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

Posted on December 7, 2024 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, 2024 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, 2024 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, 2024 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, 2024 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, 2024 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, 2024 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, 2024 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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Every family has their own “family lore” – stories handed down from generation to generation.  These are generally told around the campfire, on the front porch, or around the dining room table.  The good ones are side-splittingly funny; the really great ones are the ones which manage to embarass one or more family members.

Every year, Paul or I will drag out this old chestnut – it never fails to leave friends and family rolling in the aisles:

When Rebecca was a baby, Paul would oftentimes get Sarah and Michelle ready for school in the mornings.  Since they were ages 9 and 10 at the time, this consisted of waking them up, telling them to get dressed/ready, and driving them 3 blocks to the school.

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“When October Goes”

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

October Leaves.
Just ask my family – I’m one of the original “Fanilows“, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  I’ve been hooked ever since I heard “Mandy” on the radio in 1974 (what can I say?  Other girls my age went gaga for Donny Osmond – Barry’s always been “my” guy).

“When October Goes” is one of my absolute favorite Barry Manilow songs.  I first heard  this song on his amazing “2:00 A.M. Paradise Cafe” album*** – I managed to wear out the cassette tape from rewinding it to hear this song over and over and over…..

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Have a great day –
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***”When October Goes” is available in CD and MP3 formats – there are lots of good songs on the album (including duets with Sarah Vaughan and the “Velvet Fog”, Mel Torme).

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A Somber Remembrance – Thoughts on the Anniversary of 9/11

Posted on September 11, 2024 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

I suppose every generation has its share of “Where were you when….?” moments – those “somethings” that happen that are so big, so life-altering, and which affect so many people that the vast majority of them have a memory etched into their mind of where they were when they heard the news, how they felt when they heard the news, and how it changed their life forever.

I can still remember that morning – it started off like any other morning. Rachel had gotten up early and was already dressed and on her way to high school with her friends, Michelle and Sarah were getting ready for school, and Paul was getting ready for work. I was resting in bed, waiting for Rebecca – who had turned 2 months old the day before – to wake up for her morning bottle.

Paul came into the bedroom and said he had just heard on the radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Center and it was on fire.

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