Sing-along Café 2024-11-28

Our theme was Winter, and we started with a bunch of York Region Community Choir songs. Robin and I knew them well, but maybe they were new to the others. The YRCC December concert is always a Winter Concert, and the choir represents the community, so it has got to be more than just Christmas. Therefore, I always got lots of other seasonal songs to offer. (btw, the YRCC winter concert is this Sunday, December 1st, 2024)

Something that we noticed was how many winter songs are about loneliness. There are big expectations for family and friends to gather, for love to be all over the place for the holidays. And, there are always thoughts of people who are missing from the gatherings. Sigh. The darkness of winter. We need lots of lights and lots of singing. Luckily, Main Street is bright and festive and we do lots of singing. 

We had some fun listening to older songs and realizing how our culture has changed for the better regarding women. One very clear example is the old Frank Sinatra version of Baby, It’s Cold Outside compared with John Legend’s modern one. We noticed beautiful poetry in songs that we missed when we didn't pay attention to the words, or even have access to the words, in the past. This is something that comes up all the time on our singing nights. 

I brought pumpkin cake squares and carrot jam muffins to share and some of us sipped some tea when we weren't singing. I especially enjoyed belting out the Frozen song, Let it Go, always do. And, the lai la lai part of the Boxer always makes me happy. It was a lovely evening in lovely company. 

Here are some of the songs we sang and listened to:

• Song for a Winter's Night by Gordon Lightfoot and by Sarah McLachlan (and a bit of Blue Rodeo)
• River by Sarah McLachlan (and mentioned Blue Rodeo again)
• Winter Song by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson
• A Hazy Shade of Winter and The Boxer and I am a Rock by Simon & Garfunkel
• Let it Go by Idina Menzel
• I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm by Frank Sinatra and by Idina Menzel & Billy Porter
• Baby, It's Cold Outside by Frank Sinatra (with Dorothy Kirsten)
• Baby, It's Cold Outside by John Legend (with Kelly Clarkson)
• Winter Wonderland by Blake Shelton, by the Eurythmics, and by John Secada 
• Cold as Ice by Foreigner
• Dreams by Fleetwood Mac
• The Mummer's Dance by Loreena McKennitt

My Winter Apple Playlist