By now the music is ubiquitous. For weeks, everywhere you go, there’s Christmas music. In the store, on the radio, it’s a flood. It’s largely commercially driven, by stores and radio stations. And it’s mostly secular Christmas music.
The commercial music programmers know enough to save the really good music for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
But before you tear your hair out over this blatant commercialization of the holiday, don’t forget that there’s also good, live Christmas music being performed, if you know where to look.
Fewer churches have special Christmas music programs but some still do, and the music is extremely good. At Bethel Lutheran Church, in downtown Madison, the 60-voice choir will be singing John Rutter’s Magnificat, the Song of Mary, at 9am and 11:15am services this Sunday.
The 85th annual Christmas concerts at Edgewood College are being held this weekend. Tickets are $7 for performances by a number of ensembles.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the UW Winter Concert by five UW choral groups. The setting was gorgeous, Luther Memorial Church, and the music reflected the setting. And the music was free and performed by top musicians. The pieces ranged from the 16th century to the 20th century, and all gave praise to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sure there’s a lot about what the Christmas holidays have become that does not reflect what the season is supposed to be about. But there’s still incredibly beautiful music that does reflect the season, if you know where to look.