Ukulele Advent Calendar 2023 - Dec. 1: “If We Make It Through December”

As this – my seventh annual Ukulele Advent Calendar – begins, I have already recorded over 230 Christmas and Christmas-adjacent songs in the past 6 years. My plan for 2023-2024 is like last year’s – to fill in the blanks of my project with some classic carols I have not yet shared (easier to play and arrange), and to balance those with a few favorites I want to repeat (perhaps the most fun for me) and whatever new songs I have time to work up (the most time consuming).

For my first day, I revisited a recent favorite. I played “If We Make it Through December” (1973) by Merle Haggard the past two years. This is one that Phoebe Bridgers also has covered beautifully, and I take a lot of cues from that arrangement. I kind of think this is the perfect song to start the month – even if one is feeling upbeat and cheery about the coming season, there are many out there who are having a rough time. And if that’s you, Merle’s got your number.

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Project Notes: Long a Christmas music fan, I have a large collection on cassette/cd/vinyl. In 2017, I began playing and arranging holiday songs on ukulele. Each year I revisit some of my favorites and make sure to play some new songs, too. For 234 (!) holiday-related videos from my ukulele past, see archived Ukulele Advent Calendar playlists on YouTube (links below).

Support my ukulele projects at: https://www.patreon.com/newukenewyork

2023: https://tinyurl.com/NUNYXmas2023
2022: https://tinyurl.com/NUNYXmas2022 (47 videos)
2021: https://tinyurl.com/NUNYXmas2021 (38 videos)
2020: https://tinyurl.com/NUNYXmas2020 (39 videos)
2019: https://tinyurl.com/NUNYXmas2019 (37 videos)
2018: https://tinyurl.com/NUNYXmas2018 (38 videos)
2017: https://tinyurl.com/NUNYXmas2017 (35 videos)

See my Christmas-ish original songs here: https://tinyurl.com/NUNYXmasOriginals

Posted in 2022 on this day: The Holly and the Ivy https://youtu.be/JThPvXRHT24?si=uNP9-s0CH3NTKSof
and bonus instrumental: Up on the Housetop https://youtu.be/8qD-xdNDzBE
Posted in 2021 on this day: Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel https://youtu.be/n-RYO6uaOC8
Posted in 2020 on this day: Christmas Island https://youtu.be/PinMuMBKllI
Posted in 2019 on this day: Baby, It’s Cold Outside (solo voice adaptation) https://youtu.be/QjqbjjzdutY
Posted in 2018 on this day: River https://youtu.be/OVr85Np1ou4
Posted in 2017 on this day: Winter Song https://youtu.be/1C_fjKAsdOI