My Top 6 Christmas Songs

by David Doyle

Mr Richardson will hate every one of these! However, my Christmas favourites include:

 

6)    'O Holy Night': played every Christmas by my Dad, who loved Bing Crosby – no apologies for the schmaltz!

 

 

 

5)   'Fairy Tale of New York': I know this is a “typical” choice – but the lyrics are fine and it is sung wonderfully by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. I was in the VI Form in Manchester when this came out and it seemed to be an instant hit. Having seen the Pogues in concert earlier that year, I always think of those happy VI Form days when I hear this. MacColl's death on 18 December, just a week before Christmas Day, adds a poignancy to it.

 

 

 

4) Gloria Estefan singing 'Arbolito de Navidad' – cute Little Spanish song few will know:

 

 

 

3) 'The Little Drummer Boy' by Bing Crosby and David Bowie – I'm not a Bowie fan but this is beautiful and I think the fact that Crosby did not have a clue who Bowie was and also that he died not long after this lends something to this.

 

 

 

2) 'Silver Bells': a classic with a modern interpretation by a wonderful singer,  Vonda Shepherd, who came to prominence in the TV Hit Ally McBeal.

 

 

 

1) 'What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?' A most beautiful interpretation of a beautiful song by one of my favourite singers of all time, Bette Midler, a woman who could sing the phone book and make it sound great:

 

 

 

 See also Mr McGuiggan's Christmas selection, 'What's This? What's This? More Christmas Songs?!'