Advent music?
Yesterday my husband asked me whether I had some seasonal music we could play during dinner. I enquired whether he meant Christmas songs. No, what he wanted was something fitting for advent. Finally I chose Winter from The Four Seasons, but was not completely happy with my choice.
Have you got any recommendations for music that fits advent but is not yet true Christmas music? (I can come up with several hymns to sing in church, but nothing I just want to play as background music during a meal.) Songs would be perfect, as would just instruments. Please help me out!
– Rike Horstmann
I second the Loreena McKennitt album. I also enjoy arrangements of a lot of the Advent hymns we sing in church -“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” (Mannheim Steamroller does a lovely version of this one), “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”. I also enjoy listening to Handel’s “Messiah” this time of year.
Monteverdi’s Vespro della beata vergine always feels like Advent music to me. And it should last you a few meals.
What about “To Drive the Cold Winter Away” by Loreena McKennitt? Or some light Operetta – Franz Lehar always puts me in a festive mood. A medley of Strauss waltzes? Or some lovely, lovely Mozart – perhaps The Magic Flute at this most magic of seasons?
Just some thoughts.
How about The Nutcracker Suite?
Wish I had some for you, but I’m only aware of the Advent hymns we sing at Mass the four Sundays prior to Christmas.