Recorded in December 2003 and to be found on Volume III - Ding! Dong! - of the sometimes wonderful and other times downright puzzling 'Songs for Christmas' CD Box set, comes this stirring version of the classic Carol.
It's pretty hard to ruin this anyway - even the cherub faced boy soprano Blagg could warble this to good effect - and there's some shiver inducing versions out there to be found, but I love the strange sound on this and the way the track develops.
It starts with the plink plink of Sufjan's banjo - his instrument of choice - and that weird vocal accompaniment style that sounds as if Steven's has invited his neighbours in to harmonise with him but not told them exactly what they will be singing.
The plaintive style is both charming and moving and builds impressively until you get to the line 'Fall on your knees' when the full band comes in and the hair rises on your neck and you find yourself punching the air like a home goal has been scored.
Born at an early age a mere defenders' spit from the Boleyn ground, Billy Blagg has seen every West Ham game from 1898 onwards. Blagg was mentioned by Kenneth Wolstenholme in 1966 as one of the people on the pitch during the famous Hammers win over West Germany that lifted the World Cup and he returned to the pitch again for the 1975 FA Cup Final but stayed on the terrace for 1980 FA Cup victory. Blagg, 26, now lives with his eighth wife and innumerable children in a small semi-detached with chintz curtains in Dagenham, Essex and still attends every Hammers match and training session.
Born at an early age a mere defenders' spit from the Boleyn ground, Billy Blagg has seen every West Ham game from 1898 onwards. Blagg was mentioned by Kenneth Wolstenholme in 1966 as one of the people on the pitch during the famous Hammers win over West Germany that lifted the World Cup and he returned to the pitch again for the 1975 FA Cup Final but stayed on the terrace for 1980 FA Cup victory. Blagg, 26, now lives with his eighth wife and innumerable children in a small semi-detached with chintz curtains in Dagenham, Essex and still attends every Hammers match and training session.
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