Whose box, now?


I'm about a week late in this, but it's time again for the annual Christmas cd creation.

I'm not one for background music in the house unless I'm going to be doing a concentrated clean and need the beat of a dance mix or a certain genre to help me along in my sorting or dusting or once every year or so when I need to do some fine work around grout or remove the schmutz around the equalizer buttons on the stereo with a Q-Tip.

My Mom also isn't one for music during the year, but enjoys there to be decoration filling the air to match the trimmings on most of the flat surfaces in the house. A few years ago I started making her single-artist discs; Enya, Vienna Boys Choir, etc. She loves it all, especially the soundtrack to a cantata I took part in ages ago.

The professionals sound ever so much more ethereal, and to be frank it annoys me to listen to the intense sentiment year after year but hey, whatever makes her happy.

Two years ago, I went the mix route in the hopes of introducing her to a wider range of festive tunes. Harry Connick Jr. (and bonus, I finally introduced her to the classic When Harry Met Sally), Vince Guaraldi, Elvis, Johnny Mathis, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble and even Faith Hill. Faith singing O Holy Night is definitely one of my guilty pleasures; if you're lucky enough to roll up beside me at a red light in December you may be privileged to enjoy a 45-second concert complete with eyes closed and even me conducting myself while I harmonize like nobody's business.

Both of these gifts went over well but now I'm stuck without a fabulous follow up for 2006. Possibly showtunes of some kind? Gregorian chants? I might finally break down and run to Pandora. You might also want to look into it for everyday purposes.

And don't say I never give you anything.

Posted at 3:38 p.m.