Two Heck of a Guy Blog stalwarts, Anjani and Lord of Leisure, sent me, independently, I’m assuming, the link to this performance of The Twelve Days of Christmas by Straight No Chaser, a men’s a cappella group that began in 1996 at the University of Indiana.1
They sing, as one would expect of a men’s a cappella group, in sprightly tempos and close harmonies. They even move on stage as one would expect of that category of performers - they swing, they sway, they gesticulate, they shimmer, they shuck, and, in equal proportion, jive.
And, in this case, that style and sound work.
It’s not only the singing, however. The arrangement of the number, interspersing a double handful of songs, some seasonal and some not, and styles into the traditional 12 Days Of Christmas lyrics is also key to the enjoyment of this video.
The Deposed 12 Nights of Christmas Favorites
Darned if Anjani and Lord of Leisure weren’t right. The Straight No Chaser version of 12 Days of Christmas has, in fact, become my new favorite, surpassing the former champs, the rendition by the Muppets & John Denver and the one by Bob & Doug McKenzie of the Great White North.
Footnotes
1 response so far ↓
1 MindSpin // Dec 21, 2007 at 9:16 am
Woe is me. Flash crash. Newest version will not install. Will not, no, ever, ever. Not until Adobe gives a damn and corrects the problem. Do you know how much of your Internet world comes to you via Flash? Mine is now filled with little blue lego icons emblazoned with question marks.
I’ll have to sing “Twelve Days of Christmas” to myself in sprightly tempos. I can swing, I can sway, I am the consummate gesticulator (if you don’t believe this, invite my students to impersonate me - apparently I “conduct” conversations). Harmonizing, however, remains a sticking point.
This is rather like going to a Christmas party with strict orders to eat no food.
Cheers anyway :-). Thank goodness you write lively descriptive prose.