove wasps up my arse than listen to that.

I see you are getting in the F--cking Christmas spirit :lol::lol:

[Macca]

I prefer to use 'bastard Christmas' myself, as in 'White bastard Christmas' or the 1985 Gary Glitter hit 'Rock n Roll bastard Christmas'.

Then after Christmas you have Bastard January. Things don't really start picking up until the clocks go forward at the end of bastard March...

[Tim]

Didn't you guys get the email.....? Christmas is cancelled this year and for the foreseeable future as Santa had a nasty accident.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w63/greatgig/141269_Santa-is-DEAD_400.jpg

[Marco]

:lolsign:

Marco.

[Marco]

We tend to play a lot of choral music and Welsh male voice choirs, singing carols, as background music during lunch on Christmas day, and especially afterwards.

It lends itself to the cosy Christmassy atmosphere we create in our old lodge, where the room is usually quite dark, lit only by candlelight, the warm glow of the log fire, and the sparkly lights of the Christmas tree (adorned with vintage decorations)...

Then something such as Handel's Messiah will create the required serenity and lull us into a comforting relaxation, as we snuggle down in front of the log fire, crack open the vintage port and munch some home-made mince pies.

Yum, yum - I can hardly wait, and let's hope it snows! I LURVES Christmas... :christmas:

Marco.

[tannoyman]

If you like Messiah do try the 1959 Malcolm Sargent (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic) recording originally on Columbia. It's fabulous even after 53 years. You can't beat a good large scale performance of this work imho. Sargent also writes a very good essay on the sleeve demolishing advocates of period performance.

I shall do as I usually do and go to Kings College Cambridge on Christmas Eve for the Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols (queuing from 0530hrs in the morning Hip flask in pocket!!) I meet nice people from all over the world and get superb music free. What could be better.

Kind regards

David :):)




We tend to play a lot of choral music and Welsh male voice choirs, singing carols, as background music during lunch on Christmas day, and especially afterwards.

It lends itself to the cosy Christmassy atmosphere we create in our old lodge, where the room is usually quite dark, lit only by candlelight, the warm glow of the log fire, and the sparkly lights of the Christmas tree...

Then something such as Handel's Messiah will create the required serenity and lull us into a comforting relaxation, as we snuggle down in front of the fire, crack open the vintage port and munch some home-made mince pies.

Yum, yum - I can hardly wait! I LURVES Christmas... :christmas:

Marco.

[Marco]

If you like Messiah do try the 1959 Malcolm Sargent (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic) recording originally on Columbia. It's fabulous even after 53 years. You can't beat a good large scale performance of this work imho. Sargent also writes a very good essay on the sleeve demolishing advocates of period performance.


Noted, David. I may well have it on vinyl! :)


I shall do as I usually do and go to Kings College Cambridge on Christmas Eve for the Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols (queuing from 0530hrs in the morning Hip flask in pocket!!) I meet nice people from all over the world and get superb music free. What could be better.


I like it - sounds like a great plan... However, as practising Catholics, we're usually at midnight mass in the local cathedral.

Marco.

[chelsea]

We tend to play a lot of choral music and Welsh male voice choirs, singing carols, as background music during lunch on Christmas day, and especially afterwards.

It lends itself to the cosy Christmassy atmosphere we create in our old lodge, where the room is usually quite dark, lit only by candlelight, the warm glow of the log fire, and the sparkly lights of the Christmas tree (adorned with vintage decorations)...

Then something such as Handel's Messiah will create the required serenity and lull us into a comforting relaxation, as we snuggle down in front of the log fire, crack open the vintage port and munch some home-made mince pies.

Yum, yum - I can hardly wait, and let's hope it snows! I LURVES Christmas... :christmas:


Marco.


Sounds perfect..will be there around 10ish.:)

[Marco]

No problem, sir. We'll send the chauffeur down to collect you :)

Marco.

[Tim]

Welsh male voice choirs
Sounds wonderful Marco, I once organised a concert performed by Côr Meibion Llanelli, what a glorious night that was.

I'll bring the mince pies by at around 11.00, Stu should have gone by then :cool:

[chelsea]

Will only be leaving after a minimum of 4 mince pies loaded with clotted cream.

[RichB]

I actually like f**king Christmas, time off work, getting pished with friends, a nice dinner and an opprtunity to wind up the mother in law with impunity. What could be better...

The rest of it... f**king Christmas TV, f**king Christmas shopping and stupid f**king Christmas parties can all be damned.

Am i alone in loving January, when its all over and done with...? At no point in the year will f**king Christmas be further away, shops are quiet, theres usually bargains in the sales, restaurants and bars are always grateful for your custom in these slow months and the food/service seems better. Mrs B and I always go out for a nice meal or two in January. As a gardener I start planning the veg plots for the year ahead and its only a short few months until the daffodils appear. Also having not spent all of our money on f**king Christmas presents we usually find ourselves a bit flush in January and able to enjoy life when everyone else is skint and fed up. We always book our holiday in Jan for this reason.

After the month of December I get my city back from all the 'Erics' and 'Sharons', my nickname for the poor sods who only get off the leash once a year for the office f**king Christmas party and end up making a mess of the place. Sweet relief that January is, the most underated month in the calendar.

[Marco]

Will only be leaving after a minimum of 4 mince pies loaded with clotted cream.

Shame, I had you down for six. I'll give the other two to the cat...

Marco.

[Marco]

Hi Rich,


Am i alone in loving January, when its all over and done with...? At no point in the year will f**king Christmas be further away, shops are quiet, theres usually bargains in the sales, restaurants and bars are always grateful for your custom in these slow months and the food/service seems better. Mrs B and I always go out for a nice meal or two in January.


Yup, I can relate to that, although I'm always sad to take the Crimbo tree down and all the deccies...

It also tends to snow in January (never on Xmas day anymore, more's the pity), and working from home, I take a perverse satisfaction watching on TV all the roads being blocked by snow, creating massive traffic jams, as I'm safely tucked up, nice and warm, in front of the fire.... :eyebrows:

Marco.

[Alex_UK]

Christmas f**king rocks. Commercialising it is what sucks. Time we reclaimed it from the crass marketeers, and even if you are not religious, use the time to enjoy your family or friends, with goodwill to all. I can't wait - I'm hoping top take 2 weeks off this year, spoil the kids (with time and attention, not presents and materialism) and have a thoroughly good time. :)

[UV101]

Got mine sorted too!!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Smurfs-Smurfs-Christmas-Party-/290735710490

Christmas is always stressful for me. I've had 7 years of it not being my turn to have my kids at f***ing Christmas.
My eldest little angel is 16 next week so I guess all the magic of having your own young kids around Christmas Day is done for me.

Having said that, I always make the best of it. Good friends & family..... Great company is the key.

I have to confess, I have several f***ing Christmas albums, and they all get played every year :D

[tannoyman]

Hi Marco

You probably already know this music but if not I would commend Victor Hely-Hutchinson - Carol Symphony (on Naxos) It could be the best fiver you spend this Christmas

http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Carol-Symphony-Victor-Hely-Hutchinson/dp/B00006RHPV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354447074&sr=8-1

This record is an absolute gem for Christmas listening. The title piece terrific but the Improvisations on Christmas Carols by Bryan Kelly is a beauty. It's what I call smiley music

David :):)

[Marco]

Hi David,

Nice one - the album cover alone sold me on it, as the scene depicts almost exactly what our house looks like inside on Christmas Day (although I'm a little younger than the chap asleep in the chair, haha, but usually no less 'zonked' after being stuffed with roast goose and numerous glasses of claret)! ;)

Ordered :)

Marco.

[walpurgis]

I like seeing the kiddies (grandchildren) enjoying themselves at Christmas and on birthdays, etc., but the whole Christmas hype thing drives me up the wall.

The shops have had Christmas displays since the end of July. Why? It's pathetic!

I don't like being 'jollied' along for any kind of occasion, but maybe that's just me.

[tannoyman]

Hi David,

Nice one - the album cover alone sold me on it, as the scene depicts almost exactly what our house looks like inside on Christmas Day (although I'm a little younger than the chap asleep in the chair, haha, but usually no less 'zonked' after being stuffed with roast goose and numerous glasses of claret)! ;)

Ordered :)

Marco.

Hi Marco

Let me know if you like it. I am listening to it as I write (and smiling)

Kind regards

David

[Rare Bird]

To be honest ive booked to work all christmas. I think i'm gonna torture everyone with none stop ELP Christmas :eyebrows:

[Roy S]

Don't forget Greg Lake's seasonal offering Andre

RXCEdrnaFlY

[Marco]

Willl do, David!


I like seeing the kiddies (grandchildren) enjoying themselves at Christmas and on birthdays, etc., but the whole Christmas hype thing drives me up the wall.

The shops have had Christmas displays since the end of July. Why? It's pathetic!

I don't like being 'jollied' along for any kind of occasion, but maybe that's just me


Geoff, it's not the commercial side of Christmas we like (that pisses us off too, trust me), but the comforting and serene 'vibe' that Christmas time and the festive season creates, for us anyway (and here I'm talking about Christmas Eve onwards), especially if it snows outside - we LOVE snow!

We live in an old lodge house, dating back to 1887, full of oak beams and bric-a-brac, and the lounge has a quaint inglenook fireplace, so as I've mentioned before, there's nothing nicer than when the house is beautifully decorated for Christmas, with our antique glass bawbles on the real (none of yer artificial shite) Christmas tree, and vintage decorations, twinkling in the glow from the log fire in a gently candlelit room.

It's so cosy and warm....and especially nice, when you're listening to great music, whilst consuming some superb food and drink, either when it's just my wife and I (we're off work for two whole weeks then) and the cats, or when we have my parents round (we are a very close family), or friends. We decorate the dining table with lovely fresh flowers, candles and home-made decorations, and get out all the 'finery' (silver wine goblets and stuff), which is largely unused throughout the rest of the year, and the whole atmosphere is fantastic, magical, and totally different from how it is at any other time of the year, which is what makes it so special.

Also, as practicing Catholics, there is the religious side too, and nothing's nicer than going to our local (old and historical) cathedral for midnight mass on Christmas Eve, where it's all beautifully decorated inside, dark and candlelit, and where the choir is singling carols and everyone is happy and contented, there's an excitement in the air, and the sense of the community all coming together is fantastic. Then afterwards, it's a brisk 10-min walk home, in the crisp winter air, watching the stars twinkling in the sky and the glow of Christmas trees in windows of houses, illuminating the night sky, as we pass by on our way home (looking forward to what the next day brings), where the log fire awaits us, and some vintage port and home-made mince pies to warm us up!!

*That* is why we love Christmas! :)


http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/3193/img0112lt.jpg (http://img593.imageshack.us/i/img0112lt.jpg/)


Mitze and Abella enjoying the log fire and our Celestions!


Our humble abode:


http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/6434/img0137zk.jpg (http://img18.imageshack.us/i/img0137zk.jpg/)


Marco.

[Rare Bird]

Marco
That song is said to be against commercial side of Christmas.. Also a lot seem to think it's an Anti-religous song, it's not.All the same it's post '73, not prog & not my cuppa.

To be honest i'm in no way a religous person nor do i see the excitement of christmas like i did when i was a kid, there's just nothing there for me anymore, no kids at home, working thru the season hence no need to trim up, no need to buy in heaps of food & drink.. may aswell be a normal week for me. I do get sick & tired of the money money money driven side of it, even the family members are at it :steam:

Next year it all changes with that lot, they get nothing from me at all because whether i spend a tenner or a thousand pounds on a gift they will still moan. :steam:

ps: I understand you because you remind me of my parents with the old fashioned christmas decorations, oak beams etc etc...

[Marco]

That song is said to be against commercial side of Christmas.. Also a lot seem to think it's an Anti-religous song, it's not.All the same it's post '73, not prog & not my cuppa.


What song are we talking about, dude?


To be honest i'm in no way a religous person nor do i see the excitement of christmas like i did when i was a kid, there's just nothing there for me anymore, no kids at home, working thru the season hence no need to trim up, no need to buy in heaps of food & drink.. may aswell be a normal week for me. I do get sick & tired of the money money money driven side of it, even the family members are at it :steam:


I totally understand that, and if it were the same for me, I'd probably feel the same. When I worked full time in retail, up in Scotland, I use to have to work Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and on New Year's day - what a pisser that was! Now, it's great and you can totally stuff yourself, get pished, mong out and worry not about having to get up early the next day for work!

Luckily, I get on very well with my parents, and we have a really close relationship (rarely are there any fall-outs), and Del gets on great with them too, so having them living 5 mins away now (so we can look after them), rather than them being miles away, up in Glasgow as they had been until recently, is perfect for all of us! Especially, as my mum is an awesome cook (old mama Italian thing), and so we go over to my parent's place on Christmas day and have a slap up meal and open all the presents and stuff, which is great, and then we invite them over to ours, to do the same thing, at New Year (as Del is a fab cool, too) :cool:

Also, both Del and I are only childen, so there's no 'annoying' brothers or sisters, or any other bugger, to consider! ;)


ps: I understand you because you remind me of my parents with the old fashioned christmas decorations, oak beams etc etc...

Yup - we keep it ultra-traditional and block out the horrible 21st century commerciality as much as possible. Of course, the magic isn't quite the same as it was when I was a kid, but we try to make Christmas as special and as personal as possible, especially as Del loves it even more than me - she's like a kid at heart, so I always try and spoil her (especially as she works so hard, and for many hours, in her job as a college lecturer)! :)

Marco.

[Marco]

Hi Marco

Let me know if you like it. I am listening to it as I write (and smiling)

Kind regards

David

Hi David,

The CD has just arrived and it's excellent, so thanks a lot for the recommendation - nice one! :cool:

Marco.