Holiday Music

Down Up Dick

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How many of you have started working on your Christmas/Chanukah. music? I usually start about the tenth. I'm playing my Tuba this afternoon, but maybe later I'll get out the ol' Jumpin' Jim "Ukulele Christmas".

My wife's been buggin' me to play some Christmas CDs, but I haven't yet. We're both kinda Scroogey, but this year we're trying not to be. We're gonna make an effort to have a good time. We have a big family thing on Christmas Eve, but that's about it. I like to go to the mall and hang out, but she doesn't too much.

Anyway, what are you doing about Christmas Music? New Years? :eek:ld:
 
I'm not one for the usual Christmas music you hear at the mall or on radio.
I am a huge admirer and an acquaintance of a musician named Rob Mathes. Rob is an incredible talent who produces, writes and arranges for a number of big time people. He has produced for Sting and also assisted Sting with the Broadway Musical The Last Ship.
Rob does a beautiful Christmas Concert each year at SUNY Purchase. Most of the music is original and written by Rob. It's faith based contemporary. He has all first rate musicians who come perform with him. Will Lee who plays bass in Letterman's band has been playing this show or years.
Last year Vanessa Williams made a surprise appearance at the Saturday show to perform three selections. I went backstage to say hi to Rob and found myself standing right next to her. Classy lady and gorgeous. Rob's first big break in the business was writing arrangements or her.
If you live in the tri state area and really want to hear an incredible musician check out his Christmas Show. He's also a really good guy.
 
I'm not much of a holiday observer, but my annual holiday-music ritual is trying to master the John King arrangement of "Greensleeves" AKA "What Child is This." Five years running and haven't exactly mastered it yet, but it's so satisfying that I see improvement each year. I also find myself playing a lot more classical in general at this time of year, as well as a few holiday songs like "Silent Night" and "Auld Lang Syne" - the melodies are so beautiful.
 
I'm not much of a holiday observer, but my annual holiday-music ritual is trying to master the John King arrangement of "Greensleeves" AKA "What Child is This." Five years running and haven't exactly mastered it yet, but it's so satisfying that I see improvement each year. I also find myself playing a lot more classical in general at this time of year, as well as a few holiday songs like "Silent Night" and "Auld Lang Syne" - the melodies are so beautiful.

Surely though the beauty of that particular arrangement is that in December you can practice "What Child is This?"
The other twelve months ...."Greensleeves" ..... ? Win , win... Yes ....??
 
Surely though the beauty of that particular arrangement is that in December you can practice "What Child is This?"
The other twelve months ...."Greensleeves" ..... ? Win , win... Yes ....??

Yes yes! But for some reason this time of year I play it a lot more. Makes no sense at all since I don't even observe Christmas, but I guess some things just don't make sense.

Don't you get arrested for that ??:biglaugh:

Confession: I laughed out loud :)
 
Yes yes! But for some reason this time of year I play it a lot more. Makes no sense at all since I don't even observe Christmas, but I guess some things just don't make sense.





Confession: I laughed out loud :)

Well I don't make any sense at all .....and ........

Big grin.
 
The CC Strummers did the Culver City Senior Center holiday show yesterday, we've been rehearsing for about 6 weeks. We did a mix of holiday and some completely not holiday songs, but it came off great. There were 58 of us playing and about 200 in the audience.

Jingle Bells
Deck the Halls
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Silver Bells
Hanukkah in Santa Monica
Silent Night
This Little Light
Mele Kalikimaka
Those Were the Days
Felice Navidad
Let's Twist Again
These Boots are Made for Walkin'
Winter Wonderland
Hava Nagila
Happy Clap Along
We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Next is the U-Space uke class participants playing in the Japanese American Cultural Center holiday show Sun. Dec. 21st. Been rehearsing a couple of weeks with Jingle Bells, Mele Kalikimaka, and Silent Night in English, Hawaiian, Japanese and Spanish.

Also received the music packet yesterday for the Los Angeles Music Center Active Arts Ukulele Play-Along Xmas Orchestra this Friday night; Mele Kalikimaka, It's the Most Fun Time of the Year, Good King Wenceslas, O' Here We Come a Caroling.
 
I am working on Aldrine's version of Greensleeves/What Child is This in the UU song library - it will probably take me until Christmas to nail it.
 
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my uke group had a practice already and have a couple concerts lined up, but since it is out of town I can't attend. I spent/saved all my spare money this month. I am an atheist but enjoy the holiday season. I just play the music and don't sing when a song comes up that catches me funny.

I never outgrown greensleeves. Just love that one!
 
We start practicing in early November. Mid November we sneak a few in our regular sets. After Thanksgiving we play them in earnest and play a few from the regular sets to break it up. Dec 26 we stop cause no one wants to hear them and we are usually tired of them. We have 31 or so songs we play and each year we try to add 1 or 2 we can play from memory. We are up to 12 from memory. The rest of them we look at the music. We normally don't do that but with seasonal music it is hard to remember them after not playing them for 10 months. It's kind of fun to revisit them after almost a year, your voice changes and skills change. We have a couple we have changed keys in as our voices got better.
 
The NOTL Ukesters ( twelve of us ) played a long term care residence yesterday afternoon to an audience of about fifty seniors. Lots of old time favourites and Christmas Favourites. A great way to celebrate the season.

Regards,
Bill
 
My niece and I have decided to work on 3 songs we would like to play together on Christmas Eve for the family. Jingle Bell Rock, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, and I Ain't Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas. Neither of us have been playing that long so these are songs we think we can actually learn to play by then from memory.
 
Well, I'm glad to see that some us are playing/singing holiday songs for other people or at least for ourselves. I play them every year on my flutes or on my tuba, but last year I got to sing a little too. The music and all the good food (especially the sweets) are my favorites. The once or twice a year get-togethers with my family are nice too. I don't care much about the tree or the presents or the Santa Claus stuff.

Play some Christmas pieces, sing some carols and eat some cookies! :eek:ld:
 
My niece and I have decided to work on 3 songs we would like to play together on Christmas Eve for the family. Jingle Bell Rock, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, and I Ain't Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas. Neither of us have been playing that long so these are songs we think we can actually learn to play by then from memory.

One trick I learned when trying to play from memory is to record the song one time and listen to it a bunch, helps you recall the words.

It also helps to write the words out on a sheet of paper one time, it reinforces them in your memory.
 
One trick I learned when trying to play from memory is to record the song one time and listen to it a bunch, helps you recall the words.

It also helps to write the words out on a sheet of paper one time, it reinforces them in your memory.

Writing them out helps me ...and putting the chord boxes at the appropriate place as well...........of course .....we may need to explain paper and pen to our younger contributors :p
 
I think this song is great:


This is how I chord it. I think Pat's might be a little different.

All I Want For Christmas Is Another Ukulele
Pat McInnis

[C] All I want for Christmas is a[A7]nother ukulele
In my [D7] Christmas stocking [G7] hanging on the [C] wall.[G7]
[C] Just last year I got a [A7] couple CDs
And some [D7] underwear and that was [G7] all.
Now [C] I've got nothing against [C7] brand new clothes
And [F] I love music as [Cdim] everybody knows,
But [C] all I want for Christmas is a[A7]nother ukulele
In my [D7] Christmas stocking [G7] hanging on the [C] wall.[G7]

When I was a kid I had a Lionel train
That rolled around the floor.
I had a lot of track and I had a lot of cars
But I always wanted more.
Well, now I'm old I've got no trains
But I've got ukuleles on my brains
And all I want for Christmas is another ukulele
In my Christmas stocking hanging on the wall.

Now I've gotta admit I gota lotta ukuleles
And some of them are really neat.
Got a couple of Kamakas, a Martin with a hole
And my pineapple can't be beat,
But who's to say I can't have no more?
Let's go down to the ukulele store
All I want for Christmas is another ukulele
In my Christmas stocking hanging on the wall.

Now some might say I got a lotta ukuleles
And I really don't need no more,
But Ebay calls and I gotta bid,
Can't stop at three or four.
There's another great uke that I find,
Gotta make that ukulele mine
'Cause all I want for Christmas is another ukulele
In my [D7] Christmas stocking [G7] hanging on the [C] wall.[A7]
In my [D7] Christmas stocking [G7] hanging on the [C] wall.

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One trick I learned when trying to play from memory is to record the song one time and listen to it a bunch, helps you recall the words.

It also helps to write the words out on a sheet of paper one time, it reinforces them in your memory.

Yep, I do this and loop them until my ears bleed!
 
I am in three bands, one is an a cappella madrigal group, the Merrie Court Singers http://merriecourtsingers.com (I am the one in the brown and white striped tights). Anyway, in this group we start rehearsing in early September, and by the time we get to Thanksgiving, I am pretty tired to Christmas songs, even before we start performing them. Anyway, lots of practice.
 
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