Angels we have heard on high, Telafonica

For some reason, at this time of the year we sing in different languages…

“Feliz Navidad…”

“Fa la-la la-la, la-la, la la…”

“In excelsias deo…"

“Pa rum pa pum pum…”

Though it’s foreign, we don’t seem to care. It’s Christmas.

But if it’s one thing we do care about is how we prefer these songs at this time of the year...

“I like it traditionally…”

“I like how it was modernised…”

“I prefer the old language…”

“I wish they'd cut out the thees, thous and thys…”

“I like how it's played slowly, majestically, solemnly…”

“I wished they'd speed it up so we don't fall asleep…”

And so on and so forth. 

It's hard to know what to do with songs that are hundreds of years old. 

Whilst you have a fantastic tradition, it’s good to hit the refresh button. Even more so, it's okay to do so.

Songs have always adapted to new settings. They arrive into new areas, meeting different cultures. As songs travel they change.

Much like people do.

The classic example is “Amazing Grace”. What we sing today bears faint resemblance to Newton’s original words. I stress “words” because he didn’t come up with the tune. Someone else did that later. And someone after them added other words. And so on and so forth...

With this in mind, I present Telafonica’s take on the classic carol.

Sure a few relos of mine are singing, playing and responsible for the beeps, squeaks and squelches. But I like it as it breathes new life into something old. And you can still sing it like you’ve always known.

That’s a sign of a good song. It’s malleable yet recognisable. It’s also a sign of good artists. They bend things out of and into new shapes, casting it in their own image. Yet the song remains the same. It’s different and familiar.

So, keep singing in strange languages at this of the year. Even more so, enjoy Telafonica’s strange yet familiar take on a classic carol.

PS: turn it up. It sounds great loud.