MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Today we’re doing a combined Advent Calendar and Essential Playlist to celebrate all the wonderful songs we’ve featured every day.
Day one of our Essential Advent Calendar and we bring you, ‘One Christmas Place’, the official Christmas song from Burning Astronomers.
Day 2 saw Sparks release their traditional (once every 41 years) Christmas song, ‘Christmas Without A Prayer’ .
On the third of December we opened our third door and found…’Christmas Light’, a lovely airy, happy, and altogether *fun* EP from Coventry singer, Stylusboy!
It was day four of our Essential Advent Calendar, and it wouldn’t be Christmas without Shakin’ Stevens and ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ would it??
On Day 5 of the Essential Advent Calendar, we introduced you to Lily Lambert, and her Americana-style take on the classic, ‘Carol of the Bells’.
You might have wondered how ‘Leave A Mark’ was our 6th door of Advent. Well, this year it’s the charity song for ALONE Ireland, for whom Jedward are the Christmas ambassadors.
Behind the 8th door of The Essential Advent Calendar was award-winning Americana trio Red Sky July. Their song, ‘Save Christmas Day for Me’, is beautifully orchestrated and atmospheric, featuring Beth Nielsen Chapman.Â
Day 9 on the Essential Advent Calendar saw us open on ‘Give Anything’, by Irish band, Great White Lies. Not specifically a Christmas song, it’s nonetheless a song about hope, so quite fitting for our calendar.
On the 10th day of our Essential Advent Calendar the door opened on Dame Shirley Bassey and British vocal harmony trio, BLAKE, who have collaborated with, ‘The Christmas Song’.
On day 11 on the Essential Advent Calendar we looked behind the door to find ‘Home For the Holidays Vol 8’ from XO Publicity, a compilation album featuring 9 bands from the XO stable.
Moving away slightly from traditional Advent Calendar songs, on Day 12 we opened the door on NJ Taylor, with her song, ‘So You’.
Day 13 of the Essential Advent Calendar found Rick Wakeman, who has collaborated with 15 year old soprano Emmie Beckitt, on a Christmas single, ‘Welcome A Star’.
December 14 and the door opened on our Essential Advent Calendar to Daniel Martin Moore with his song, ‘It’s Christmas’.
The 15th day of our Essential Advent Calendar and it was ‘Love Will Be The Answer (Happy Christmas)’, recorded by Carnaby Street.
Comrade Hat’s ‘Winter Songs 2009-2015’ was behind door number 16 of our Essential Advent Calendar.
Songs of Contrast, with their fun party song, ‘I Forgot That It Was Christmas’ were behind Day 17 of our Essential Advent Calendar.
We’re up to Day 18 of the Essential Advent Calendar – only a week left to go! On this day we featured ‘Holly’, the new single from The Diamond Age.
Three of Welsh songwriter Adrian David’s songs have made it to the semi-finals of the prestigious UK Songwriting Contest. One of them, ‘Christmas’, was behind door number 19 of our Essential Advent Calendar.
We’re on the home stretch! 6 year old Jet Watling was behind door number 20 of the Essential Advent Calendar, with ‘Reindeer Romp & Roll’.
With a great seasonal take on the classic 70s hit, ‘Ça Plane Pour Moi’, The Rubettes featuring Alan Williams, were behind door number 21 with ‘Plastic Christmas’.
On the 22nd of December we commemorated the Winter Solstice with ‘Rainbow Of Light (Anthem)’, written by Linda Lamon and sung by Katerina Mina.
It was Christmas Eve Eve as we opened door number 23 on our Essential Advent Calendar and found Cliona singing, ‘Irish Eyes Smiling At Christmas’.
Yesterday was Christmas Eve our second last door on the Essential Advent Calendar: The Mariachis with ‘Coz It’s Christmas Time’.
