Christmas music

Yesterday the S.O. and I went to a Christmas concert with a combined US Navy and JMSDF band playing songs for the holiday. It was quite good and a good compensation to the fact that I was unable to play golf. They played an adaptation of one of my favorite hymns-Emmanuel. "O ransom captive Israel..........."

Religious or not, you have to admit Christmas produces some good music. I love putting Christmas Carols on the DVD player while moving around the kitchen making dinner. ( Speaking of dinner I do have another food post coming your way.......).
Its been interesting to learn some of the carols in Japanese and since I studied German in college I know a few in that language too. I can now sing Silent Night and O come all yea faithful in 3 different languages. That knowledge and S$3.40 will buy you a mug of Starbucks coffee. (Small size of course!).

The band played some neat things. They had March of the Toy Soldiers which is another of my favorites. During my college years, we used to have one parade in December before exams would begin. The Band Company would always play it and we all got a big kick out of it. It's not a song you can march too very well though.

Speaking of my alma mater, they also used to have a church service with candles and Christmas music that was one of the highlights of the year for me. You can click here to download some of the music in an MP3 format.



As an aside, I was married to my ex in front of that very altar and flags. If I had known what I know now, then, I would have turned around and run like hell.........

But I digress.

Christmas is also the time of year for TV specials something else I am a sucker for. Last year I got to watch something unique. On NHK they had "Rudoplh the Red Nose Reindeer" animation special. Its the original from 1965 dubbed in Japanese. I watched it as good Japanese listening practice, plus I did not have to struggle with the translation so much, since I have seen this show probably 30+ times in my life. Nonetheless, some of the Japanese interpretations were interesting. For example, the song "We are Santa's Elves" was translated as 私たちは サーンターサンの好きな人。( "We are the people Santa likes" ). "Bumbles bounce" was translated as "Bumble jump!" . Not quite the same, methinks.

Here is a list of my favorite shows- I suspect some of them have made their way to where many of you live-even down to Australia. Then again maybe not.

Its a Wonderful Life
A Christmas Story
White Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The Grinch who Stole Christmas ( Cartoon version, not the crass movie ripoff!)
Rudolph
Miracle on 34th Street ( the original B&W version, although the remake is not too bad.......this movie is also known as the story of my sex life!)
Donovan's Reef (Don't ask me why this is here, I just like it!)
Holiday Inn

Which one is the best? That's easy. A Christmas Story is without a doubt my favorite Christmas movie. The story is well told, tastefully done, genuinely funny, and original. While most folks focus on the "BB gun" piece of the story, for me it is the description of the boy's father: "My old man was the connoisseur of using the "F" word"; " Over the years I got taste many kinds of soap in my mouth, I found Palmolive to be the best...." .

They don't write stuff like that anymore. I sure wish they did..............

When one starts waxing poetic about TV its time to close. I will leave you with one more shot of the chapel and the advice it gave every one of us cadets every day walking past........



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