Cats in the Kitchen

Because really, a lot of it does.  I’m sorry, I really am, I’ve tried to be the Cheery Christmasy Type who whistles seasonal music because I love it, and not because it’s been permanently etched into my brain due to repetition, but most of that Baby Boomer jolt of Christmas music that has become canonical hasn’t aged terribly well, and after twenty two years, I’ve gotten kind of sick of it all. And those specials with the wood elves and stuff. I’m tired of those too. Humbug.

There is a lot of Christmas music that I do enjoy though, and I’d like to share it with you.  This one is a bit of a favorite of my family. We first discovered it in Deborah Turney Zagwyn’s book “The Winter Gift”. Since none of us were terribly good with reading sheet music, we would sing the song to a much brighter, cheery tune, but eventually a kindly music teacher set us straight. It’s pretty and haunting and hopeful, and it’s one that I find myself singing all year long.