MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dear Readers,

Elon Musk recently claimed the world is now divided into two separate camps - team human vs team extinction and I've been amazed how many of the extinctionists (known to me) appear to pipe down to enjoy their festivities in this holiday period even though deep down I know they're (consciously or subconsciously) profoundly anti-human.

Personally, I'm team Christmas and so my way of spreading my ethos is to share the cultural delights I routinely return to every December while the 'lovely lifers' are uploading their jolly travails in far off places on social media and parading their wealthy cavorts whilst the rest of us Bob Cratchets have to warm ourselves by the flickering candlelight, sipping our budget equivalent of Baileys which tastes like the sweetest of paint thinner.

Mind you, the sheer wealth of culture I have to fall back on makes me feel like a millionaire so I feel less crabby in the knowledge that no amount of money could replace the feast of joy I have available to me.

So let's start with the books first ...

Christmas Books

Dickens's "A Christmas Carol' needs no introduction but Susan Cooper's 'The Dark Is Rising' and John Masefield's 'The Box Of Delights' might. On the picture book side of things 'The Tomten' (Floris Books) and Raymond Briggs's 'The Snowman' and 'Father Christmas' (Hamish Hamilton) are all exceptionally evocative of this magical time of year and are recommended unreservedly (even if you are an adult FFS).

Christmas Music

Of the easy listening Christmas albums, I always have to hand Mel Torme's 'Christmas Songs', Tony Bennett's 'Snowfall' and Frank Sinatra's 'A Jolly Christmas' to fall back on, followed by the second tier headed by Nat King Cole, Andy Williams and Dean Martin. Of course, it shouldn't even need to be said that Bing is always welcome as he created the market in which the crooning Christmas album became a regular feature of the holiday season.

Classical music and opera-wise, I find I need some Rutter, Handel and Tchaikovsky as my three essential musical pillars: 'The Nutcracker' (Decca) conducted by HvK, Handel's 'Messiah (Archiv) conducted by Trevor Pinnock and Rutter's 'The Holly And The Ivy' (Decca) with the Clare College Choir are regular go tos. Britten's 'A Ceremony Of Carols' is another must as is Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony (Masur) and Elgar's 'The Starlight Express (Chandos) where the final climax referencing 'The First Noel' is truly sublime and will raise the hairs on the back of any neck with the possible exception of turkeys.

To my mind, Beethoven's 'Fidelio', Mozart's 'Die Zauberflote', Weber's 'Der Freischutz' and Humperdinck's 'Hansel And Gretel' all are vital additions to help enhance the spirit of Christmas and if you're feeling a little more nihilistic and despairing in a Russian type of way (sorry, Zelinsky!) then Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin' and Mussorgsky's 'Boris Godunov' make a nice contrast to the more chocolate boxy German operas mentioned above. "La Boheme' is Christmas in opera form and it goes without saying that it needs to be played during the entire month of December and even January if you can. Wagner has his place at Christmas too, especially Act One of 'Die Walküre' and 'Lohengrin' that seem to capture a magical sense of other worldliness which fits perfectly with the spirit of introspection that Mid-Winter induces.

Christmas Films

'Home Alone' 1 and 2 (1991/2) are the rarest of crowd pleasing masterpieces that combine the spirit of Christmas with a bit of the old, comedic ultra-violence. Who knew that blow torching some bumbling burglars could seem so positively festive? 'Home Alone 2' is the greatest sequel to a film since 'The Godfather Part 2' and should have swept the Oscars that year if only the jury's criterion had been sheer audience satisfaction for time immemorial. God bless you, John Hughes wherever you are.

'It's A Wonderful Life' (1946), 'Santa Claus : The Movie' (1985) and 'A Christmas Carol' (2009) are all essential for capturing and reminding us of the deep magic of the season and I don't mind throwing in a couple of MGM classics for good measure either, including 'Singin' In The Rain', 'The Bandwagon' (1952) and naturally 'Meet Me In Saint Louis' (1944) for Judy's sublime and definitive rendition of 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'.

John Landis's classic capitalist remake of 'The Prince and The Pauper' with 'Trading Places' (1983) also has to be included in any Christmas film watching list. Who can forget Dan Ackroyd's tugging at salmon embedded in his dank, mottled fake Santa beard? A truly indelible festive image.

If you're feeling a little less commercially minded then Bill Forsyth's 'Comfort and Joy' (1984) and Ingmar Bergman's 'Fanny And Alexander' (1982) make great alternatives to Bruce Willis running barefoot through Nakatomi Plaza in 'Die Hard' (1988).

More recently, I've welcomed into the Christmas fold Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut' (1999). Shane Black's 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' (2005) as well as the Coen Bros 'Inside Llewyn Davis' (2013) if only for the fact they've got an abundance of snow in them. Sometimes that's all it takes.

Christmas Television

"The Snowman', 'Father Christmas' and Warner Bros's 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' are not going anywhere in the Christmas viewing roster either. Never understood the hype around "A Charlie Brown Christmas" but am willing to accept it may be a cultural 'lost in translation' type thing. Damn Yanks!

BBC's 'Bleak House', 'The Box Of Delights' and 'The Chronicles Of Narnia' are all now staples that have survived the initial ten year test that secures a festive legacy in my winter pantheon. It would be remiss of me not to mention the perfection that is ‘The Office’ Christmas specials which redeems the fool, David Brent (Ricky Gervais) with the Christmas miracle of love.

I also like returning to Imelda Staunton’s 'Gypsy' as I do watching Kleiber's 'Der Rosenkvalier' from the Vienna State Opera for music theatre entertainment as well as making sure to watch the annual Vienna New Year's Day Concert', dreaming of my return to that city of Freud and waltzes.

Team Christmas for the win!

Rituals are important this time of year and I can think of no more life-enhancing choices than the ones provided above and so hope you'll consider indulging for your own well-being should you not be skiing in the alps, dunking your head in an ice trough with Wim Hof or surfing snow with a pack of actual reindeers.

And once again, may I say a sincere heartfelt thanks for your support for my crazily inconsistent year of writing. Digital Renegade may have semi-retired (in a Frank Sinatra type of way) but he is never more than one post away from a spectacular return.

Merry Christmas one and all!

Digital Renegade

December 24th, 2023