Away in a Train
Isildur is cheered upWingnut and me are off to the Netherlands to spend Christmas with his family. They don't do presents, having done them on the 5th, but I've still been out and about, buying small thank you gifts and birthday presents for the December born. Lots of pretty Xmas lights in the centre and grand old department store Fortnum and Mason had lovely windows based on the Snow Queen.
Commonest Store Music: Fairytale of New York (my 2nd favourite Christmas song)
Commonest Music Everywhere Else: Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah in a million forms. Seriously, do they take away your musicians' license if you haven't recorded a version?
The most recent winner of The X Factor[1] has recorded a version accompanied by a truly banal video. Result: Righteously annoyed music fans and three versions of Hallelujah in the UK Singles Top 40 this week, #1 Alexandra Burke, #2 Jeff Buckley and #36 Leonard Cohen. I must confess that I've cordially loathed Cohen for years but Hallelujah is a work of genius.
[1] Similar format to Star Ac', Sterrenjacht, Pop Idol, or whichever local varieties are currently infesting your screen.