Online radio sampler highlights L (Christmas edition)

December 25, 2005: If Rosie the cat had any Christmas music requests, I'm pretty sure I played them.  After all, it's unwise to cross a calico.

Christmas music highlights heard this morning:

KWMU-2 (St. Louis, MO)

• I'll Be Home For Christmas-Dave McKenna (McKenna gives the tune an unusually uptempo, swing/lounge arrangement on the piano.  It works, as do his other interpretations on the "Christmas Ivory" CD.)

KWMU-3 (St. Louis, MO) 

• The Holly And The Ivy-Robert Shaw Chamber Singers (As the announcer noted, not just any ensemble can sing with this degree of pitch or precision.)

WXPN (Philadelphia, PA)

• O Magnum Mysterium-Linda Ronstadt & The Choir From Tucson (Ronstadt leads the singing in this solemn observance of Christ's birth.)
• Candlelight Carol-Mary Chapin Carpenter (Carpenter's alto vocals do John Rutter's lyrics about the nativity justice.)
• A Child Is Born-Thad Jones & Mel Lewis (If you're not inclined to listen to at least a smidgen of jazz during the Christmas season after hearing this, I don't know what to tell you.)

WXPN-2 (Philadelphia, PA)

• In The Bleak Midwinter-Shawn Colvin (Midwinter may be bleak, but Colvin's vocals suggest a ray of hope.)