by Les Pearson
Giving Folk Music is Nearly as Good as Getting at Christmas!

It is most at Christmas that I wish I could be adopted. Not for a long time. Just for the season. You know…those good times that are shared with friends and their families.

When you reach a certain age, when you are far from relatives, Christmas music opens memory’s floodgates. I remember a special Christmas with Mennonite friends in Hepburn, Saskatchewan.

Henry and Esther’s family was home for the holidays. My wife and I basked in the warmth of their love and generosity. I can still hear trained adult voices singing carols in full-throated, six-part, harmony. At a time when my neural grooves are fading, this one is indelibly engraved.

Last summer, the Moody family of Winnipeg actually invited me to join them for Christmas. It was because I had whimsically wondered about the festive music in a household filled with so many fine musicians.

You may remember that Ruth Moody is one of the Wailin’ Jennys and her brother, Richard, is the newest member of The Bills. But the entire family is musical! And the Christmas celebration and traditions they proceeded to describe were harmoniously bound up in seasonal songs. I nearly accepted their generous polite invitation!

But this is getting. What about Christmas giving?

There are always a host of CDs on offer. Each year the Christmas crop sprouts like dandelions on a June lawn. They are colourful, but almost always a nuisance in number. Prominent artists in all the genres seed stores with their annual Christmas fluff. Why? Because we expect it, of course!

Some endure. The recording that I would recommend may already be in your collection. Check with your friends. If they are lacking this one, it will make a memorable gift. If you don’t have it, hint hard!

Quartette is one of those uber-folk groups whose sum is greater because of its talented parts. This Canadian group was comprised of Sylvia Tyson, Cindy Church, Caitlin Hanford, and Colleen Peterson. They released It’s Christmas! in 1996. The recording is a marvellous blend of traditional and original roots songs. It is nearly as fine as the recording I’m recommending.

Tragically, in 1996, just before their first Christmas CD was released, Colleen Peterson died of cancer. Before she died, Colleen introduced the group to Gwen Swick. In the intervening years, Gwen has capably completed Quartette.

With Gwen, Quartette released a second Christmas CD, I See a Star. Along with traditional songs such as O Holy Night, All Through the Night, and In the Bleak Midwinter, there are original songs by each group member. The mix ranges from standard four-part traditional to western swing and blue grass. This recording makes a fine Christmas gift.

And if you still need stocking stuffers, try tickets for the Eric Bibb, Linda Tillery and Cultural Heritage Choir concert at the Esplanade on January 24. This concert has enough voltage to thrill you until next Christmas!