When do people start playing Christmas songs where you live? Which are the most popular Christmas tunes in your country?

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1 B When do people start playing Christmas songs where you live? Which are the most popular Christmas tunes in your country? Do artists from your country release new Christmas songs at this time of year? Read the first part of the article and find out what type of Christmas songs are being released in the US this holiday season. December 2016 Bustle 2016 Christmas Songs Guaranteed To Bring Tidings Of Comfort And Joy When it comes to putting together an ultimate Christmas playlist for the holiday season, it can be all too easy to forget about new songs, and to rely only on the classics. And when you ve got songs like Mariah s All I Want For Christmas Is You or Eartha Kitt s version of Santa Baby to croon along to on repeat, who can really blame you? But the truth is you d be missing out on a lot of really great music if you were to do that. And all the new Christmas songs of 2016 definitely prove that to be the case. So far, 2016 is offering an eclectic mix of Christmas hits, with jaw-dropping a cappella feats, old-school treats, being released alongside some startlingly traditional approaches to some classic tunes. Some of these songs might make you want to dance, others might make you want to cry and some might just make you want to drink an entire punch bowl of egg nog and take a nap beside your Christmas tree. But all of them are full of some serious festive magic. In order to help with the easy curation of a perfect Yuletide playlist, the following Christmas songs of 2016 all have some of that special, holiday magic. Which of the genres mentioned do you prefer, a cappella, old-school, classic, etc.? b 2 Listen to the clip from the first song the journalist describes and say what genre you would put it in and what you think of the song. B Read the journalist s comments and compare them to yours. Jordan Smith - You re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch By far the best song on Tis The Season, the first holiday album by The Voice winner, Smith s rendition of the classic holiday song is full of personality and wit along with his ever flawless and powerful vocal style. B Read the following descriptions and then listen to the next three clips and say which ones are which. Kylie Minogue At Christmas All hail the eternal pop goddess charms of Kylie Minogue and may she reign forever glorious. Because 1/6

2 as At Christmas proves, there s a time and a place for nuanced and tempered, and the festive season simply isn t it. Ms. Minogue has gone big with her music this festive season and I salute her for it. JJ Hellar - Christmas Is Here Having said all of that, there s still definitely a place for sweetness, love and festive magic in a holiday song, and that s exactly what Hellar s song (taken from the album Unto Us) delivers in huge quantities. Laira Daigle - White Christmas Likely the best rendition of this holiday classic that you ll hear this Christmas, Daigle s arrangement is distinctly cool and full of a laid back, jazz infused merriment. 2 Do you agree with the journalist s descriptions? Which of the styles do you like the best, jazzy, pop, etc.? Listen to the final three clips and match these descriptions to the songs: b a cover that pays tribute to Ned Humphrey Hansen ludicrously astounding vocal feats delivers a spoken-word story a compelling, complimentary and slick duet an a cappella Christmas choir B Read the final part of the article and check your ideas. Brett Eldridge feat. Megan Trainor - Baby It s Cold Outside Regardless of how you may feel towards this song, there s no denying that Eldridge and Trainor s voices make for a compelling, complimentary and slick duet. Pentatonix God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Plug in some headphones and indulge in this song for a moment because by doing so it s basically just like having the World s best a cappella Christmas choir performing a solo show just for you. Their ludicrously astounding vocal feats on this song are, as ever, completely jaw dropping. The Killers - I ll Be Home For Christmas Starting with lead singer Brandon Flowers delivering a spoken-word story about his family moving from Henderson, Nevada to Payson, Utah, this sweet cover pays tribute to Ned Humphrey Hansen Flowers fourth grade science teacher. To add to the overall touching loveliness of the song, Hansen also happens to sing along with Flowers on the track. And now I m totally crying. That s it, now I officially need to listen to Swingin Christmas Time and Happy Holiday on repeat, do some online Christmas shopping and eat a candy cane like right now. Happy listening, out there. 2/6

3 Which songs would be on your ultimate Christmas playlist? b 2 Complete the lyrics from the songs and then listen to them again to check your ideas. Jordan Smith - You re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch You re a one, Mr Grinch You really are a heel You re as as a cactus You re as charming as an eel, Mr Grinch You re a bad banana with a greasy black Just face the You re a monster, Mr Grinch Your heart s an empty Your brain is full of spiders You ve got garlic in your soul, Mr Grinch I wouldn t touch you with a Thirty-nine and a half foot All the have left the trees But these feelings still remain Seems I m not forgetting you As quickly as I to Now winter s on its way At Christmas I can t help but miss you The of you and me Evergreen It s the time of joy But for me it s bittersweet At Christmas I m still reminiscing about everything we used to be C est la vie Yeah I ve spent all year you were here like Christmas Laira Daigle - White Christmas I m of a white Christmas With every Christmas I write May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be I m dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I to know Where the treetops glisten and children listen To sleigh bells in the snow Kylie Minogue At Christmas Last December when we were I remember when it was forever Didn t know, like the snow Our love would away Spring went by and then the summer started Mid-July I was too broken hearted JJ Hellar - Christmas Is Here I see the candles, glow in the I hear the Church bells starting to chime Millions of snowflakes, falling from Heaven Turning the world, from grey to Even the hardest of hearts Cannot the magic in the air Let us adore Him Lift up your Sing it out loud Sing it out Christmas is here Brett Eldridge feat. Megan Trainor - Baby It s Cold Outside I really can t But baby it s cold outside I got to go away But baby it s cold outside This has been Been hoping that you d drop in So very nice I ll hold your, they re just like ice My mother will start to worry Beautiful, what s your hurry? My father will be pacing the 3/6

4 Listen to the fireplace roar So really, I d better scurry Beautiful, please don t But maybe just a half a drink more I ll put some on while I pour The neighbours might think Baby, it s bad out there Say, what s in this drink? No to be had out there I wish I knew how Your eyes are like starlight tonight To break this spell I ll take your hat, your looks swell I ought to say, no, no, no sir Oh, mind if I move in closer? At least I m gonna say that I tried What s the sense in hurting my pride? I really can t stay But baby, don t hold out But baby it s cold! Pentatonix God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen God rest ye merry gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Christ our Savior Was born on Christmas Day To save us all from Satan s power When we were gone astray Comfort and joy God rest ye merry gentlemen Let you dismay Remember Christ our Savior Was born on Christmas Day 4/6 To save us all from Satan s power When we were gone astray Comfort and joy The Killers - I ll Be Home For Christmas His name was Mr Hansen. And on a frosty December morning, he to us the story of the old standard I ll Be Home For Christmas. A tale of a World War II soldier stationed, writing a letter to his family about the return that he may never make. I saw it struck deep in him. Now, it would be easy to Mr Hansen as brave. After all, this was a man who himself had his country during the Korean war. But getting up in front of twenty five nine-year-olds and singing a capella? That s a whole other kind of bravery altogether. The other kids were looking for the nearest : they couldn t bear the embarrassment. But not me. I was wrapped up in it. I couldn t help myself. I knew I was experiencing something different from the others, but I was uplifted so it didn t matter. I felt the of war. I felt the power of a song, and that s the kind of thing that sticks with you. You don t let it go. And so, for this here Christmas song, I have a friend I brought along. He s eighty-six, but sounds like twenty, and though the other kids might find it funny, he d like to sing his song for you, and if he doesn t mind I might in too. You can on me Please have snow and mistletoe And presents on the Oh Christmas eve will find me Where the love light gleams If only in my You can count on me

5 b 2016 Christmas Songs Please have snow and mistletoe And on the tree Oh Christmas eve will me Where the love light gleams Which of the songs do you like the best? V Complete the crossword with music-related words from the article. Across 3 a piece of music that sells a very large number of copies 7 sung by voices only, without musical instruments (two words) 9 sing in a slow soft voice 11 a collection of recordings released as a single item 12 a piece of music with words that you sing Down 1 a set of pieces of music chosen by someone and played or broadcast together 2 related to music of general appeal, especially among young people 4 a piece of music that is recorded on a CD, tape or record 5 a type of music that developed in the late 19th century in which there is a strong lively beat and the players often improvise 6 another way of saying 12 across 8 relating to the voice, or done with the voice 10 a piece of music sung by two people /6

6 E What does the highlighted expression in this extract from Jordan Smith s song mean? Just face the music There are other expressions connected to music in English. What do you think these mean? the flip side blow your own trumpet 1 music to someone s ears 2 blow your own trumpet 3 change your tune 4 go for a song 5 flip side 6 sound like a broken record 7 play second fiddle 8 jazz (something) up V Now match the expressions to these explanations: change your ideas or the way you talk about them an opposite or reverse side boast about your talents and achievements jazz it up......nice good news; information that makes someone happy be sold very cheaply add to something to try to improve it or make it more stylish take a subordinate role say the same thing over and over again V Complete these sentences with the idioms above: 1 They needed to sell the house quickly, so they put a low price and it. 2 It was my mistake, now I have to. 3 Last week you said you were for Brexit, now you re saying Britain should stay in the EU. You ve. 4 When my boss told me we could have a week off at Christmas it was. 5 I wish Dave would stop talking about his achievements. He just can t stop. 6 Stop telling me the same thing. You. 7 You don t need to to Graham. You re both on the same level here. 8 Some say that dissatisfaction among normal working people is the of globalisation which makes the liberal elite richer and richer. 6/6

7 Teacher s notes 1/2 student pages 6 week of intermediate+ (B1+) V Complete the crossword with music-related words from the article. Across 12 TUNE 4 TRACK 3 HIT Down 5 JAZZ 7 A CAPPELLA 1 PLAYLIST 6 SONG 9 CROON 2 POP 8 VOCAL 11 ALBUM 10 DUET E What does the highlighted expression in this extract from Jordan Smith s song mean? face the music = accept the unpleasant consequences of one s actions V Now match the expressions to these explanations: 3 change your ideas or the way you talk about them 5 an opposite or reverse side 2 boast about your talents and achievements 1 good news; information that makes someone happy 4 be sold very cheaply 8 add to something to try to improve it or make it more stylish 7 take a subordinate role 6 say the same thing over and over again V Complete these sentences with the idioms above: 1 went for a song 2 face the music 3 changed your tune 4 music to my ears 5 blowing his own trumpet 6 sound like a broken record 7 play second fiddle 8 flip side 2 Transcript Jordan Smith - You re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch You re a mean one, Mr Grinch You really are a heel You re as cuddly as a cactus You re as charming as an eel, Mr Grinch You re a bad banana with a greasy black peel Just face the music You re a monster, Mr Grinch Your heart s an empty hole Your brain is full of spiders You ve got garlic in your soul, Mr Grinch I wouldn t touch you with a Thirty-nine and a half foot pole Laira Daigle - White Christmas I m dreaming of a white Christmas With every Christmas card I write May your days be merry and bright And may all your Christmases be white I m dreaming of a white Christmas Just like the ones I used to know Where the treetops glisten and children listen To hear sleigh bells in the snow Kylie Minogue At Christmas Last December when we were together I remember when it was forever Didn t know, like the snow Our love would melt away Spring went by and then the summer started Mid-July I was too broken hearted All the leaves have left the trees But these feelings still remain Seems I m not forgetting you As quickly as I wanted to Now winter s on its way At Christmas I can t help but miss you The memories of you and me Evergreen It s the time of joy But for me it s bittersweet At Christmas I m still reminiscing about everything we used to be

8 Teacher s notes 2/2 C est la vie Yeah I ve spent all year wishing you were here like Christmas JJ Hellar - Christmas Is Here I see the candles, glow in the windows I hear the Church bells starting to chime Millions of snowflakes, falling from Heaven Turning the world, from grey to white Even the hardest of hearts Cannot deny the magic in the air Let us adore Him Lift up your voices Sing it out loud Sing it out clear Christmas is here Brett Eldridge feat. Megan Trainor - Baby It s Cold Outside I really can t stay But baby it s cold outside I got to go away But baby it s cold outside This evening has been Been hoping that you d drop in So very nice I ll hold your hands, they re just like ice My mother will start to worry Beautiful, what s your hurry? My father will be pacing the floor Listen to the fireplace roar So really, I d better scurry Beautiful, please don t hurry But maybe just a half a drink more I ll put some records on while I pour The neighbours might think Baby, it s bad out there Say, what s in this drink? No cabs to be had out there I wish I knew how Your eyes are like starlight tonight To break this spell I ll take your hat, your hair looks swell I ought to say, no, no, no sir Oh, mind if I move in closer? At least I m gonna say that I tried What s the sense in hurting my pride? I really can t stay But baby, don t hold out But baby it s cold outside! Pentatonix God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen God rest ye merry gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember Christ our Savior Was born on Christmas Day To save us all from Satan s power When we were gone astray Comfort and joy God rest ye merry gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember Christ our Savior Was born on Christmas Day To save us all from Satan s power When we were gone astray Comfort and joy week of intermediate+ (B1+) The Killers - I ll Be Home For Christmas His name was Mr Hansen. And on a frosty December morning, he explained to us the story of the old standard I ll Be Home For Christmas. A tale of a World War II soldier stationed overseas, writing a letter to his family about the return that he may never make. I saw it struck deep in him. Now, it would be easy to describe Mr Hansen as brave. After all, this was a man who himself had served his country during the Korean war. But getting up in front of twenty five nine-year-olds and singing a capella? That s a whole other kind of bravery altogether. The other kids were looking for the nearest escape: they couldn t bear the embarrassment. But not me. I was wrapped up in it. I couldn t help myself. I knew I was experiencing something different from the others, but I was uplifted so it didn t matter. I felt the isolation of war. I felt the power of a song, and that s the kind of thing that sticks with you. You don t let it go. And so, for this here Christmas song, I have a friend I brought along. He s eighty-six, but sounds like twenty, and though the other kids might find it funny, he d like to sing his song for you, and if he doesn t mind I might join in too. You can count on me Please have snow and mistletoe And presents on the tree Oh Christmas eve will find me Where the love light gleams You can count on me Please have snow and mistletoe And presents on the tree Oh Christmas eve will find me Where the love light gleams