Advent Calendar Day 16

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The day 16 window on my Advent Calendar creaks open. Having said that I wouldn’t be featuring many chart hits, I’m doing it again today. Just one, though, as I’m exercising a little restraint. Today’s other choice is from the first band to make their second appearance in my selections – because I think they’re worth it.

First up is a novelty hit from the days when just about everyone was releasing a Christmas record. It comes from one of the most talented musicians of the past fifty years, seen here putting his own unique stamp on a well-known Christmas carol tune:

The original tune is believed to have been written by a German mystic called Hans Seuse, sometime around 1328 – information from that time is a little hazy, as it was a year or two before Wikipedia began. It is the basis for the carol Good Christian Men Rejoice, and features in many collections of Christmas music. Notably, it is the theme for Bach’s chorale prelude (BWV 739). Mike Oldfield’s version was released as a single in November 1975, and reached #4 in the UK charts. It also made the top ten in Ireland, Belgium and The Netherlands. The other guy in the video, if you can spot him, is Les Penning, who played recorder and kortholt (a woodwind instrument) on the record.

(A PS: I’ve been advised that a reader in the US got the ‘not available in your country’ message on that video. But we tried this link instead – https://youtu.be/eIUlEUWKloM – which appears to work)

For my second song today, I’m giving you another from the excellent Walk Off The Earth (WOTE). By my reckoning they have made around ten videos of Christmas songs, each given a different treatment. I can safely say that this is the only song I’ll be including in my Advent Calendar which was recorded on a plane:

As with everything WOTE do, that video exudes their sense of fun, and I love the way they get others involved with it: that young lady is clearly enjoying herself. They make creative use of a small space, too, and there are some lovely reactions from their fellow passengers. That one just says ‘happiness’ to me.

Now, what could I choose as a picture to accompany these? How about this – a practice run for the flight path:

Same time, same place tomorrow? 👍

37 thoughts on “Advent Calendar Day 16”

    • Firstly, thank you for following and visiting. Secondly, I’m sorry you got that with the video: you aren’t the first! I added in a PS with a link to another version, and that seems to work, so do try again if you feel like it!

      WOTE are one of my favourite video bands. They are very creative, not to mention being good musicians and singers.

      Ah, senior moments…I know them well 😂

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      • I’ve been meaning to visit and follow for some time, but … I spend 12-14 hours on this blog, between research and writing, and it leaves little time these days to visit other blogs, much to my chagrin. I will check out the other version of it … that happens to me a lot, too, that I post a video and find that people in Canada or the UK cannot view it. There’s just no way to know before you post it.

        Yes, they seem very creative and what I liked best is they seemed to have fun making music!

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      • I understand: there’s no compulsion, but I’m glad you did! The other version is called a ‘Christmas’ version, but is actually just the original with snowy window frame surrounds. It worked ok for the other American reader who had the problem, so 🤞

        Fun is the hallmark of WOTE’s approach. They’ve not sold huge numbers of records but their videos get multi-million views, and their concerts sell out around the world.

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  2. First introduction to Mike Oldfield. What great fun to increase the tempo along the way and add so many parts. Thanks for posting the other link so we could watch it.

    Do you know any backstory to the WOTE video? I’d love to know if this was a complete mystery to these passengers. Some of the passengers obviously got into the spirit of things, but I also got a kick out of those who sat there like statues the whole time. What’s up with that? I’d love for something like this to happen on a plane ride.

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    • Really? You have a lot of catching up to do: his first record was Tubular Bells in 1973! I almost posted that second version – I wish I had, now!

      I don’t know the backstory but I’m guessing the passengers would have known at least something: the band would have needed the airline:s permission and setting up the cameras would have been a clue something was about to happen.

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