Solstice 2019

Solstice Music

Each year I pick out cheery music to play when the northern hemisphere precesses away from the sun and the light goes away. I look for songs with a catchy beat. This year’s list includes some sentimental favorites. They are heavily influenced by Christmas concepts, but I steer clear of religious songs. Ma’oz Tzur can be every bit as deadly as Immanuel. There is some Hanukkah music but it is very difficult to find well produced songs with snappy, bouncy beats. All these songs are in my collection.

Accessibility

No matter how much I sought some way of making this an accessible post I couldn’t. Insert the fact that I’m typing this in bed because sitting up this long is impossible with my level of pain and lack of energy. I can find the songs on YouTube, but not captioned for deaf or hard of hearing. This is the best I can do right now. At least this WordPress theme is accessible thanks to all the hard work by the accessibility team.

If you want to just get on with it and play all the songs, there’s a YouTube playlist. If you want to pick out a song or two to explore they are available individually. The items are each under a heading level 3 for screen reader users.

Play the entire playlist.

Solstice 2018 playlist.

Or play individual songs.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Judy Garland.

Old Fashioned Christmas Polka, Frankie Yankovic.

Christmas Time in New Orleans, Dukes of Dixieland (Live).

Christmas Island, Bob Atcher and The Dinning Sisters.

(I’m Spending) Hanukkah in Santa Monica, Tom Lehrer.

It’s Beginning To Look Like Christmas, Bing Crosby.

O Tannenbaum, Vince Guaraldi.

What Christmas Means To Me, Stevie Wonder.

The Day It Snows On Christmas, Allen Toussaint.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Banu Gibson And The New Orleans Hot Jazz.

Please Come Home For Christmas, Aaron Neville.

Marshmallow World, Brenda Lee.

Shaloo Shalom, The Burns Sisters.

Christmas Train, Carey Bell.

Christmas Gumbo, Aaron Neville.

Ocho Kandelikas, Yasmin Levy.

Swingin’ Them Jingle Bells, Fats Waller.

Shakana Santa Shake It (Feat. Bonerama) Bo Dollis & Wild Magnolias, Bonerama.

The Happy Elf, Harry Connick Jr..

All I Want For Christmas, Ini Kamoze.

Have You Heard The News, Koko Taylor.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Jessica Simpson.

Run Rudolph Run, Jimmy Buffet.

Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov, Kenny Ellis.

What Will Santa Claus Say (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’), Louis Prima.

Soca Santa, Machel.

Christmas Fais Do Do, Marcia Ball.

Christmas Snow, Michael Burks.

Please Come Home For Christmas, Papa Don Vappie’s New Orleans Jazz Band.

Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters.

Really Been Good This Year, Saffire–The Uppity Blues Women.

Christmas Boogie, Sugar Chile Robinson.

Greensleeves, Vince Guaraldi Trio.

Mele Kalikimaka, Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, Carly Simon.

Cool Yule, Louis Armstrong & The Commanders.

The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole.