Ilkeston - Seasonal
Songs
w/e 16 December 2012
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
It's not that long ago that I was complaining about Christmas
starting far too early but here we are more than half way through
Advent and Christmas is just around the corner. With decorations
in the town centre, on private houses and in shop windows like
the Co-Op above, in the words of the seasonal song "It's
Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas".
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That song came to mind when I saw the Co-Op window and set me
thinking about other seasonal songs and what I could capture
to illustrate them. I didn't have to go far to find another one
as this display was in another window at the Co-Op. This suggested
several other songs including Roy Orbison's "Pretty Paper",
the traditional "Deck The Halls" and "O Christmas
Tree" or even "The Christmas Song" - you know
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" - but the one
I've plumped for is "When Santa Got Stuck Up The Chimney"!
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Another shop window display, this time in a charity shop in the
Albion Centre, featured "Silver Bells" another song
usually heard at this time of year and could those smaller blue
ones be classed as "Jingle Bells"?
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There were some cold frosty days during the week which one particular
morning turned the shrubbery near the Erewash Museum into a veritable
"Winter Wonderland".
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A few steps away at the side of Chalons Way the wonderland was
more like "In The Bleak Midwinter" as the low watery
sun cast shadows of the leafless trees on the frosty grass.
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The frost had covered everything in a pure white coat and suggested
another popular song "White Christmas" to me and although
the term usually refers to snowfall I think the probability of
Ilkeston having snow on December 25th this year is low. If past
years can be regarded as a guide, snow at Christmas in this part
of the UK is not a common occurrence and a frosty Christmas is
much more likely.
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Whatever the weather for many of the trees lining the Market
Place by St Mary's Church, it will be a "Blue Christmas"
and that's a song first recorded in 1948 and sung by a range
of artists from Elvis Presley to Andrea Bocelli. There are many
more versions as well even one by Alvin and the Chipmunks - but
we won't go there!
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We will go however to the tower of St Mary's Church and this
illuminated crib seen through the mist and murk of a warmer but
wetter day obviously brought to mind the "Away In A Manger"
carol.
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Another song that kept coming into my mind during the week was
"The Holly And The Ivy" and there are plenty of examples
of both to be found but I did not see any of them together. So
for this composite I merged two images taken on the same day
together. Although not apparent on the holly, the frost did not
let up all day and the images were captured just three hours
apart with the holly just before lunch and the ivy just after.
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The were probably many more images to be captured that would
illustrate seasonal songs but talking of times when they were
captured I have to admit that this one comes from December 2011.
That can only mean one thing - Wham's "Last Christmas"!
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