Music: A Very Violin Christmas

Things have been pretty busy here at Shangrila Towers, and if you're anything like me, long hours at the office are tougher during the holiday season. Of course, one way to cut through the yuletide drudgery is Christmas music; I've been listening to a bunch of it. In particular, I've been jamming to these holiday albums from YouTube's most popular violinists:

Songs of Christmas, Taylor Davis and Lara de Wit

Taylor Davis's collaborations with Australian pianist Lara de Wit are always fun occasions.  The pair recently released "Songs of Christmas," a straightforward collection of festive instrumentals. There are some nice takes on more recent songs, like "Happy Xmas" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," mixed in with decades-old standards:



Warmer in the Winter, Lindsey Stirling

Lindsey Stirling's Mormon faith is very well known, so it's no surprise that she's released an album of Christmas music. It's a fresh and upbeat set, with a mix of traditional cuts ("I Saw Three Ships," "What Child Is This?") and original songs, including pop earworms like "Christmas C'mon":