Something Classical, Something Musical, Something Memorable, and Something Spiritual
佳節歌曲配上這個紅紅綠綠的節日 (圖片來源：Unsplash Rodion Kutsaev)
It’s the time of the year, and I would like to share some personal favoriteChristmas songs. I will start with the classic, add some unconventional pieces, and share a song or two simply perfect when opening Christmas presents.
Let’s hit it.
(Due to some privacy issues, some videos may not be available in your area, but you can still click the link and watch them on Youtube)
又到這個時節了，在今天的文章裡我要分享個人偏愛的聖誕歌曲清單。我會先從幾首經典歌曲開始，再挑幾首不尋常的作品，也會介紹一兩首適合拆聖誕禮物時放的背景音樂。
那麼，讓我們開始吧！
(因為版權的關係，有些影片可能在你所在的地區無法播放，但還是可以點擊連結到 YouTube 上面看唷。)
1. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” – Olivia Olson
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” is no stranger to all. American singer Mariah Carey cowrote the song with Walter Afanasieff for her 4th album “Merry Christmas” in 1994. The song topped the charts in many countries and won Carey the “Queen of Christmas” title from magazines such as People and Time.
However, the version I love the most was Olivia Olson’s performance in another Christmas classic in 2003, “Love Actually.” She was only 10 when she recorded the song. Her interactions with the then 13-year-old babyface Thomas Brodie-Sangster in the film were so cute that this version became my favorite.
2. “Last Christmas” – Wham!
Yes, it’s a bit cliché. Still, it’s such a classic that it’ll be a sin not to include the song in an article about Christmas songs.
“Last Christmas” was released as a single by British pop duo Wham! in 1984 when singers George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley were only 21 years old. Since then, the song has gone viral; in the UK market alone, it was ranked the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart 18 times (2021 inclusive) during the Christmas season since its release 37 years ago.
Following George Michael’s passing on Christmas Day in 2016, I felt so depressed that I would never have the chance to hear him sing this classic jingle in person (going to one of his live concerts was on my bucket list for many years). Thanks to the endeavor of the original music video director Andy Morahan in 2019, we can now experience Michael’s charm from below 4K high-resolution video.
3. “Baby It’s Cold Outside” –Lady Gaga and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
It’s a song that you must have heard of. Today I presented the version sung by the passionate Lady Gaga and gentleman Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” was created by Broadway musical songwriter Frank Loesser in 1944, and the song became a hit after being used in a 1949 romantic musical film Neptune’s Daughter. In 2013 Gaga andGordon-Levitt played the duo in Gaga’s “Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular” Thanksgiving TV show.
Although the song has some controversial lyrics like “Say, what’s in this drink?” I believe that it’s just an idiom fitting when women were more cautious about alcohol. So without further ado, let’s watch the video below in which the male and female switched roles under Gaga andGordon-Levitt’s new interpretations.
4. “Opera of the Bells” – Destiny’s Child
“Opera of the Bells” was a remake of “Carol of the Bells” in 2001 by American R&B girl group Destiny’s Child in their 4th album “8 Days of Christmas“. In case you don’t know about this, diva Beyoncé was a member of the band when the album was released. Shortly after, the girls decided to go solo.
Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych created “Carol of the Bells” in 1914, and you may hear about it in many movies, such as the 1990 classic Home Alone. Destiny’s Child presented the carol in such a beautiful and delicate way that will bring peace and blessing to every household with a Christmas tree.
5. “Quand Les Hommes Vivront D’amour” – Bruno Pelletier
This song may not be a typical choice for Christmas. I found “Quand Les Hommes Vivront D’amour” from a 2003 Christmas album “Concert de Noël” bythe ex-Notre-Dame de Paris poet Bruno Pelletier.
Québécois composer Raymond Lévesque wrote the song in 1956 to call for peace during the 1954~1962 Algerian War. Not too surprisingly, as a Québécois singer, Pelletier picked this song for his Christmas live concert with Montreal Symphony Orchestra to bring peace message to his fans on the silent night.
Bruno Pelletier has been my favorite French musical singer ever since I watched his remarkable performance in the famous French musical “Notre Dame de Paris.” Similar to Pelletier’s signature song “Le Temps Des Cathedrales” in the musical, I too found the stretch, the strength, and the emotions when he sang “Quand Les Hommes Vivront D’amour.” HearPelletier’ssoothing yet powerful singing from the below video.
6. “Sleigh Ride” – R2D2 and C3PO
No, I didn’t get the singers wrong. I’m going to share a Christmas classic sung by R2D2 and C3PO from Star Wars.
The song came from a 1980 Star Wars-themed recording, “Christmas in the Stars,” which depicted the two droids working in a toy factory owned by “S. Claus.” Interestingly,the one and only rock starBon Jovi had his first professional debut in this album.
The YouTube video below combined two songs from the album. From the first half of the video, you’ll hear the talkative C3PO trying to talk some senses into his beloved friend R2D2 with a merry song, “Sleigh Ride.” The second half was “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, a shorter jingle sung by Bon Jovi himself.
7. “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher” – Billy Elliot
You may have heard of “Billy Elliot,” but I bet it never occurred to you that the musical had anything to do with Christmas music.
“Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher” appeared in the show’s second act and was written by the knighted English musician Elton John. Although the music came with an upbeat tone, the lyric was an ironic curse from the working class to the then UK’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. I used the word “curse” here because Margaret Thatcher died 13 years too late after the musical’s premiere in 2010. The crew even asked the audience to vote whether to perform the song on the same day of Thatcher’s passing.
I picked this song because it’s a rare kind for Christmas chansons. The workers who sang the song suffered in life, but they still found a way to make jokes out of it and enjoyed the holiday as how it should be. With the same spirit, I believe Christmas is a time when we put aside all grudges and disappointments and focus on living every moment with loved ones.
8. “Deck The Rooftop” – Glee
“Deck The Rooftop” is a mash-up song from “Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album” in 2010.
The TV series Gleefrom 2009 to 2015 talked about a high school glee club with all the unpopular kids at school and how those outsiders found their purpose in life through singing. In high school, I was in a glee club, so Glee was one of my favorite TV shows back in the day (even though I was not a big fan of those YA dramas).
Nevertheless, there seemed to be a curse around the young cast. The passing of the handsome quarterback Finn (Cory Monteith) in 2013, the rebellious Puck (Mark Salling) in 2018, and the young cheerleader Santana (Naya Rivera) in 20202 were tragedies that broke fans’ hearts every time.
Everyone was so cheerful in“Deck The Rooftop;” Rachel, Finn,Santana, Artie, Mercedes, and Tina were all there. So here I want to share this festive songin memory of the happy times with Glee.
9. “Christmas Morning” – Alexandre Desplat
For the last two Christmas songs, I want to introduce some lightChristmas music.
“Christmas Morning” was the work of French film composer Alexandre Desplat who wrote the music for the 2019 reproduction of “Little Women.” Desplat composed many soundtracks over the years, such as “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “The King’s Speech,” among other well-known movies.
In “Little Women,” I often found Desplat’s notes emanating a graceful and persistent strength; and the music of “Christmas Morning” was no exception. Simple and repetitive notes gradually added to the main subject, as if a beautiful Christmas morning when gifts are quietly laid under the trees, waiting to be opened.
10. “A Christmas Jig; Mouth of the Tobique Reel” – Yo-Yo Ma andNatalie MacMaster
You must know the great American cellist Yo-Yo Ma if you are a classical music lover. He released the crossover Christmas album “Songs of Joy & Peace” in 2008 and won a Grammy award in 2010 for the many collaboration with artists from different domains.
In “A Christmas Jig; Mouth of the Tobique Reel,” Yo-Yo Ma played the cello with Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster. I loved how the melody reminds me of another personal favorite, “Lord of the Dance,” MichaelFlatley‘s world-class Irish tap dance show “Feet of Flames.” Both adopted a folk music rhyme and joined by a series of short notes, presenting a cheerful vibe.
Here I would also like to recommend the “Songs of Joy & Peace” album, in which you can enjoy 22 beautiful Christmas songs of different music genres. Whether it’s Jazz, folk music, or classical, you can have it all.
Hope you like the Christmas songs shared today. Merry Christmas, and let’s fill our holiday with great music!
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1. <All I Want for Christmas Is You>(你是我最想要的聖誕禮物) – Olivia Olson
<All I Want for Christmas Is You>(你是我最想要的聖誕禮物) 這首曲子想必大家都不陌生，美國知名歌手瑪莉亞凱莉(Mariah Carey) 在 1994 年和 Walter Afanasieff 為了她的第四張專輯《Merry Christmas》(祝福) 合寫了這首曲子。這首歌發行後很快就席捲各國音樂排行榜，還讓凱莉被《時人雜誌》、《時代雜誌》等多家媒體封為「Queen of Christmas (聖誕女王)」。
然而，我最愛的版本其實是Olivia Olson 在 2003 年另一部聖誕經典電影《Love Actually》 (愛是您・愛是我) 裡的演出，她當時年僅 10 歲。劇中她和當時也才 13 歲的娃娃臉男星 Thomas Brodie-Sangster 兩小無猜的互動實在是太可愛了，讓Olson 版本的<All I Want for Christmas Is You> 多年來始終是我的最愛！
2. <Last Christmas> (去年聖誕節) – Wham!
是是是，我知道，這首歌有點老掉牙了，但是它實在是太經典，要寫一篇聖誕歌曲的文章不把它加進去似乎是種罪惡。
英國流行樂雙人團體Wham! 在 1984 年推出這首單曲 <Last Christmas> (去年聖誕節)，當時主唱喬治麥可(George Michael) 和 Andrew Ridgeley 都還是 21 歲的大男孩。這首曲子推出後紅遍大街小巷，37 年來單單在英國唱片市場就曾 18 次在聖誕假期時擠進 UK Singles Chart (英國單曲排行榜) 的前 40 名 (包含 2021 年)！
自從 George Michael 於 2016 年的聖誕節當日過世後，我一直覺得很遺憾沒能聽到他現場演唱這首曲子 (參加一場他的現場演唱會是我多年來的人生清單之一)；還好當年拍攝 <Last Christmas> MV 的導演 Andy Morahan 在 2019 年協助修復這首音樂影片，讓我們至少現在能透過以下 4K 的高畫質影片體會 Michael 的魅力。
3. <Baby It’s Cold Outside> (寶貝外面很冷) – Lady Gaga & Joseph Gordon-Levitt
這首歌相信你一定聽過，第三首歌我要介紹的是由熱情的女神卡卡 (Lady Gaga) 和永遠的紳士喬瑟夫·高登-李維 (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) 演唱的<Baby It’s Cold Outside> (寶貝外面很冷)。
<Baby It’s Cold Outside> 是百老匯音樂劇作曲家 Frank Loesser 1944 年的作品，1949 年這首曲子被收錄在一部浪漫音樂劇電影 Neptune’s Daughter 後開始大紅。而 2013 年女神卡卡和喬瑟夫·高登-李維在卡卡自己的感恩節特別節目《Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular》(女神卡卡與布偶節日劇場) 合體完成了這首二重唱。
雖然這首歌的歌詞近年來有些爭議，像是其中一句「告訴我，這杯飲料裡有什麼？」，但我傾向於相信這不過是當年女生對於酒精飲料較為謹慎的一個說法。那麼，不要再拖了，讓我們一起欣賞以下女神卡卡和喬瑟夫·高登-李維將男女角色互換的<Baby It’s Cold Outside>新詮釋吧！
4. <Opera of the Bells> (聖誕鈴聲的歌劇) – Destiny’s Child
<Opera of the Bells> (聖誕鈴聲的歌劇) 改編自聖誕名曲 <Carol of the Bells> (鐘聲頌歌)，收錄在美國 R&B 女子團體「天命真女」(Destiny’s Child) 2001 年發行的第四張專輯 <8 Days of Christmas> (燦爛的聖誕季節) 裡。或許你不知道，美國歌姬碧昂絲 (Beyoncé) 在這張專輯發行時就是天命真女的一員；但在那之後沒多久，團員們就紛紛決定單飛。
烏克蘭作曲家 Mykola Leontovych 於 1914 年創作了<Carol of the Bells> 一曲，你或許曾在不少電影都聽過它，其中最著名的應該是 1990 的經典電影《小鬼當家》(Home Alone)。Destiny’s Child 用美麗又細緻的聲音緩緩唱出這首耶誕頌歌，為每個有聖誕樹的家庭都帶來和平與祝福。
5. <Quand Les Hommes Vivront D’amour> (當人們生活在愛中) – Bruno Pelletier
接下來要介紹的這首歌可能不是一個常見的聖誕歌曲選項，這是我在前《鐘樓怪人》詩人Bruno Pelletier 2003 的聖誕專輯《Concert de Noël》 (聖誕演唱會) 中發現的歌曲，歌名是 <Quand Les Hommes Vivront D’amour>(當人們生活在愛中)。
在1956 年，魁北克作曲家 Raymond Lévesque 為了向當時 (1954~1962) 的阿爾及利亞戰爭呼籲和平而寫下了這首曲子；不意外地，同樣身為魁北克人的 Pelletier 多年後決定在自己和Montreal Symphony Orchestra (蒙特婁交響樂團) 一同演出的聖誕音樂會也表演這首歌曲，在靜謐的平安夜為他的粉絲帶來和平的訊息。
自從多年前在著名法語音樂劇《鐘樓怪人》欣賞了 Bruno Pelletier 精彩的演出，他就一直是我最喜歡的法語音樂劇歌手。如同他在該劇的招牌歌曲<Le Temps Des Cathedrales> (大教堂時代)，我也在Pelletier 演唱<Quand Les Hommes Vivront D’amour> 時聽出那股掙扎、力量，和情感，從以下影片中你可以欣賞 Pelletier 撫慰人心又充滿力量的歌聲。
6. <Sleigh Ride> (雪橇行) – R2D2 and C3PO
不不不，我沒有寫錯歌手的名字，我要介紹的第六首曲子正是一首由《星際大戰》哥倆好 R2D2 和 C3PO 合唱的聖誕歌曲。
這首歌被收錄在 1980 年發行的星戰主題專輯《Christmas in the Stars》(星星裡的聖誕節)，歌曲描繪了兩名機器人在一座由「S. Claus」開的玩具工廠工作的故事。有趣的是，這個作品是搖滾歌手邦·喬飛 (Bon Jovi) 的第一張正式專輯。
底下的 YouTube 影片收錄了該專輯的兩首歌曲：影片前半段你可以聽到總是喋喋不休的 C3PO 試圖用一首輕快的曲子<Sleigh Ride> (雪橇行) 跟他的好朋友 R2D2 講講道理；後半段則是一首簡短的歌曲 <R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas> (R2-D2 我們祝你聖誕快樂)，而主唱就是邦·喬飛本人。
7. <Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher> (聖誕快樂，柴契爾夫人) – Billy Elliot
你可能聽過音樂劇《舞動人生》 (Billy Elliot)，但我猜你一定沒想過它竟然也會跟聖誕節扯上點關係。
<Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher> (聖誕快樂，柴契爾夫人) 一曲由已封爵的英國音樂大師艾爾頓·強 (Elton John) 創作，在音樂劇的第二幕出現。雖然音樂是雀躍的曲調，歌詞卻是藍領階層對英國當時首相柴契爾夫人 (Margaret Thatcher) 的諷刺詛咒；我為什麼用了「詛咒」兩個字呢？因為柴契爾夫人在音樂劇上映後的 13 年去世了，她過世當天劇組還讓觀眾投票決定是否仍要表演這首曲子。
我挑選了這首歌因為這是一首不尋常的聖誕歌曲。劇中唱這首歌的是人生遭遇各種挫折的藍領工人，但他們找到自嘲的方式，仍然像往常一樣享受這個假期。在此借用同樣的精神，我相信聖誕節是一個把仇恨跟不滿都暫時丟到一旁的節日，我們應該要把重點擺在如何和心愛的人度過每一個時刻。
8. <Deck The Rooftop> (裝飾屋頂) – Glee
<Deck The Rooftop> (裝飾屋頂) 是一首 2010 年出自《Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album》專輯的混音歌曲。
「歡樂合唱團」(Glee) 是一部 2009 到 2015 年間播放的電視喜劇，描述一群不受歡迎的高中學生組了一個合唱團，而這些邊緣人又如何從歌唱中找到自己生命意義的故事。我在高中時恰巧也參加了合唱團，所以 Glee 當年曾是我最喜歡的電視影集之一 (雖然我一向對劇中的那些高中生煩惱不大有興趣)。
話雖如此，本劇的年輕演員們似乎受到了詛咒。2013 年英俊的四分衛 Finn (Cory Monteith 飾演) 過世，之後一向叛逆的 Puck (Mark Salling飾演) 也在 2018 年離開了我們，去年 (2020) 連年輕的啦啦隊長 Santana (Naya Rivera飾演) 都意外過世，每一場悲劇都傷透了粉絲們的心。
<Deck The Rooftop> 一曲中每個人都聽起來這麼的快樂；Rachel、Finn、Santana、Artie、Mercedes，還有 Tina 都在。今天我想藉這篇文章分享這個有儀式感的聖誕歌曲，並紀念當年 Glee 的歡樂時光。
9. <Christmas Morning> (聖誕節的早晨) – Alexandre Desplat
最後的兩首聖誕歌曲，我想介紹一些輕音樂。
<Christmas Morning> (聖誕節的早晨) 出自法國電影配樂大師 Alexandre Desplat，本曲是為了 2019 年的重製版電影《小婦人》(Little Women) 所創。Desplat 多年來為多部電影譜曲，除了《班傑明的奇幻旅程》(The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) 和《王者之聲：宣戰時刻》(The King’s Speech)，還有許多大家耳熟能詳的電影作品。
在《小婦人》電影中我常常發現 Desplat 的音符散發優雅又堅毅的力量，當然<Christmas Morning> 一曲也不例外；簡單重複的音樂緩緩地加入主旋律，就像那美好的聖誕節早晨，禮物都靜靜地躺在聖誕樹下等著被開啟。
10. <A Christmas Jig; Mouth of the Tobique Reel> (聖誕歌曲：托比克河口) – Yo-Yo Ma & Natalie MacMaster
如果你是古典樂的愛好者，你一定認識享譽盛名的美籍大提琴家馬友友 (Yo-Yo Ma)。他在 2018 年發行了一張跨界聖誕專輯《Songs of Joy & Peace》(歌曲的喜悅與和平)，因為和多名各領域的傑出音樂家合作，該專輯在 2010 年得到了葛萊美獎。
在 <A Christmas Jig; Mouth of the Tobique Reel> (聖誕歌曲：托比克河口) 一曲中馬友友和加拿大的小提琴手 Natalie MacMaster 合奏。我很喜歡這首曲子的旋律，它讓我連想到另一個我很喜歡的作品，愛爾蘭踢踏舞王麥可·佛萊利 (Michael Flatley) 享譽國際的舞蹈作品《火焰之舞》(Feet of Flames)。兩項創作皆採用了民俗音樂的節奏，並加入一連串短音符，呈現歡樂的氛圍。
這裡我要大力推薦《Songs of Joy & Peace》這張專輯，它收錄了 22 首不同音樂類型的聖誕歌曲。無論是爵士、民俗音樂，亦或古典樂，你可以一口氣欣賞。
希望你喜歡今天的聖誕歌曲分享。祝大家聖誕快樂，佳節都可以在好聽的音樂中度過！
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