I was listening to a list of people’s favourite Christmas songs the other day.  It included “Silent Night”, “The Little Drummer Boy” and “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer.”  I have never liked “The Little Drummer Boy” (the only version I really like is the symphonic version called “The Little Bolero Boy”, sort of a blend between “The Little Drummer Boy” and Ravel’s Bolero) but I really HATE “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer.”  Even when I was a child I disliked this song.  I thought about the cruelty of the other reindeer in slighting Rudolph and then their insincerity in accepting him only when he could be of use to them.  Would they revert to their former behaviour after New Years, I thought.  What was Santa up to, anyway, allowing the reindeer to indulge such bullying in the first place?  I like the cartoon where Rudolph relaxes in an armchair while above him there are mounted deers’ heads labeled Dasher, Dancer, Blitzen, etc.

There are other Christmas songs I also hate.  Such as, “I Wonder as I Wander.” I hate it because of its rampant bad grammar.  “Like you and like I?”  This sounds like the Marilyn Monroe character in “Gentlemen Prefer Blonds.”  “A girl like I.”

Then there’s “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”  I want to know.  Does ANYONE like “The Twelve Days of Christmas?”  I have heard several amusing version of “The Twelve Days After Christmas” but the traditional “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is just universally annoying, as far as I know.

But there are some songs I love.  I never used to like “O Holy Night” until one year I heard it performed by a girl at the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and hearing her sing it was an epiphany.  In actual fact, I think there should be a law that you have to have a certain quality of voice before you are allowed to perform this song.  It is so beautiful that it should not be performed by less than stellar voices.

The Wexford Carol is lovely.  Good People, All. 

Your opinion?