When we ask musicians and singers to be a part of Ornaments and Icing, we let them choose what they want to perform. But this is the song we specifically ask someone to do. It started when Dee Carstensen wanted to do it for Ornaments in 1999. When we heard how she did it, with pianist Michael Mainieri, we knew it had to close the show. And we felt a tradition starting. The next year it was performed by Livingston Taylor, then Josh White, Jr., and in 2006, Vienna Teng. So whom to ask? The fact is, it remains a somewhat capricious choice, determined by factors too numerous and random to go into here. But the results keep being Great. And this year is no exception.

David Wilcox’s smooth, warm and very personal voice has the essence of what we think about for this song. But we’ve learned that that doesn’t mean he’ll actually want to do that specific song. Some have wanted to be on Ornaments but wanted to do something else. Fine, but we still need this one. It’s the dogged determination to stick with tradition that drives it all. Of course you celebrate Christmas with lights, and of course Ornaments ends with “The Christmas Song.” (Incidentally, it’s been played on piano three times, and guitar twice.) Well, the answer came back that David would LOVE to do the song, and there were smiles all around. After recording it for us, he stopped in at WKSU / FolkAlley.com to record an interview, and that’s when he talked with us about how complicated the song actually is.

To hear that whole interview with David, and hear other songs he played while he was here, check FolkAlley.com in the near future. Look in the Extras section.