Big surprise, I’m going with Bach rather than Handel in this category. He seems like the obvious choice, and in this case you can’t argue with it–the opening alone is one of the most joyous bits of music ever written, and the whole piece is stunning. Owning this work is not discretionary. You’d have to include Handel’s Messiah in this group as well (which people seem to normally trot out at Easter, even though it was written as a Christmas work), and a bunch of the works of Heinrich Schütz, who studied with Monteverdi, and wrote a whole gaggle of lovely late Renaissance pieces, ranging from individual songs to entire concertos, and who has several striking Christmas pieces, including an oratorio. But Bach, who also wrote a whole slew of Christmas cantatas and other Christmas pieces, pulled out the stops on this one. My favorite version is the one on on EMI classics, with the Academy of Saint Martin in the fields, the Kings College choir, and a bunch of hotshot soloists who actually blend well together, for a change– Elly Ameling, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, and Dietrich Fischer-Diskau. But of course it’s no longer available, although you can still track them down through Amazon. Ameling in particular is amazing. She also did a wonderful Christmas album about 20 years ago with Thijs van Leer, who was (and still is) with the rock group Focus. This album, obviously, is also out of print, since I’m recommending it.
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Still stuck on ideas for a clutter-free holiday gift? Think about supporting your local zoo, museum, or botanical garden.

The world would be a much poorer place without the work of these institutions, whether that work is preserving fine art or wildlife habitat or educational outreach. However, there isn’t much that can be done without financial support. Consider giving a gift of membership. Typical membership benefits include free admission for a year and a guest pass or two, sometimes a bit more. You’ll need to check out the local community, and don’t overlook some of the smaller, less flashy places.

Here in Denver, not only do we have the Denver Zoo, Denver Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, but you’ll also find Denver Botanic Gardens, Butterfly Pavilion, Colorado Historical Society, Denver Firefighters Museum, Wings Over the Rockies, and many more. What’s in your area?

Meet one of my favorite new discoveries of 2k9 – Gossip. I’m still trying to parse everything that’s going on here – seriously, they’re described as “punk,” which they certainly are, but they’re also maybe the best indie party dance band I’ve heard since The B-52s. I’d never have thought you could slam everything from The BellRays to Paula Abdul to Kate Pierson to Yaz to Duffy together and make it work. But somehow, that’s exactly what Beth Ditto and company have done.

Expect to hear more when my year-end “Best CDs of 2009″ list drops here in a couple of weeks.

From their 2009 release, Music for Men, this is “Heavy Cross.”

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Perhaps it says something about perceived influence at the present time, or maybe it just means that people like listening to Pink Floyd more than they do The Who (although the producers of the CSI franchise would surely take issue). In any case, the results of our second semifinal are in, and I don’t think anyone is terribly surprised. Results: #2 Pink Floyd 65%; #3 The Who 35%.

On Monday morning the Grand Final will commence.

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