Sunday, December 6, 2009

December Stories and Songs, Part 5

I was feeling punk today (maybe it was the Punk Rock Advent Calendar?) and then we went out to see a community theater production tonight, driving home through fast-falling snow. So this posting is a bit late, and will be short, but I highly recommend the story and the song.

a yuletide universe O Come, Little Children, by Chet Williamson, was apparently considered a ghost story by at least one publisher. I read it in A Yuletide Universe: Sixteen Fantastical Tales. I’ll leave it to you to decide – fantastical? Miraculous? It’s a story about a child who believes, but not really a story for children. You can read it here.

old sailor's christmas For a song to go with this story, I chose one from a recording I bought at a local craft fair from the artist. Jimmy Barnes is a Maine singer-songwriter in the “country-eastern” style and some of the songs on his Christmas album include “Grandma’s Woodstove,” “Ribbon Candy,” and “Lobstah for Santa.” But along with the nostalgia and humor there are a couple of serious songs on the album and one of them is “Would You Let Him In.” “…would you say “We’re busy – could you call again? If Jesus knocked on Christmas Eve, would you let him in?” It’s not an original idea for a song or tale, but Barnes does a good job with it. On his website, you can listen to small samples of the songs, and you can order this CD or his other non-seasonal ones, and support a Maine artist.

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