Christmas in local music not (too) cheesy
Renee Wilkin, Sara Dufour and Elliot Maginot have each proposed a holiday song this year.
When you love Christmas music, it's nice to see today's artists lend themselves to the game of original songs inspired by the holiday season. In Quebec, some have succeeded in this in a brilliant way in recent years: we immediately think of the album Chansons hivernales by Pierre Lapointe (2020), Soon it will be Christmas< /em> by Damien Robitaille (2019) or the famous Footsteps in the Snow by Maryse Letarte (2008).
Here is a selection of original Christmas creations from the 2022 vintage, songs and albums of various genres and moods. Will these new releases make it onto your list of irresistible holiday songs?
Songs
Elliot Maginot has sprinkled his repertoire with Christmas songs for several years. Image: Audiogram Records
Christmas on My Mind by Elliot Maginot – indie pop
For the past few years, Elliot Maginot, who appeared on the Polaris Prize long list last year for his album Easy Morning, has been adding one Christmas song to his rich repertoire each year. After the very beautiful Christmas Ain’t Enough in 2018, I’ll Know my Savior (Christmas All Around) in 2019, then The Ballad of Mrs. Claus in 2021, the singer-songwriter offers this year the moving and enveloping Christmas on My Mind, set with superb arrangements of strings and delicate bells. Given the charm and sensitivity emanating from these original pieces, they deserve to be reunited on an album – which would have everything to become a holiday immortal.
Sara Dufour offers a holiday rigodon. Photo : Steeve Girard
My grandmother's meat pieera by Sara Dufour – trad
Inspired by her native Lac-Saint-Jean, Sara Dufour has concocted a most festive rigodon paying homage to the Jeannois culinary heritage and large family gatherings. It was one of her uncles who suggested that she write on her aunt Fernande's white pancakes, we learn in a press release, which she did! We bet that this piece will brighten up the cottages of Quebec fond of traditional music and will make the guests tap their feet “in a medium time! “. If you want to swig with the singer-songwriter, she'll be doing a holiday mini-tour in late December.
La Renee Wilkin's holiday song accompanies a children's book. Photo: Melany Bernier
Outside by Renee Wilkin – pop gospel
“Christmas sometimes sparkles brighter outside/But it's you that emanates the light“, sings in his warm voice Renee Wilkin on Outside. This touching piece with gospel accents accompanies the new children's book of the winner in 2014 of the show La Voix, The scintillating eyes of Florian, recounting the holiday season of a sick boy confined within the walls of a hospital. A children's choir crowns the end of the song, adding to the enchantment of the whole.
Emmanuelle Boucher sings her holiday memories. Photo: MoonSun Musik
Christmas at my placeby Emmanuelle Boucher – country
Country artist Emmanuelle Boucher sings her fondest memories of the Holidays, smells of cinnamon, piles of coats on the bed and illuminated Christmas trees that warm hearts understood, on the jovial Noël chez moi, which will be released on the platforms on November 25th. It offers catchy country lovers a musical present distilling the magic of the Holidays with the family that will certainly revive their own Christmases of yesteryear.
Albums
Illumination by Mathieu Bourret is an assortment of soft and refined piano melodies. Photo: Origine/Marie-Claude Dequoy
Illumination de< strong> Mathieu Bourret – instrumental
Pianist Mathieu Bourret has in store for us on November 25th a stripped-down instrumental album making all place to his precious instrument, the piano. On Illumination, he revisits six classics in his own way, including Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Joy to the World and Jingle Bells , in addition to offering an improvised piece inspired by “the long period before the moment when everything seems so bright”, he says in a press release. This assortment of soft and refined melodies will certainly rock our cozy December evenings, those where time seems to slow down.
The choir of There are people at mass created nine original songs. Photo: Ambiguous Ambiences
Just after November from the choir of There are people at mass – pop
The performers and musicians forming the choir of the show Y'a du monde à messe, led by Christian Bégin at Télé-Québec, created nine festive songs with joy and sharing, orchestrated by musical director and producer Alex McMahon. “Our album is like a perfectly imperfect family photo imprinted with the color of those who compose it”, illustrates the singer Sarah Bourdon in a press release. The members, who have forged deep friendships over the past six years, pass on their pleasure of singing in unison, a pleasure that has what it takes to enliven partiesdes Fêtes.
The troupe will present the album live throughout Quebec in December.
Classics rub shoulders with original songs on L'esprit de Noël by Nicola Ciccone. Photo: Matita editions
The Christmas spirit by Nicola Ciccone – pop
The singer offers his first album Christmas, a hymn to gatherings between loved ones, he said in a press release. He indulges in performing his favorite holiday classics, ranging from Happy Xmas (War Is Over), Blue Christmas and White Christmas to hymns Christian Midnight and Holy Night. These must-haves sit alongside titles in Italian that have always embellished Ciccone's Christmases, as well as four original songs, signed by the author of GAFA.
Nicola Ciccone will perform the virtual show Christmas Spirit from December 23 to 26.
Show
The Live from the Universe choir will hit the road in December to sing Christmas. Photo: Productions Pamplemousse
Holiday Eve of the set ofLive from the Universe
The large unifying family party offered by the vocal ensemble of the flagship musical program En direct de l'univers, hosted by France Beaudoin, is an opportunity to (re)discover her album Christmas as before, released last year, which mixes classics (including Marie-Noël by Robert Charlebois as well as a revised version of < em>23décembre by Beau Dommage) and original songs. The clan will take to the road around Montreal to spread the holiday spirit in music, enriching its repertoire of Quebec folk and gospel classics.
