My Advent Calendar of Music – Day #7: Longing for Home

Posted on December 7, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX


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Today is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941. immediately after that attack, many young men were pulled away from their families to fight for our and others’ freedoms. I am sure that most of them missed being away from home and family, especially at Christmas time.

I have to admit, when I was a kid, I didn’t care for this song at all – I think it’s only as we grow up and leave home that we are able to appreciate the bittersweet sentiment of this song.  It wasn’t until I was older that I learned the story of this song – and that has made it one of my favorites as an adult:

In 1943, this song joined “White Christmas” to become one of America’s most popular Christmas songs. The recording by Bing Crosby shot to the top ten of the record charts that year and became a holiday musical tradition in the United States. The idea of being home for Christmas originated in World War II when soldiers at first thought that the war would be quick and they would return by Christmas time. This inevitably did not happen, hence the line “if only in my dreams”.

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My Advent Calendar of Music – Day #6: Herod the King

Posted on December 6, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

Coventry Carol.
The Coventry Carol has been a favorite of mine for many years – when done “right”, it will send chills up your spine. The author of this work is unknown; the oldest known text was written down by Robert Croo in 1534, and the oldest known printing of the melody dates from 1591. The carol is traditionally sung a cappella.

Today, I’m going to share a few of my favorite versions of this hauntingly beautiful melody with you, starting with The Robert Shaw Chorale:
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My Advent Calendar of Music – Day #5: A Rockin’ Christmas

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

While I love the traditional Christmas carols that we sing in church, I also love many of the songs that I hear on the radio.  One of my favorites has always been “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree”; no Christmas is complete until I have heard Brenda Lee a few times (couldn’t resist the video!):
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My Advent Calendar of Music – Day #4: Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

Can you go a Christmas season without hearing “Blue Christmas” at least once? I say you cannot! This is one of those songs that grows on you over the years.

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My Advent Calendar of Music – Day #3: A Cappella Fun

Posted on December 3, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

Straight No Chaser Christmas
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The first time I heard this arrangement of “The 12 Days of Christmas”, I knew that I had to go out and buy this group’s album:
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I liked their music so much that I bought copies as Christmas presents for our church choir director and organist (and the organist’s son loved it so much that he insisted on listening to the CD at bedtime every night!).

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My Advent Calendar of Music – Day #2: Around the World

Posted on December 2, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

I couldn’t do posts of Christmas music without including an all-time favorite, but it truly defied classification.  I finally came up with a solution – Christmas favorites that come to us from other countries/cultures. It just might work….

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My Advent Calendar of Music – Day #1: Anticipation

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

Back in 2011, I got an idea for something to do for the days leading up to Christmas – I LOVE Christmas music, both sacred and secular, so I thought it might be nice to post some of my favorites.

The thing is, I have LOTS of favorites – too many for just one post – so I decided to do a musical version of an Advent calendar, and count down the days until that most joyous day which celebrates Christ’s birth. Whenever possible, I have included links where you can purchase your own copy of each day’s selections.

I hope you enjoy my selections – some days there may be just one song; other days, I may do both a “church” and a popular song (both “classics” and contemporary); some days I may post different versions of the same song.  I’m just winging it, so bear with me!

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The Angel Tree (a heartwarming Koch family Christmas tale)

Posted on November 29, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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A Thanksgiving Classic

Posted on November 27, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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From 1978, these classic clips from the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” never fail to leave me in stitches:

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Thanksgiving Music: “Come Ye Thankful People”

Posted on November 26, 2025 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving

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Whenever I think of Thanksgiving, this is the song that comes to mind – and this is a beautiful arrangement sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:
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