On the Sixth Day of Christmas

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The most relaxing and peaceful Christmas television for me this year, was the film of Norway’s Sami reindeer herders guiding their animals’ migration, 160 miles across the region of Finnmark. It’s a trek across an expanse of snow, hundreds of reindeer, no commentary, just the natural sounds of the breeze, the animals and the song of the Sami people known as yoik. It’s a sound which seems to belong in this landscape, calling out across vast mountainous regions and a centuries old way of life.

The programme is available on BBC iPlayer for a year.

All Aboard – The Great Reindeer Migration.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

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Carol of the Bells composed by Mykola Leonovitch in about 1916, is based on a Ukrainian folk chant, Shchedryk, a traditional New Year song. Of the many versions created since, it is perhaps well known as part of John Williams’ soundtrack for the film ‘Home Alone’ where it has new lyrics in English. The tune happens to sound great on the cello. I am biased: I play the cello and loved playing this piece with my students. I like this version by Daniel Demian which weaves in two other melodies. Warning: if you don’t like heights, this clip contains mountain top views.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

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The gagayeum is a Korean zither (similar to the Japanese koto and the Chinese guzheng) and Luna Lee is a brilliantly inventive musician who makes it sound like an electric guitar. Well almost. She has given this traditional Korean instrument a new lease of life by playing classics from the genre of rock and pop: from the Beatles, the Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Amy Winehouse, Radiohead and more. As someone who is fascinated by the traditional music and instruments of different cultures, I was surprised and completely won over by Luna Lee’s playing as soon as I heard it. Here she is multi-tracking, singing and playing her version of White Christmas.

To a get a real flavour of her work you have to see this: