My love of, and enthusiasm for, “popular” music used to be frowned on by my parents and some of my friends. I am from a generation that was told that The Beatles “will never last”, that The Rolling Stones “were unspeakable animals who should be locked up” and “you can’t take music performed seriously by people called The Who, The Kinks or The Grateful Dead.
Often the people who were quick to criticise loved Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra or the saccharine sweet synthetics of the 1950s. Doubtless they would have told me that White Christmas was a “proper” song for Christmas.
They were wrong. Once the sublime opening salvo of Once in Royal David’s City from “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” is discounted “A Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl is THE Christmas Song.
I first heard this version of the song on RTE Radio 1 last year. Adapted and performed by Gerry McCardle with Colette Proctor it goes to show what a wonderful wordsmith Shane MacGowan (not forgetting Jem Finer, who co-wrote it) can be.
I hope that you have a peaceful Christmas and get set because 2011 is going to be full of challenges.
The Incisal Edge 
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