One of the joys of Christmas for me is listening to music I don't hear for the rest of the year. Some of it is on CDs that are locked away for 11 months before being brought out with the tree, etc. Others are on my i-tunes but remain unticked for most of the year. Let me tell you some things that are there.
1. Good King Wenceslas by The Roches from the 1994 album We Three Kings
Thanks to Terry Wogan this LP is no longer a secret nor are the unique Roche sisters, who I assumed were Irish at first but are in fact New Yorkers (Maggie, Suzzy and Terre).
The hymn is a Christmas favourite (outside church). J M Neale thought it up in
the Victorian period basing it on the legend but making a good application at the end. (I quote it in my commentary on Proverbs).
This pleasant version is enhanced by the bright strings and the pleasant harmonies.
"THE ROCHES came into being one Christmas season on the streets of New York City singing these very songs. And every year when the hassles and tensions of Christmas set in, we rediscover the joyful, peaceful spirit of Christmas through these carols. This record is a dream come true for us. We send it out into the world with best wishes for everyone!"
