Against Tran-Siberian Orchestra
Like many others, I enjoy the music of the Christmas season. I think particularly of "O' Holy Night" being sung at my parish. I remember caroling in high school - even doing a mean "Carol of the Bells" with a select choir. I also think of my 7'' record of Jimmy Eat World covering the song, "Last Christmas." I like dancing around the living room with my ladyfriend as we play Harry Connick Jr.'s Christmas music.
But I recently read that Trans-Siberian Orchestra has sold over five million records of Christmas music. This is frightening. For those that don't know TSO - they are a group of metal heads who have turned their attention to Christmas music - adding in electric guitars and electric violins. It is terrifying.
Christmas traditionally presents to us the image of Christ as the Child born in the cave. It is the great scandal of the Incarnation; that the Redeemer of the world would be born in a lowly manger.
But have you heard TSO's version of "Carol of the Bells?" Sure, it is not a sacred Christmas song. But the climax of the song puts me into another mood altogether. It is the soundtrack to Christmas as re-interpreted by Quentin Tarantino. I imagine baby Jesus levitating above the manger and making some eastern martial arts pose with his baby fingers, and with a look into the camera, blowing away Herod's army. The sequel will be set in Rome - look out!
It's that blasphemous.
So please, America, stop encouraging Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Michael Brendan Dougherty
in Culture
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Reader Comments (3)
So, apparently, if one wants to be a successful prog rock artist / group today, one should choose an orchestral sounding name, and invoke Sarajevo and Russia and other Eastern European locations, re-interpret Christmas carols, and maybe, just maybe, one can tour and get one's music played, each year, around Christmas time. 'tis the season for... prog rock, evidently.