The streets are silent this year with the Christmas markets shuttered, and no merry carollers come to our doors to sing amateur covers of Silent Night and Little Drummer Boy. But the musical world of Budapest is staying busy, and we can enjoy that added bit of holiday cheer from our laptops, in this collection of five Christmas songs produced by musical groups right here in the city.
Sleigh Ride – Song Factory Budapest
The jaunty English tune Sleigh Ride may seem unfamiliar coming out of Hungarian mouths, but the ever-talented Song Factory Budapest have pulled it off with resounding success. Their unrelentingly cheerful cover is actually only a portion of the song – making it a quick and fun watch. The video features popular sights around Margaret Island, a real horse-drawn carriage, and cute Christmas-y details like reindeer earrings and a pocket-kerchief that’s really a little stuffed dog with antlers. This cheeriest of festive videos should be guaranteed to bring a smile even to the Scrooge-iest of faces.
Gaudete - Christmas Carol –Gemma
The Gemma Singers are a vocal ensemble of 14 singers in Budapest, founded in 1996. Their rendition of the medieval Gaudete Christmas carol is rich and powerful. With your eyes closed, it’s easy to find yourself transported to the 1500s, standing on cold stones in an old church lit solely by candles… The Gemma Singers give most of their concerts in sacred locations, meaning that such a resonate and holy song is perfectly in keeping with the group – and Christmas.
Esti Ének – Song Factory Budapest
Another Christmas song released by Song Factory Budapest this December, Esti Ének is a hauntingly beautiful Hungarian melody, filled with imagery of “dancing once more with the beautiful girl with the beautiful hair”. This piece was originally released by the popular Hungarian band Bagossy Brothers Company, and the SFB video features the iconic Chain Bridge at dusk, and traditional Hungarian folk dancing.
Carol of the Bells – Jazz and More
A charming re-imagination of Carol of the Bells is brought to us from Jazz and More, whose quarantine-aware video shows the good humour of all the participating singers as they show up one by one in their masks to record. The masks may be hiding their smiles, but the twinkling eyes cannot be mistaken! Members of the choir are decked out in sparkly sweaters, classic Santa hats and even strands of Christmas lights in this video, which can be listened to at full volume to enjoy each line of melody.
Deck the Halls – Budapesti Rendőr-főkapitányság Kórusa
Even the police can’t help feeling festive – the Budapest-based Hungarian Police Choir have released possibly the most unique (and cute!) Christmas song this December. In reflective safety vests and sharp black masks, standing next to a twinkling police car decked in lights, the group sing a Hungarian cover of Deck the Halls. It’s well worth a watch – unfortunately we can't embed it here due to the video's settings, but head to their Facebook page to check it out!
