Winter songs
Dec. 17th, 2023 03:51 pmYesterday afternoon was a big family gathering hosted by the Younger Niece: this overlaps substantially with tomorrow's event, but also included some people who won't be at that one, including the whole of the youngest generation (great-nephew level). We also met for the first time the Elder Niece's new partner, and his son (bonus great-nephew-person).
Quite late in the day, Younger Niece informed us that there was a challenge, to come wearing or carrying a clue to a seasonal song, but that it was purely optional. With no time to think and very limited resources, I decided to pass, but![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
durham_rambler cut up the packaging from our lunchtime mini-panettone and made himself a festive badge. "Life is a panettone," seemed the obvious comment, but caused confusion when our host tried to add it to the party playlist, and couldn't find it. Our hostess with her mistletoe wristband collaborated with her husband who didn't have to work too hard to represent Mistletoe and Wine; an Elvis fan in a blue Santa bonnet (never seen one of those before) indicated Blue Christmas; and thoughtful Elder Niece had a bag of seasonal odds and ends for anyone who hadn't brought their own reindeer antlers and very shiny nose, or even a stick of jingle bells.
We left the party early, to go to Leytonstone Folk Club's concert of Winter Songs: a completely different set of winter songs, I don't think there was any overlap at all, though there will certainly be overlap between the concert and tonight's carol evening - and some overlap of performers, too! We had Cranbrook, for example, with almost no audience participation, which was odd. Sweet Bells got slightly more response, but the fun aspect of that one was that singers were sent out from the stage to the back of the church, to sing "Sweet Bells" back at the performeers. Il est né le divin enfant turned up in a sequence of French songs, between a splendid Noël nouvelet (I should hunt down more of this song) and something I didn't know and couldn't grasp, but suspect may have been humourous. Two Joni Mitchell songs: River, which has become a Christmas regular, and, unexpected but welcome, The Circle Game; Sidney Carter's When I needed a neighbour; the Rolling Stones Winter (how did I not know this? I mean, it wasn't that special, but surely I should have heard it before...?); and assorted Muppets and Greg Lake. No Fairytale of New York, and I'm happy about that, since I think it is very overexposed, but I'm quite surprised, too.
This morning we breakfasted with the Bears, did a little light tidying, and I combined the ingredients for the mulled wine and left them to get acquainted.durham_rambler and I lunched at the Tufnell Park Tavern: the soup this year is chestnut, and the wine list is full of things I want to try (I had a glass of txakoli, dry and almost saline, which cut beautifully through the richness of the soup). We had hoped that J & J would call on us before the Carol Evening, but they have worn themselves out doing other things, and have spent the afternoon recuperating, ready for this evening - and we have done likewise.
Quite late in the day, Younger Niece informed us that there was a challenge, to come wearing or carrying a clue to a seasonal song, but that it was purely optional. With no time to think and very limited resources, I decided to pass, but
durham_rambler cut up the packaging from our lunchtime mini-panettone and made himself a festive badge. "Life is a panettone," seemed the obvious comment, but caused confusion when our host tried to add it to the party playlist, and couldn't find it. Our hostess with her mistletoe wristband collaborated with her husband who didn't have to work too hard to represent Mistletoe and Wine; an Elvis fan in a blue Santa bonnet (never seen one of those before) indicated Blue Christmas; and thoughtful Elder Niece had a bag of seasonal odds and ends for anyone who hadn't brought their own reindeer antlers and very shiny nose, or even a stick of jingle bells.We left the party early, to go to Leytonstone Folk Club's concert of Winter Songs: a completely different set of winter songs, I don't think there was any overlap at all, though there will certainly be overlap between the concert and tonight's carol evening - and some overlap of performers, too! We had Cranbrook, for example, with almost no audience participation, which was odd. Sweet Bells got slightly more response, but the fun aspect of that one was that singers were sent out from the stage to the back of the church, to sing "Sweet Bells" back at the performeers. Il est né le divin enfant turned up in a sequence of French songs, between a splendid Noël nouvelet (I should hunt down more of this song) and something I didn't know and couldn't grasp, but suspect may have been humourous. Two Joni Mitchell songs: River, which has become a Christmas regular, and, unexpected but welcome, The Circle Game; Sidney Carter's When I needed a neighbour; the Rolling Stones Winter (how did I not know this? I mean, it wasn't that special, but surely I should have heard it before...?); and assorted Muppets and Greg Lake. No Fairytale of New York, and I'm happy about that, since I think it is very overexposed, but I'm quite surprised, too.
This morning we breakfasted with the Bears, did a little light tidying, and I combined the ingredients for the mulled wine and left them to get acquainted.
durham_rambler and I lunched at the Tufnell Park Tavern: the soup this year is chestnut, and the wine list is full of things I want to try (I had a glass of txakoli, dry and almost saline, which cut beautifully through the richness of the soup). We had hoped that J & J would call on us before the Carol Evening, but they have worn themselves out doing other things, and have spent the afternoon recuperating, ready for this evening - and we have done likewise.
