Friday Favorites: Merry Christmas Songbook

While not everyone celebrates Christmas, the Reader’s Digest Merry Christmas Songbook has a abundance of songs that anyone can enjoy. The standard Christmas hymns and carols are present (e.g. “Silent Night”) in addition to songs like “Take Me Back to Toyland” and the ever so eloquent “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”.

I first saw this songbook while completing a practicum in hospice. The music therapist that I was observing and working with used it all of December so when I saw this book at Sixth Chamber Used Books a couple of years ago, I had to get a copy for my own songbook collection.

The songbooks has over 100 holiday songs, a CD, and a lyric booklet. There are guitar chords, so even if you don’t know the chord, you can still play a Bb7/9 chord during the Christmas song, in addition to the melody line. Some of the songs are not in the most “singable” keys so not every song will be easy to sing for parents or caregivers to use at home. However, for the music therapists that took 4+ semesters of theory and ear training, this won’t be an issue right? ^-^

Next time you’re browsing the music book section at your local used bookstore I hope you’ll keep an eye out for the Merry Christmas Songbook for your own collection. Happy Holidays!

P.s. here’s a link to the songbook on Amazon…but I paid less and shopped local at Sixth Chamber Used Books in St. Paul, MN.