What kind of Christmas songs are Jingle Bells and Winter Wonderland? Funny you should ask
It’s a swizz: both belong to a large class of winter songs that have been shuffled cynically on to the Christmas playlist
Perry Como
Singer
The Simpsons creeps from the shadows to remind us it was once a defining cultural force
The show gave Morrissey a prime opportunity to moan like an underappreciated maiden aunt
In a lot of ways, RTÉ's Twink tribute depicts her as a whistleblower
Patrick Freyne: Twink seems to have her own studio audience in her house
‘If we’re going to do a Christmas song it has to move people to tears’
Aidan Moffat, formerly of Scottish indie miserablists Arab Strap, insists ‘Ghost Stories for Christmas’ is not depressing
Childhood summers: magic moments with Cat Stevens and Perry Como
Some summer sounds are now tinged with sadness since my Granny died last year
Bishop pleads for peace at funeral of stabbed teenager Reece Cullen
‘Conflict can begin with just a dirty look,’ Bishop Eamonn Walsh tells congregation
Pat Egan: still promoting after all these years
Pat Egan was one of the first to bring big rock and pop shows to Ireland, and after decades of promoting acts such as Bob Marley, and many walks on the wild side, he’s still in business
It’s hard to believe in the ‘white Santa’ promoted by Fox News
The notion that kids will be ‘confused’ if Father Christmas sometimes looks black, Chinese or Turkish is absurd
Anyone Who Had A Heart: My Life and Music, by Burt Bacharach, with Robert Greenfield
The American composer’s songs are much more revealing than his lacklustre autobiography
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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