VOAのSpecial Englishに、The Sounds of Christmasと題して、今年レリースされたクリスマス音楽が紹介されている。
英語と共に音楽も楽しむことができる素敵なプログラムだ。
サイトから、音声ファイルと英文のスクリプトを入手できる。
以下、スクリプトから抜粋。
"So today on our show we invite our listeners to slow down while we play holiday music released this
year."
紹介されているアーティスト８組は、次のとおり。知っているのはスーザン･ボイルだけだった。
（サイトのスクリプトから抜粋）
Pie Jesu” sung by ten-year-old Jackie Evancho of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. Her Christmas album, “O Holy Night,” came out
November sixteenth Billboard magazine says Jackie Evancho is
the country’s top-selling new artist.
“Carols and Christmas Songs” is the name of Bryn Terfel’s new
album. The Welsh opera singer sings a beautiful Austrian song
called “Still,
the Heritage Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans, Louisiana.
The band has been playing traditional New Orleans jazz around
the world for almost thirty-five years.
Scottish singer Annie Lennox released her first holiday album this year.
Here she performs “Silent Night” which she recorded with the African Children’s Choir in South Africa.
“Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album,” went to number three on Billboard’s special holiday sales chart.
Matthew Morrison, who plays a teacher on the show, performed this song well. Here is “O Christmas Tree.”
The number one album on Billboard’s Top Two Hundred is a holiday recording.
Scottish singer Susan Boyle’s “The Gift” has been in that position for four weeks.
Here Susan Boyle sings “The First Noel” from her album, “The Gift.”
This year the O’Jays released their second holiday album, “Christmas with the O’Jays.” It includes traditional songs, but also this danceable number, “Cause It’s Christmas.”
Pink Martini is a twelve-member orchestra from Portland, Oregon. The group made its first holiday
album this year. “Joy to The World” includes songs for Christmas and Hanukkah.
