sarahillis's blog

The new year begins on Sunday, and on Saturday night in many places around the world, people will be dancing, singing, partying, and of course, drinking. So, even though this week's Come by the Hills will be on when most of us are busy recovering from the morning after the night before, I thought it fit to devote an entire episode to Celtic songs about beer, whisky, punch, and any other alcoholic beverage that I can think of.

I know that the word "featureless" makes the show sound dull and drab, but even though we're not having our usual special features, Come By The Hills will be chalk full of Christmas cheer this week. We'll discuss some interesting Christmas traditions and of course salute them musically as well, and we'll have a lovely reading of Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales," performed of course by the poet himself.

Well actually, we'll be doing pretty much what we usually do on the show: presenting three hours of the best in Celtic music from around the world. However, I can tell you with absolute assurance that no donkies will be invading the studio. There may be a spotted cow or two, but no donkies!

We have a Christmas-themed "What's That About?" song in Gaelic, a commical and tangentially-holiday-related "Celtic Covers" segment, and of course just plenty of good Celtic and folk music from many awesome artists and bands.

While the holidays are not quite here yet, I find myself in a Christmasish mood just now. So, in addition to some of the usual Celtic music on Come By The Hills this week, I will again be flavouring the show with the sounds of Christmas. We've got carols, songs and other wintry fair on the menu, including a folky version of a beloved holiday novelty classic in "Celtic Covers" and a lovely Gaelic carol from Scotland in "What's That About."

Yes, it's me, Sara Hillis, back again and this time in shameless self-promotion mode. I wanted to let you know that if you've heard my sequel to "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" called, funnily enough, "I Got a Hippopotamus for Christmas" and are just dying to have it for yourself, or even if you haven't heard it and would like to hear it, it's available for the holidays for free from my web site. Steve Cutway has nominated it for his top pick for the Mushroom FM Christmas Count-down. Want to know why?

I do love the holiday sentiments of peace on earth and good will and all that, but if you're sick and tired of all that comfort and joy, tune into the Sara Hillis Show all next week, because we're going to battle it out Christmas style!

It is not officially winter here in the northern hemisphere, but it is December, the month in which winter begins. It is also, of course, the month of Advent, the month of expectation and anticipation leading up to Christmas proper. So, as this month of seasonal change and hopeful waiting begins, I thought we'd celebrate both winter and the coming holiday season with songs about Christmas and about winter itself.

That's right! I'm proud to announce that as your guest host (isn't that an oxymoron?) again this week on Funny Fridays, I have ensured the quality of the programming you are going to hear to the extent that there will be *no* Mrs. Miller anywhere in the playlist! It will be a Miller-free zone! The Miller will be so light that it won't even be there! None! Nada! Zero! Zip! NulloMilleris! (That's "no Miller" in Lattin of course.)

November 30th is coming up, and for Scots at home and abroad, this means St. Andrew's Day. He is the apostle who is credited with bringing Christianity to the area of the world we now call Scotland, and so over the years, his day has become a day to celebrate Scottish culture, and with that culture, of course, comes music!

"Nock nock!"
"Who's there?"
"Sara."
"Sara who?"
"Sara guest host in the house?"

Yes, indeed there is. I'm sitting in this week on Funny Fridays for Bruce, but don't worry. Though he's off this week, the laughs are very much on. We've got three hours of songs and sketches to keep you chortling through your entire weekend, so tune in tonight at the usual time, 9:00 PM Eastern, and see what it's like when I take over the laugh factory for a night. It should be quite fun.