THE GIFT

Some Christmas presents come by surprise. Sometimes they cannot be wrapped. Sometimes they cannot be seen. Neither the giver nor the recipient is even aware such an exchange is going to take place. These are often the most delightful of gifts. I received mine today from my son.

It began with a request he made. Would I please see if I could find a particular Christmas song by a particular group? Although I had never heard of the band, I felt certain I would be able to locate the song he wanted. I easily found the song and also some other ones with titles that were familiar to me. I did not listen to any of them prior to the downloads. He and I often appreciate the same bands, so I assumed their music would appeal to me. Throw in that I adore Christmas music, and I did not expect to be disappointed.

Now I am literally searching for the words to describe the music of that band. The name of this group is Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I will include a link to their official site at the end of this entry. I listened to each of the songs, and I am completely enthralled by them. Yes, I am bedazzled by them. Ah, I love when I am held captive by music. My son's gift to me is a musical appreciation for a group previously unbeknownst to me.

I sit here playing those Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas songs over and over. Such an incredibly powerful and intense collection of music by this band. With almost every song, I feel as if my emotions are being yanked all over the place. There are the chilling and driving melodies combined with a gentleness and sweetness. I never know quite when one emotion will be replaced by another. By the end of each song, I have a smile on my face that is literally radiating and goosebumps covering me! My preference is actually their instrumental songs. The vocals take away from the rich beauty of the instruments. Fortunately, I collected more instrumental ones. And not all of their music is Christmas-oriented. Metallica joined them in a wonderful rendition of Requiem, which I love.

I have always enjoyed Christmas songs. There are some I dislike intensely. Jingle Bells does not do a damn thing for me. Deck The Halls is another thumbs down. I do not especially want "cute" music. I want to hear the ones that make me FEEL something (other than annoyance). I want to be swept away to a place in my mind where nothing else intrudes. An oasis where the music touches my soul and my heart for those moments. I am left content.

There are some pleasant memories associated with many of the Christmas carols. I laugh about one recollection I have. David Bowie has long been a favorite singer of mine. I bought his albums (yes, ALBUMS!) and memorized every word to every song. I even found him to be an intriguing person to sketch. My parents were more than aware of my infatuation. While they gave me the wrinkled nose look when I had his music blaring in the house and my mother tried to tell me his voice was nothing compared to the great singers of the past, I said they were not trying to HEAR him. They were listening to the song as a whole. It was rock music in their book, and that meant ICK to them. Well, I should thank good ol' Bing Crosby for changing their perspective about Bowie. One year on his annual Christmas show, Bing had Bowie as his guest. My parents were floored. I was elated! I felt like I had already "won" just because Bing had obviously declared Bowie a worthy enough performer to guest star on his program. And then it happened. Bing and Bowie sang together...a duet of Little Drummer Boy and Peace on Earth. It was glorious. My parents were stunned. Truth be told, Bowie outshone Bing. I am quite sure my parents even felt that way. What a voice! My smug little self sat there on the couch beaming. And I never saw or heard another negative thing about Bowie from them after that nite. ::smile::

Music is a gift to our ears and our souls. I treasure it.

   Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Official Site

"When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." ~Henry David Thoreau

AND

"If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music." ~Albert Einstein