Winds were blowing, cows were lowing

It’s the first Friday in Advent; in case you’re getting a little wound up I’ve got something to help you step away and remind you to breathe.

I don’t even know how I acquired George Winston’s December CD, but I’m glad I did, because there’s a purity in the simplicity of his interpretations of seasonal music that often can—like us—become overwrought.

Take “Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head”. The Appalachian folk carol was first brought to the world’s notice by John Jacob Niles about a hundred years ago, and I’m sure you can find pages and pages of choral renderings on YouTube. But I like this version best.