A finished guitar

Breaking the record for posts in a day, I present to you the finished guitar. In progress since late April, I am glad to see it done, and ready to be working on another one.

Christmas music

Dear Everett and everyone else,

This may be too late to do you much good for this year, but here's a start on next year's lineup of holiday tunes. Karie, my sister, asserts, "We figure we're pretty much the most knowledgable experts around" on this topic. Listen and learn.

Christmas albums we recommend:

Michael W. Smith's two seasonal albums, It's A Wonderful Christmas and Christmastime. Despite my feelings about the quality of Christian music in general, these are both worthy offerings.

Loreena McKennitt, To Drive the Cold Winter Away. Her haunting soprano brings old European carols to life.

Mannheim Steamroller, Christmas, 1984. This is the best MS album in our opinion, particularly the track titled "Stille Nacht." Germany has given the world two wonderful things, among others: Jonathan and this song.

Amy Grant, Home for Christmas. The second of her three holiday albums, this one is our favorite with tracks like "Immanuel, God with Us," "Breath of Heaven," and some quality choral/orchestral arrangements of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and others.

John Denver, Rocky Mountain Christmas. This was a favorite record album in both the Cross and Elliott households, and will certainly be part of our future. The best tracks are "Aspenglow" and "Christmas for Cowboys."

Emmylou Harris, The Christmas Album (Light of the Stable).

Sufjan Stevens has an enormous 5-CD set Christmas album, as well, and I haven't listened to it thoroughly, but it certainly merits consideration.

I also recommend purchasing a full recording of Handel's Messiah to enjoy especially at this time of year. I sang all three hours of it with the Tallahassee Chorus in November. Listening is not as good as singing, but still nice.

Now, here are some single track favorites:

Perry Como, "Home for the Holidays"
Louis Armstong, "Cool Yule" An absolute must!
Transiberian Orchestra, "Sarajevo"
Andy Williams, "It's the Holiday Season" Or alternatively, this may be titled "Happy Holidays"
Harry Belafonte, "Mary's Boy-Child"
Bing Crosby, "White Christmas"
Bing Crosby and David Bowie sing a medley of "Little Drummer Boy" and a song called "Peace on Earth." This is one of the last recordings Crosby did before he died.
Mariah Carey, "All I Want for Christmas Is You"
The Carpenters, "Merry Christmas, Darling"
Petula Clark, "Happiest Christmas"
Doris Day, "Toyland"
"March of the Toys" by any good orchestra
The Muppets, "We Need A Little Christmas"
Burl Ives, "Holly Jolly Christmas"
Mahalia Jackson, "Away in a Manger"
Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLaughlin, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings"
Alabama, "Christmas in Dixie"
The Judds, "Light of the Stable"

This is not a complete list, but it's a start. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. Love, Kelly, Karie, and Jeremy

Merlefest

That's right, Merlefest, 2008. Kelly and I will be there this year as volunteers. So named for Merle Watson, son of Doc Watson. We found the ticket price hard to swallow, but you get in free if you volunteer. Tail end of April. Doc's playing, all four nights. Old Crow Medicine Show, Ralph Stanley, many others. So those of you who want to see Doc Watson, and camp with us in western North Carolina, volunteer for the fest, unless you're wealthy enough to pay for the ticket. Many's the time I remember Reinhardt hoping to see Doc before he shuffled off this mortal coil. "Oh, that mine ears might hear the melodious strains of his Gallagher 6 string, before he plays before God himself." So Reinhardt, will you join us for four glorious days of Appalachian music? Can you refuse Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys? See you in Wilkesboro, friends, see you in Wilkesboro.