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Christmas survival guide: a playlist to guide you through the day
Preparing the turkey, opening presents, going to Church, or the obligatory family walk - we all celebrate Christmas in different ways, but we've chosen a piece of music to accompany your celebrations. Let our festive playlist guide you through every step of Christmas Day.
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1. Christmas Eve: In dulci jubilo, Bach
Welcome in Christmas morning with this majestic organ piece traditionally played at the service of nine lessons and carols at King's College Chapel.
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2. Christmas morning: Troika, Prokofiev
Sleigh bells and a fantastic wintery tune imbued with anticipation and excitement, Prokofiev's sleigh-ride in music is the perfect piece to wake up to on Christmas morning.
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3. Preparing food: Gaudete!
Beautiful and lively in equal measure, this Latin carol is suitably rhythmic to propel your day forward. The song was first published in Piae Cantiones, a collection of sacred songs from 1582.
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4. A glass of Buck's fizz: Deck the Halls
A suitably bubbly Christmas carol to kick off the morning and accompany a glass of orange juice (or something slightly stronger) to toast the Christmas morning. 'Tis the season to be jolly, after all!
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5. Time for church: 'Hallelujah' from Messiah, Handel
Whether you're on the way to church to celebrate the birth of Jesus, or simply fancy an glorious blaze of choral splendour, why not celebrate the birth of Jesus with the 'Hallelujah' chorus from Handel's Messiah?
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6. Opening presents: The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky
Toys, sweets, and an enchanted world for children - what better music to listen to when opening presents than Tchaikovsky's enchanting ballet score to The Nutcracker? For a festive treat, listen to the cheery Trepak, or the magical Kingdom of the Sweets.
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7. Christmas dinner: Christmas Oratorio, Bach
Regal and fantastic, with some brilliant tunes and soaring vocal lines, Bach's Christmas Oratorio is a perfect classical accompaniment to a lengthy sit-down meal. The music is in six parts, one for Christmas Day, with the later parts written for performance on the 26th, 27th of December, and the 1st, 2nd and 6th of January, and the piece lasts around three hours - so you can take your time over your turkey.
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8. Afternoon walk: Christmas Concerto, Corelli
The perfect soundtrack to a wintery walk, let the pastoral strains of the finale of Corelli's Christmas Concerto warm your heart. When the music was published in 1714, the Pastorale had associations with the holiday theme, so is marked as optional so the concerto could be performed throughout the year.
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9. Board games: A Christmas Festival, Anderson
A fantastic festive medley of cheery carols and songs, complete with cheeky rhythms, booming brass, and a shake of the sleigh bells thrown in for good measure - a perfect light-hearted soundtrack for Christmas afternoon.
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10. Sit down in front of the tree: Little Tree, Whitacre
A beautiful ode to a Christmas tree by E. E. Cummings, written in the voice of a child as they look up to the gold baubles and bright shining lights. The setting by Eric Whitacre is gorgeously simple, portraying childish naivety with skipping choral lines and twinkling piano.
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11. Winding down: Christmas Lullaby, Rutter
After a long day, let Rutter's soft lullaby telling the story of the birth of Jesus relax you before you head to bed. It's a beautiful choral classic, with a delicate flute line gliding over the top of the singing.
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12. Bed time: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (arr. J Sandstrom)
Peaceful, ethereal, and tear-jerkingly beautiful, this arrangement of the traditional 15th Century German carol seems to stretch time with its held chords and hushed humming. A perfect way to end the day.
