Happy Thanksgiving Eve, music nerds!
I was all set to post about what I want for Christmas, but that will have to wait. I mean, what was I thinking? I hate the way Christmas takes over the stores and the radio stations the minute Halloween is over, and here I was about to jump the gun myself — gah!
Don’t get me wrong — there’s plenty of holiday music that I love (and some I hate, but that’s another story for another day, too). But Thanksgiving is actually my favorite holiday; I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love Autumn, so how could it get any better?
I know it can be a stressful time, though, and some of you may feel that this is the soundtrack of your life right now!
But what about bona fide music for Thanksgiving? Click Mr. Readmore for a pumpkin-pie-spiced playlist!
The first things that springs to mind for me are a couple of hymns. I grew up singing the Welsh folk tune, “The Ash Grove,” with the words, “Let All Things Now Living.”
Here’s a nice version of the tune played on the harp:
Another good Thanksgiving tune is “Nun danket alle Gott,” (Now Thank We All Our God. Here’s a nice little organ arrangement of it that I should learn to play (LOL! 😀 )
But I know that not everyone is the church music geek that I am, so I decided to cast my google net a bit wider.
In this video, Ray Davies gives a nice commentary introducing his song, ” Thanksgiving Day.” (Note to self: check out The Kinks Choral Collection. A music nerd’s work is never done! 😀 )
Here’s a nice one from Mary Chapin Carpenter — caution: it might even make you verklempt, if you’re so inclined!
Here’s something out of left field (at least relative to where I’m standing!): I either didn’t know, or had forgotten, that the late, great Johnny Cash did a little acting here and there. Here’s a video of him singing a song for Thanksgiving in an episode of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman:”
And last but not least: I’m always a sucker for the music Vince Guaraldi wrote for the old Charlie Brown TV specials. Here’s a piano solo version of music he wrote for “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving:”
Have a wonderful day tomorrow, everyone! 🙂
