Look. I don't hate the Christmas music that plays in stores and restaurants for two months straight. But I also find myself throughly exhausted of it before the season's even gotten started. There's only so many songs that all the popular artists can choose from and only so many variations of each one, and I've lived long enough to hear them... well, a lot.
Whenever this Scrooge-y mood hits me, I remember that our modern age is not the first to have written seasonal music. I therefore seek out yon Chritmas music of old: madrigals, chant, and otherwise medieval or medieval-style carols that make me feel all cozy inside without eliciting the feeling of frantic holiday shopping or commercialism or just the constant, unyielding drone of the thousandth rendition of "Jingle Bell Rock." I love the sense of mystery (in keeping with the cold and darkness of the season) that medieval carols convey, as well as their jubilant refrains evoking the joy of friendship and family we experience during this time of togetherness.
So voilà—Christmas-themed music that I guarantee will never be overplayed at your local big-box store or mall:
