Christmas Eve -  a magical night - when Santa is on his way. Carrots for the reindeer, a glass of sherry by the fireplace, empty pillow slip left at the bottom of the bed and excited children trying to stay awake but wanting to go to sleep...

For us Christmas begins on Christmas Eve when family arrive and settle down for the duration. So the 23rd is the night before Christmas. This is my attempt at a Christmas tune.

Miguel Llobets arrangement ofthe Catalan Christmas Folk Song - " the son of the mother" - was apparently popularised by Seqovia who played it as an encore in recitals. 

Bert Jansch's folk version of the Gustav Holst melody is one of my favourite Christmas tunes."In the Bleak Midwinter" is a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti....

The two tunes interchange in this version for acoustic bass and two guitars

The wiki bit : Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, which is based on the Ukrainian New Year's song "Shched...

The great anthem from the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl and Shane MacGowan was composed by MacGowan and Jim Finer. The song doesn't seem to age at all - but seems to have had quite a long path to being fully realised. It was finally released ...

The beautiful last movement of the Christmas Concerto arranged for 4 guitars.

As I upload this Carol the lights in Bethlehem are being celebrated for the first time in two years as those in the occupied territories feel safe enough to publicly commemorate the Christmas season 

Greg Lakes take on Christmas is almost an anti - Christmas song. I've tried to capture the spirit of his wonderful music for those almost alarming Christmas sentiments.

We got to start sometime ... and I've held it back for quite a while. I still love the Christmas season - its a celebration when most people feel celebratory. Have a good one. Wisjhing you a good Christmas Season and a peaceful 2026...

A baroque composer chronologically but seen as an influence on classical type developments.

Segovia's amazing recording of this piece still dominates the horizon. 

Julian Bream's arrangement of the famous Purcell Rondo starts the short sequence of Baroque pieces for guitar.

A direct contemporary of J.S.Bach, Weiss was the great lutenist of his age.

A piece I've enjoyed playing for many years - John Dowland composed a number of these free form lute pieces.

Its full title is "Fantasia - which imitates the harp in the style of Ludovico". In the second section of the piece the comment against the manuscript is " this doesn't sound so bad when well played" - I hope my version is not too far from what...

Someone who habitually takes on burdensome or unpleasant tasks or unreasonable amounts of work.I feel that may be me on many occasions - God only knows why I do it.

Driving East on the A303 one morning I need some fuel. I stop at a service station and get out to fill up. A van pulls up next to me . A man gets out the passenger side says to me " What' your name?" - Thinking I've got some nutter here I say "...

This is a tribute to Django's clarinet player and his brothers who provided the rhythm section for so may of his tunes.

Back to a Django piece. A reheasal recording - getting Clive to launch into one of his improvisations. 

My factually unfounded theory that the Brazilian composer based the guitar Prelude no.3 on the playing of Django Reinhardt rather than the well supported view that the piece was influenced by the music of J.S Bach.

Continuing "Django week" with Predicament = OK there's some synth in there but essentially its the same style.

Following on from Django - listening to Birelli Lagrene and Philip Catherine - both jazz players but slightly away from the Reinhardt style - Walk it Off

Djangle - another Django Reinhardt influenced tune