Songs for the Holidays

Folk Music & Beyond Playlist for December 20, 2025
Hour 1: Songs for the Holidays

First Set

Susan McKeown and Lindsey Horner, “The Winter King,” Through the Bitter Frost and Snow, 2:46 Prime CD

Liam O’Connor & Lisa Aherne, “Realtai,” A Winter’s Tale, 3:46 Celtic Heartbeat / Universal Records

Altan, “The Snowy Mountain,” A Winter’s Tale, 3:49 Celtic Heartbeat / Universal Records

Second Set

Revels, “Gower Wassail,” Christmas in an Irish Castle, 2:15 California Revels Records

Maddy Prior and June Tabor, “Cakes and Ale,” No More to the Dance, 1:54 Topic

John McCutcheon, “Star in the East,” Winter Solstice, 3:00 Rounder

Loreena McKennitt, “Banquet Hall,” To Drive the Cold Winter Away, 3:53 Quinlan Road

Midway Music

Gerald Trimble, “Taqasim for the Magi,” Christmas Guitars (A Benefit for the National Coalition for the Homeless), 3:01 Green Linnet

Third Set

Anonymous 4, “Nowel Out of Your Sleep Aryse,” On Yoolis Night: Medieval Carols and Motets, 4:47 Harmonia Mundi

Susan McKeown and Lindsey Horner, “Green Grow’th the Holly,” Through the Bitter Frost and Snow, 1:24 Prime CD

Connie Dover, “Personent Hodie / Cantus,” A Celtic Christmas Sojourn, 6:13 Rounder

Fourth Set

Kate Rusby, “The Wren,” While Mortals Sleep, 3:21 Pure Records

John McCutcheon, “For unto Us a Child Is Born,” Winter Solstice, 3:51 Rounder

Shira Kammen, “Stingo / Under and Over / Kathren Oggie,” Music for a Winter’s Eve, 4:42 Healing Muses Recordings

First Set

Barbara Higbie, “Angels from the Realms of Glory,” Winter Joy, 3:44 (self-produced)

James Taylor, “Who Comes This Night,” At Christmas, 4:08 Columbia

Storyhill, “Could It Be,” Bethlehem, 2:22 (self-produced)

Dar Williams & John Gorka, “While Roving on a Winter’s Night,” Heritage, 5:30 Six Degrees Records

Tim O’Brien, “Newgrange,” Christmas Heritage, 3:08 Six Degrees Records

Jerry Douglas, “Shoulder to Shoulder,” Slide Rule, 2:40 Sugar Hill

John McCutcheon, “Old Christmas Morning,” Winter Solstice, 3:40 Rounder

Second Set

Susan Rode Morris & Shira Kammen, “Homeless Wassail,” Music for a Winter’s Eve, 3:34 Healing Muses Recordings

John McCutcheon, “Detroit December,” Winter Solstice, 3:42 Rounder

Mary Gauthier, “Christmas in Paradise,” Filth and Fire, 4:51 Signature Sounds

Tom Payne, “Rocko’s Smile,” American Impressionist Songwriters, 4:26 Waterbug

Third Set

Odetta, “What Month Was Jesus Born In?” Save the Children, 2:23 Women Strike for Peace

Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer, “American Noel,” Wonderland, 3:43 Signature Sounds

Joan Baez, “Christmas in Washington,” Dark Chords on a Big Guitar, 5:09 Koch

Nerissa & Katryna Nields, “Christmas Carol,” Wonderland, 4:29 Signature Sounds

Liz Story, “Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabelle / When Blossoms Flowerd ’Mid the Snows,” The Gift, 2:54 Windham Hill