Spider Sounds: Holiday Music Special Edition — Part 1

Editor’s Note: Spider Sounds presents a special holiday edition today (it’s so special we’ve broken it into two parts!). We asked various folks who work in the Parsons Music Library, Boatwright Library and the Music Department to share some of their favorite music to listen to during the holiday season. Any holiday and all genres of music were fair game and we got quite a fun selection. Links will take you to either the library catalog or to other relevant information. Do you see any of your favorites on this list? If there are favorites or overlooked classics you’d like to add, please share them in the comments to this post! Tune in this Friday for part 2 of our Holiday Music Special!

Lights and piano

A list holiday favorites (familiar and otherwise):

Emily Music Library Student Worker, Class of 2017:

James Taylor at Christmas

James Taylor at Christmas

Handel’s Messiah

Handel's Messiah

Claire Music Library Student Worker, Class of 2020

“Silent Night”

Silent Night Chapel

Mary Music Library Student Worker, Class of 2018

Stevie Wonder “I Just Called To Say I Love You”

Stevie Wonder single

Linda Fairtile Head, Parsons Music Library

John Rutter“What Sweeter Music”

John Rutter Christmas Album

Any arrangement of “In The Bleak Midwinter”
“The Little Drummer Boy”
“O Holy Night”

Little Drummer Boy

Gabriela Music Library Student Worker, Class of 2020

Julian Casablancas“I Wish It Was Christmas Today”

Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today

Liza Music Library Student Worker, Class of 2017

The soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Kim Wolfe Resource Sharing Specialist, Boatwright Memorial Library

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings“Big Bulbs” from their It’s A Holiday Soul Party album.

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

Also “8 Days (Of Hanukah)” from the same album!

Menorah

Zach Music Library Student Worker, Class of 2017

Samuel BarberAgnus Dei (Adagio for Strings) (the choral version)

Barber - Agnus Dei

Melanie Armstrong Music Library Associate (and blog editor!)

Duke Ellington‘s version of The Nutcracker Suite

Duke Ellington - The Nutcracker Suite

Benjamin Britten‘s A Ceremony of Carols

Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols"

Darlene Love“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

For the 17th year on the broadcast, singer Darlene Love, who was recently chosen for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2011, perform her classic, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Thursday, Dec. 23 on the CBS Television Network.  Photo: John Paul Filo/CBS ©2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

Singer Darlene Love performs her classic, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Thursday, Dec. 23 2010 on the CBS Television Network.
Photo: John Paul Filo/CBS
©2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

All of the music (written by Paul Williams) from the Muppets special Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

Don’t forget the second part of this holiday music extravaganza will be out on Friday and feel free to share your own holiday favorites in the comments!

Spider Sounds