Five treasured Yuletide tunes

1. "Holly Jolly Christmas," Burl Ives. Although the song has been recorded by artists ranging from Faith Hill to Michael Bublé, the Burl Ives version from the TV special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" that first aired in 1964 wins with its authenticity.

2. "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The song made its debut in 1934, and The Boss recorded a live version in 1978. When performed in concert, the late Clarence Clemons would play the role of Santa and drop in some "ho-ho-hos" between his saxophone riffs.

3. "Carol of the Bells." This song amazed me when I sang it as a member of the junior high choir -- a mixed four-voice choir. It's based on a traditional Ukrainian folk chant, and has been recorded by a range of artists including Kenny Rogers, Jennifer Hudson and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

4. "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire." The real name of the song is "The Christmas Song." Composed by Mel Torme, aka The Velvet Fog, it has been recorded by numerous artists. It initially was recorded in 1946 by Nat King Cole, who recorded it a total of four times.

5. "Sleigh Ride." KRCU's Caffé Concerto program recently broadcast three different such tunes. The first, one of Mozart's "Three German Dances" is called "Schlittenfahrt," the German word for sleigh ride and has bells among trumpets, woodwinds and violins. The second was "Hawaiian Sleigh Ride," performed by guitarist Mason Williams, most famous for his 1968 instrumental hit "Classical Gas." The third, composed by Leroy Anderson in 1948, is perhaps the most well known -- with the sounds of whips cracking, hoofs hitting the ground and a horse's whinny to bring it to a close. "Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!"