Oh yes, I have very strong opinions about Christmas music. I grew up listening to recordings by Julie Andrews, Bing Crosby, and various orchestras, to name a few. I suppose once a person has heard a song performed a certain way over and over, other versions simply may not meet up with one's expectations. This is true for me, at least.

This year I noticed My Favorite Things (from The Sound of Music) was masquerading as holiday music. Our local college choir sang it at their annual Christmas concert, and performed it well. But I heard a female vocalist singing that song on the radio and she absolutely butchered it. Her voice wasn't too bad, but she insisted on adding flourishes and straying badly from the original tune, to the point of wailing. No. Just no. You're not Julie Andrews, honey.

Do you want to record a traditional Christmas hymn? Great! Just sing it as written, please. No extra notes, no switching to your own tune in the middle of it. We all grew up hearing it and singing it the way it was printed in our hymn books; you can't improve on it.

And don't mess with the lyrics! Do you think the words aren't politically correct? I don't think the feminists will come after you if you sing "Good Christian Men, Rejoice." Remember, it was loosely translated to English in 1853, and that's the way people spoke back then. "Men" could just as well mean "people in general", not just males.(It still does, actually.) Besides, if you go look at what is thought to be the original version of the song, there is no mention whatsoever of "men", "women" or "people." So just sing it the way we're all used to it, okay?

Example two comes in the words to O Little Town of Bethlehem. There is nothing wrong with "And praises sing to God the king, and peace to men on earth." I am a woman, and I am sufficiently educated to know the second definition of "man " is "a human being of either sex; a person." So just sing it the way it's written and don't mess with our memories. Thank you.