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Christmas Innocence
It wasn’t until I was about 16 or 17 that I decided to start my own Christmas music collection. I didn’t have one to start with, so it became a mission of mine to find Christmas music that I liked, that I knew I would listen to, and that wouldn’t go to waste. Over the years, my collection built slowly, because I’m picky, and not everyone sings the same song the same way. It got to the point where I was listening to the same song by different people. I wanted something different, I needed something different, I just didn’t know what that different was.
And then I was at Barnes and Noble one night and lo and behold, I came across an album that I didn’t realize that I was seeking…but once I saw it I knew I had to have it. It had to be part of my collection. It was the soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas.
I was on a budget back then – still am on a budget actually – but anyway I really couldn’t afford to buy this CD. Thankfully though, by God’s grace it was on sale. Not only that, my friend let me use her BN membership, and that took it way down.
I went home that night and I could not contain myself. I got home, ripped it open, put it in my cd player and it just played. I put it on repeat, and just let it play, let it play, let it play…and I felt like the biggest kid. That CD gives me life, every time I listen to it. Even to this day it’s the only CD that I can listen to over and over and over.
I mean, it’s jazz. Come on. It’s brilliantly put together, and there are no words except for Christmastime is Here and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Not only that, when I’m listening to the album I don’t have to watch the movie to know what’s going on. It’s JUST that good. All you have to do is close your eyes, and you are in A Charlie Brown Christmas – whether the kids are walking with each other, or Snoopy and Woodstock are putting up lights, or they’re picking out the perfect tree for the Christmas play, or getting ready to hear Linus’ speech about the meaning of Christmas. I love that.
I love how subtle it is, and yet it’s powerful. It has a playfulness to it that not a lot of Christmas albums have these days. I take it everywhere, every year. I play it at home, I play it in my car, I play it at work. It goes practically everywhere with me, and it keeps me in the frame of mind of innocence. It continues to flow through me, and keeps me in the spirit of giving, and keeps me in the spirit of why we’re here and why we do certain things around this holiday – why we celebrate Christmas.
It is just beautiful. I love the entire soundtrack from the start to the finish. It is just brilliant. I am so grateful that A Charlie Brown Christmas was created and that music that was inspired from it was put on a CD for me to enjoy!
Today’s story is by Caffhanie Calloway, and we’ve attached one of her favorite songs from this most favorite soundtrack below.