on a high note By Amy Falkofske
MERRY MELODIES L
ove it or hate it, it’s the season of round-the-clock Christmas music. You may already have your radio dial tuned into 97.1 WASH-FM’s 24/7 Christmas music. If you’re a SiriusXM listener, there’s the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas Radio on channel 70. We polled Prince William residents and Prince William Living staff on their must-have seasonal songs, but first, how did Christmas music come about?
Susy Moorstein, a Prince William resident, said her favorite Christmas songs are “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night,” “White Christmas” and “Frosty the Snowman.” Susan Peterson of Bristow also loves “Silent Night” because “It’s an iconic Christmas song.” She especially loves the Garth Brooks version on the album “Beyond the Season.” Another one of her favorites is “White Christmas.”
History of Christmas Music Carols were first sung during the Winter Solstice in Europe thousands of years ago. The word “carol” used to be defined as “a dance or song of praise and joy.” The original carols were pagan songs, but early Christians began celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus at the same time as the Winter Solstice and used Christian songs instead of pagan songs. Today we have caroling and Christmas by Candlelight services, which were made popular during the Victorian era.
Prince William’s Favorite Christmas Music Some local Christmas music enthusiasts shared their favorite Christmas songs with us. Check out their recommendations to help you build a festive new playlist for your holiday season. Leah Marsh, a Northern Virginia resident, put Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” at the top of her list. Her other favorites include “Dominic the Donkey,” “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Brittney Hunt of Bristow loves “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “All I Want for Christmas is You” and “Sleigh Bells.” “We listen to Christmas music all month in our house! It simply gets us into the spirit of Christmas and lets our family bond,” she said.
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“Growing up in Arizona, I loved the idea of a white Christmas. I am a snow lover,” she said. Megan Zimmerman of Bristow shared that her favorite holiday song is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” “I love all the classics, but this is my favorite because it reminds me of my grandmother and setting up her decorations around the holidays. Takes me back every time,” she said. Isn’t it wonderful how songs can bring back cherished memories with just a few notes? Barbara Pyles of Manassas listed a number of favorites: “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night” and “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” She enjoys “the first three because they are nostalgic, with good memories” and the rest “because of their message.” Pyles also loves to play her Carpenters Christmas album, where she can soak up all of the above songs. Gainesville resident Patrick King’s favorites are the traditional Christmas songs. “My favorite is ‘Carol of the Bells.’ However, I like to hear strange takes on it. For instance, there’s a version recorded by the
