It’s around this time of year (after Halloween and Guy Fawkes are out of the way) when I usually start to plan my musical advent calendar*. I list possible songs, and listen to them over and over and decide what will go where and, especially, what will go last, because while I can get away with having some filler at the beginning of the month, the last few songs, and the Christmas Eve song most of all, obviously have to be killers. I watch different versions of videos and listen to different recordings and all in all, put in a large amount of effort in order to do justice to the year’s theme.
And here, reader, is where I have come unstuck! I can’t think of a theme for advent 2015. These are the themes we have already had:
- 2008: My favourite Christmas songs (I hadn’t decided, at that point, that this would be a Thing.)
- 2009: More of my favourite Christmas songs (Clearly I had decided it would be a Thing, but I still wasn’t planning ahead.)
- 2010: Christmas number ones (This was the year I realised I needed a theme.)
- 2011: I asked my Facebook and Twitter friends to pick the songs, then wrote about the people, rather than the music.
- 2012: Christmas songs from around the world (My secret favourite.)
- 2013: Twenty-four different versions of White Christmas (My other secret favourite.)
- 2014: Sad Christmas (Although that was quite awesome too.)
…and here are the themes I have considered and rejected for 2015 so far:
- My favourite Christmas carols
- A Country and Western Christmas
- Crooners at Christmas
- Twenty four Christmas songs by the same artist (There are only a few people this could be, and none of them is exciting enough to pull off a whole advent unaccompanied.)
The years I liked best were the years when I had to do some research, and ended up listening to songs I’d never heard before. So I would like another theme that I will have to work at a little bit. Please send me your suggestions, here, via Twitter or Facebook or email, or even in real life. Whoever provides me with a winner will get a special prize and my undying affection.
*I am aware that I haven’t written anything since the last advent calendar, but that will All Change in 2016, for sure!
Glad All Over 
I love your musical advent calendars!
How about Tamla Motown Christmas songs? (Was going to suggest Wall of Sound Christmas songs, which I love, but now they carry the spectre of Spector. What d’you think?)
How about Christmas songs: â
– that mention a mode of transport (only include sleighs if you have to)
– that mention an animal or a bird
– in foreign languages (Germany and Scandinavia should have a few; Wales?)
– in English that don’t have the word ‘Christmas’ in
– that mention weather conditions
– from countries in the Rugby World Cup (excluding England, obviously, who excluded themselves)
[if that one throws up some nice stuff, but not enough, add in countries that play international cricket (calypsos?; Canada? Zimbabwe? Netherlands? You would have to leave out Muslim or Hindu countries, probably)
Dad xx