A Holiday Season Soundtrack

I almost decided to call my blog “Grub, Grains, Grapes and Grunge” to reflect the enormous role music plays in enhancing all of my food and wine experiences. And nowhere is that more evident than during the holiday season, where the Christmas music soundtrack in our home begins playing Thanksgiving week and doesn’t stop until New Year’s Day! Read (and listen!) on to learn more about how “pairing” music, food, and wine over the holidays makes everything merrier!

Our Christmas Tree in Alexandria, VA

Music has always been a critical part of my life. I grew up in a family where everyone (well, almost everyone!) had the music gene. My uncle, Donald Dumler, was one of the top organists in the world and held the position of head organist at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City for decades, playing for Popes and Presidents. My mom was a talented pianist, and my siblings and I each learned to play different instruments including piano, guitar, drums, and flute. Alas, my dad was less musically inclined than the rest of us, but he did give the guitar a try, working hard to master the song “Stella by Starlight” before finally throwing in the towel a few weeks later. It probably didn’t help that my brothers, sister, and I were less supportive of his musical endeavors than we otherwise could and should have been!

So, there was always music in our house, but once the holiday season rolled around, the record players got a serious workout as Christmas music played pretty much non-stop during the month of December. We had all the classics – Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, Andy Williams, and Ray Conniff to name a few. As the years went on, I built my own collection of holiday music that I would pull out every year when we decorated our house for Christmas, and then continue playing until the decorations were put away after New Year's Day. And that collection (now all digital of course!) has continued to grow and expand each year.

In fact, in 2000 I created a Christmas CD/playlist for my wife Laurie and I as well as our families which turned into an annual event and continues to this day – those 21 playlists now constitute our holiday season soundtrack and spans the range of musical styles, from rock to jazz to instrumental to choral to A cappella to the classic oldies. Each of the different Christmas albums, playlists, and even individual songs remind me of wonderful times gathering with friends and family to enjoy food and wine over the holidays and often bring back vivid memories of Christmas’s past.

For example, the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, one of my all-time favorites, always reminds me of my dad sitting at the Christmas dinner table. He passed along his love of Christmas to me and my siblings, and that bittersweet song means even more to me since he passed away a few years ago, especially Kenny Loggins' beautiful but melancholy version. And the classics by Como, Mathis, Williams, and others bring back memories of Christmas Eve when we would open our presents after coming home from the candlelight service at church, as well as Christmas morning when we would have a decidedly eclectic Geis family breakfast consisting of sausage balls, ham and cream cheese pinwheels, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and ice cream punch. And whenever I hear America’s Holiday Harmony album I am instantly transported back to Laurie and I in our townhouse kitchen in Alexandria, VA making and decorating Christmas cookies during our first Christmas together.

Also, holiday music is fundamentally different from the music I listen to at other times of the year in a number of ways. First, for some reason I never tire of hearing the same Christmas song over and over again during the holiday season - they never get old! Second, I generally hate covers of original songs, but absolutely love and seek out new versions of the classic Christmas songs every year. And lastly, I only listen to Christmas music during the holiday season – Paul McCartney could announce that the Beatles were releasing a new CD of 15 never before heard new Beatles songs recorded during their heyday in the late 60's on the day after Thanksgiving and I would still wait to listen to it until New Year’s Day!

Like a wine that perfectly complements a dish, the holiday music I choose to play while cooking, or hosting a holiday cocktail hour or dinner, or just relaxing with a glass of wine in the evening by the tree is designed to complement the occasion as well. When I’m cooking in the kitchen over the holidays, the soundtrack is almost always newer and more modern versions of classic Christmas songs. But I always kick off the season by playing The Carpenters’ Christmas Collection while cooking my first dinner after we have decorated the house for Christmas. Hosting a Christmas cocktail party? I’ll pull out the oldies playlist along with the upbeat songs to spread the holiday cheer and get everyone in the holiday spirit. For holiday dinners, we’ll choose our choral or instrumental playlists to set a more mellow mood. And for that after dinner glass of wine or cocktail enjoyed sitting by the fire with the Christmas tree lights twinkling? That calls for one of my holiday jazz playlists of course! In each case, the music playing in the background plays an essential role in enhancing the enjoyment of food and wine and making the moment memorable, especially during the holiday season.

So, for your listening pleasure, I thought I’d share a Christmas cocktail party playlist that I created for this year’s holiday season – I hope it will find a spot on your regular holiday music rotation in the coming years!

Christmas Cocktail Hour Playlist (Apple Music)

I plan to take a short break from blogging during the month of December as Laurie and I will be moving into our new home in Sarasota, FL and enjoying our first Christmas in the Sunshine State! But I’ll be back with a new blog the first Friday in January to share my memories of the absolute worst thing I ever ate. In the meantime, enjoy the holiday season and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2022!