For years, I have either played Christmas dinners with a low key mix of Christmas and regular songs in a 1/3 Christmas ratio. This year, our Cultural Center is have a "Holiday Party" dinner on the 23rd. I told the director that we had better raise the level above a Christmas mass.
The dinner will be from 3-5 PM. I have about 50 Christmas tunes, both vocal and instrumental, in most styles and tempos. Since I need about 40, I am unsure whether I should stay in Christmas 100%, or mix regular tunes in. On one hand, you break the mood, and on the other, people like variety. The age group is 50 and up.
People easily get bored after dinner especially the over 50 crowds with the same ho hum Xmas tunes over and over again are you mixing in Hanukkah songs also? That said if they are dancers pump it up a little in between courses and get them on the dance floor.
I usually keep it down,somewhat, while they are eating main coarse and talking.I mix in a few slower pop Christmas, and a few traditional. For the first time, I will include some "White Christmas" tempo vocals as background, also. It is a little tricky because it is staggered buffet,but I just watch the crowd to get a feel of appropriate tempos and sound levels.
With, now, 65 Christmas songs, I am leaning to keeping the spirit of Christmas intact, but never thought of Hanukkah. I can do Hava Nagila, along with Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train, just to name a couple upbeat tunes.
I was never a traditionalist when it came to Christmas parties and I usually performed about 30 or more during the month of December. Sure, I did some traditional songs, but most of the time I did some really off the wall renditions of traditional songs, which always went over well with my audiences, young and old.
Here's one of the many songs I used to liven up the crowd.
I have found people don't really want all Christmas music. Start off with it and then as dinner winds down switch over to some of your other material. BTW Donny mentioned Hanukah songs Tell me some please ( and please not Dredile ) don't know of any. In the past when someone has asked I ask them "so which is your favorite" Blank stare.
Bill, I frequently performed at a Jewish retirement community and was never asked to perform a Hanukah song in the 20 years I played there - not one. However, I often played Hava Nagila and songs from Fiddler On The Roof, all of which went over well, regardless of the season. And, I could readily envision the blank stares if you asked anyone what their favorite Hanukah song was.
Donny thanks so much. As usual you are a bank of info. I have heard some of those MP3's and have put them in my ITunes library. I was thinking more of live performance songs.
I like Gary's suggestion of Fiddler songs, maybe a short madly and finish with Hava N. At least that portion of the crowd will feel involved.
I've always mixed the music I play at "Christmas/Holiday" gigs ... Two weeks ago, while leaving an upscale AL venue, a woman complimented me on the music, but added, I hope next time you play some Hanukkah songs ... This is ghe first time that's ever happened ... Here is one Jewish related song I've performed from time to time, and here is a little background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bei_Mir_Bistu_Shein
WOW! I bet I performed that song a thousand times and never knew it was Jewish/Hebrew. Now I know why those ladies at the Jewish retirement community loved it so much. When I was a kid I thought The Andrews Sisters were singing "Buy beer mister Shane." I guess I was in my early 30s when I first tried to perform this song, and did it with a 6-sting guitar sitting on a bar stool in a blood and guts saloon in Baltimore County - WOW, that was a long time ago.
