Holiday Gem 12

To round this series off with a decent total (12 not 11)

12. 2000 miles by The pretenders. I like the Pretenders in general (even though Chrissie Hind can't quite sing in tune) and this track with its jangly guitars. that very attractive arpeggio, the distant voice and the oblique and melancholic Christmas theme has been a fave over the years. It first appeared in 1983. More recently a version was issued by Coldplay. A single it was on their album Learning to crawl.

On youtube there is a nice version here

Another blog

Do note another blog here. This one brings together resources regarding the great Welsh preacher John Elias.

Holiday Gem 11

11. Christmas wrapping by the Waitresses.

I suppose a song with a pun in it is bound to attract me. The quirkiness and interesting musicianship plus a story also helps I guess. I know it from a compilation album and indeed that is how it first surfaced in 1981 - on a punk compilation. Like most of these songs it was recorded in a hot August.

Hartelijk gefeliciteerd Jan! (61)

Mr Akkerman is 61 today. Penblwydd hapus! Happy Birthday! Hartelijk gefeliciteerd! The footage is from a Focus reunion in 1990.

Hymn of the week 19

I must have sung this Paul Gerhardt hymn in the past but it was not very much in my consciousness. It's full of meat. We didn't sing all these verses yesterday but I reproduce them all. Catherine Winkworth was the translator.

All my heart this night rejoices,
As I hear, far and near, sweetest angel voices;
“Christ is born,” their choirs are singing,
Till the air, everywhere, now their joy is ringing.

Forth today the Conqueror goeth,
Who the foe, sin and woe, death and hell, o’erthroweth.
God is man, man to deliver;
His dear Son now is one with our blood forever.

Shall we still dread God’s displeasure,
Who, to save, freely gave His most cherished Treasure?
To redeem us, He hath given
His own Son from the throne of His might in Heaven.

Should He who Himself imparted
Aught withhold from the fold, leave us broken hearted?
Should the Son of God not love us,
Who, to cheer sufferers here, left His throne above us?

If our blessèd Lord and Maker
Hated men, would He then be of flesh partaker?
If He in our woe delighted,
Would He bear all the care of our race benighted?

He becomes the Lamb that taketh
Sin away and for aye full atonement maketh.
For our life His own He tenders
And our race, by His grace, meet for glory renders.

For it dawns, the promised morrow
Of His birth, Who the earth rescues from her sorrow.
God to wear our form descendeth;
Of His grace to our race here His Son He sendeth.

Hark! a voice from yonder manger,
Soft and sweet, doth entreat, “Flee from woe and danger;
Brethren, come; from all that grieves you
You are freed; all you need I will surely give you.”

Come, then, let us hasten yonder;
Here let all, great and small, kneel in awe and wonder,
Love Him Who with love is yearning;
Hail the star that from far bright with hope is burning.

Blessèd Saviour, let me find Thee!
Keep Thou me close to Thee, cast me not behind Thee!
Life of life, my heart Thou stillest,
Calm I rest on Thy breast, all this void Thou fillest.

Thee, dear Lord, with heed I’ll cherish;
Live to Thee and with Thee, dying, shall not perish;
But shall dwell with Thee for ever,
Far on high, in the joy that can alter never.

Holiday Gem 10

10. Happy Xmas (War is over) by John Lennon with Yoko Ono. One of my Christmas rituals is to praise this song and to moan about Paul McCartney's execrable attempt at a Christmas number (Wonderful Christmas time). Actually as songs they are equal. The real difference is in the production and the sentiment. McCartney's features a tinny eighties synthesizer and sleigh bells and is all about having a nice time at Christmas. Lennon, on the other hand, has got Phil Spector in to do a massive production number with mandolins and children and choirs and who knows what else and with the genuine if naive aim of bringing the Vietnam War and indeed all wars to an end. As is apparent already I like a bit of seriousness in my holiday music (cf Greg Lake, The Pogues, also Jackson Browne's The Rebel Jesus on the Chieftains album I mentioned) and this one gives it in bucketfuls. Even Yoko Ono is bearable on this track. Here on wikipedia there is some more info, including the fact that at the beginning of the song the whispered words are not "Happy Christmas, Yoko. Happy Christmas, John" as I'd always assumed (giving it a rather self-indulgent flavour) but "Happy Christmas, Kyoko. Happy Christmas, Julian" ie to their kids.

Holiday Gem 09

9. Fairytale of New York by the Pogues featuring Shane McGowan and Kirsty MacColl. This song has been in the news recently because of its questionable lyrics. I have both the original and an instrumental version. Against the odds Tunbridge Wells-born Shane McGowan will be 50 come Christmas Day and the Pogues are back together touring. Kirsty MacColl is sadly no longer with us following a holiday accident in December 2000 when she was 41. This is the only Pogues song I know. Its strength comes from its bitter sweet portrayal of Christmas on the seamier side. It succeeds where Blue Christmas and Lonely this Christmas do not (IMHO) by a good balance of realism and sentimentality plus a good tune and well written words.

New book

This is advance notice that a short book I have written for Evangelical Press should be out some time in the new year. It is an exploration of the subject of regeneration and is written at a popular level. Do look out for it.

Another chance to see

We did use this one last year. Anyway, a happy Christmas to you all/both (?)

Bloggy Man 41 Christmas Special

Quiz question

Popped down to Cricklewood this morning with the younger boys to get Xmas pressies. I saw this pile of shoes in the street. I wasn't sure why at first. Do you know?

(Clue [if you need one] - yadirf si yadot)

Candle Story

Nutcracker excerpt

This was filmed on December 3 and is similar to what we saw (except for the intro, of course)

Nutcracker Ballet

Did something new again last night. A few weeks ago I was in town and I saw a poster advertising the Nutcracker Ballet. I thought to myself 'that would be a good thing to take Eleri to' (like me she'd never been to a proper ballet though she loves dancing). Anyway I got on line and booked to see last night's perfomance of the Nutcracker by the English National Ballet. (I think I actually saw a poster for the Royal Ballet's production another of at least three that are on in London this Christmas). Anyway Eleri loved it and so did I. Knowing most of the music helps and I found it much easier to enjoy than the musical Guys and Dolls (last thing like this I took Eleri to). With ballet you are not looking for character or plot I suppose. Good old Tchaikovsky, eh? Of course, I am unable to judge the production itself but it looked pretty good to me. Lovely sets, a few nice jokes, good pace, very colourful, well danced.

More on this production here. More on the Nutcracker here (more than you could ever want to know!)

Another good link

Look here for a brief interview with Philip Eveson (sic) Principal of LTS on justification by faith.