And so this is Christmas...

There’s a fire in the fireplace, a pile of fun presents (popcorn maker, learn to play harmonica kit (!), music to be tallied later, etc.) under the tree and we just finished watching the best 22 minutes of animated Christmas sentiment ever - “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” - after a delicious dinner. I hope you had as lovely a holiday as we did here at the CPF HQ, and I wish you all the best for a great ’08.

While sorting through some older December email this afternoon, I found a charming musical ecard from the folks at World's Fair, home to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, British Sea Power and other breakout acts of 2007. It's a sweet holiday tune, “The Morning of Christmas” by Eric Pulido of Midlake.

That's something for all to enjoy, and there's an extra little giftie that, alas, I can share with just one of you...

The first (and not, we hope, last) CPF Readers Giveway!
Nashville, Tenn-based GrandVista Music gave CPF an extra copy of its 3-cd box set “How Sweet The Sound” ("As Seen on TV!" it says here) to use as a giveaway for blog readers. It just arrived in the mail on Friday, so consider this a prize you can pack up with the ornaments and you'll be set to jump for Holiday Season '08.

The boxed set combines smooth jazz and orchestral arrangements of classic Christmas hymns in a gentle musical wash that works well as pleasant background during the endless dinner parties and (if you’re lucky) present-opening sessions that come with the season. A fourth, bonus disc, adds a children’s choir into the mix, but in a subtle fashion – as accent, not prime focus. (Let's face it - even at Christmas time, a little children’s chorus goes a long way.)

The members of the orchestra are pulled from Nashville’s local talent pool; collectively, the musicians and arrangers have worked with the likes of Michael McDonald, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Tony Bennett, Diana Krall and Alison Krauss. The liner notes, by Robert J. Morgan (author, minister, hymns musicologist) outlines the origin and history behind the hymns.

It’s not the kind of music that generally rocks this house, but it works for a mellow Sunday/holiday morning and would make a faboo gift for an older relative – Aunt Muriel, perhaps?

I'll personally mail it - with a copy of this year's highly-coveted (by CPFs everywhere) "Cool Yule '07" compilation to the first CPF reader to post a "Grinch" reference in the comments section.

Happy holidays, everybody. God bless us, every one (Tiny Tim made no exceptions)