Some say a star will rise again
In the hearts of humankind
Some say we have been in exile
What we need is solar fire

Tori Amos sung this version of We Three Kings on her Christmas album, Midwinter Graces. It’s a little Tori-ish, and heavy handed with the production, and I like it.

Snowflakes fall, cold winds blow
Outside it’s winter white
And there’s nowhere else I’d rather be tonight

Diana Panton has a stunningly beautiful voice, and this is an original song of hers from her Christmas Kiss album.

Winter’s fine, a little bit of cold and ice
And we’re stuck inside, with the drapes shut tight

Said The Whale are an indie rock band from Vancouver, and Summertime in Australia is a short little track from their West Coast Christmas EP collection. It’s upbeat and sweet, and sometimes I like having songs on the Christmas mix that acknowledge that Australian Christmases are summery affairs.

The church bells in town, all ringing in song
Full of happy sounds, baby, please come home

Melissa Etheridge’s version of Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) is a great rocking number, complete with guitar solo. (And a very clunky title, why not just call it “Baby, Please Come Home”?) It’s a 1963 pop song originally performed by Darlene Love.

Gone away, is the bluebird
Here to stay, is a new bird
He sings a love song,
While we go along
Walking in a winter wonderland

I haven’t actually included Emilie-Claire Barlow’s version of Winter Wonderland on a Christmas mix, but the Christmas songs of hers I have included don’t have YouTube videos. Barlow has a stunning voice, and her version of Winter Wonderland (a 1934 Christmas pop standard) is lovely.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day,
Their old, familiar carols play

Sarah McLachlan’s version of this carol is beautiful, one of my favourite versions. Wikipedia says I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day is a carol based on an 1863 poem “Christmas Bells”. I used it in the 2013 Christmas mix.

A child is born, born in Bethlehem
Born in a cattle pen
A child is born on the killing floor
And still he no crying makes

I really like Anais Mitchell’s slightly reedy voice, and Song of the Magi is from her Brightness album. I included it on last year’s mix.

By the time we got to Oslo, snow was gone, and we got lost
The beds were small but we felt so young

Most of Low’s Christmas album (I wonder how many Christmas albums are just entitled ‘Christmas’) is a little too slowcore for my taste, but Just Like Christmas is on the more upbeat side. I included it on last year’s mix.

Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight;
When it’s exactly twelve o’clock that night

Rufus Wainwright has such a wonderful voice, and this version of the 1947 pop song was from The McGarrigle Christmas Hour album. I included it on last year’s mix.

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
Celebremos juntos la vida
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
Y que viva la alegría

Michael Buble’s version of Jose Feliciano’s 1970 song, from his Christmas album in 2011. It’s wonderfully upbeat and I finished the 2011 mix with it.