All we want for Christmas is an old festive song

Christmas and music

Vocabulary

1 Look at these words and expressions. They are all in the text below. Do we use them to talk about money or music?
pay, cheque, hits, airing, generates, revenue, release ,
profitable, money-spinners, digital downloads, playlists, tracks
2 Now, match each of the words to the correct definition.
a) very successful songs

b) produce/create
c) making money for a person or company

d) music made available to buy
e) one of several songs on a CD f) money paid for work
g) when a song is played on the radio
h) something that you copy onto your computer from the internet
i) a product or activity that produces a lot of money
j) the money that a company earns on a regular basis
k) all the music that people will listen to on a particular occasion

All we want for Christmas is an old festive song

Whether you love Mariah Carey or loathe Jona Lewie, there is no escaping them at this time of year. The annual resurrection of songs from Christmas past is well underway – and for the artists who penned or performed those festive favourites decades ago, the pay cheques are waiting under the tree.
Of the 20 most-played Christmas songs during the past ten years, the most modern – Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" – dates from 1994. Most of the others in the list were hits in the Seventies and Eighties. They include Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" and Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
A single airing of a three-minute song on BBC Radio One generates about £37.50 for writers and £37.50 for performers, while commercial stations pay a percentage of their advertising revenue.
This means that even songs that failed to make an impact on their original release can prove highly profitable later. Chris Rea's "Driving Home For Christmas" reached just number 53 in 1988. Yet, now seventh in the most-played list, it remains one of Rea's most reliable money-spinners.
The breadth of music choice permanently available through digital downloads also means that songs no longer have to be re-released as in years gone by to take a march up the charts. "All I Want For Christmas has charted in the top 20 in each of the past three Decembers, and has already reached number 22 this year.
Martin Talbot, the managing director of The Official Charts Company, said: "At this time of year people are putting together lots of Christmas party playlists and they want to make their own compilations of tracks at home. Five or ten years ago, you'd have to buy a Christmas hits package, but now it's more democratic. People can choose what they like."

Question 1 (2 points)

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) The youngest song in the top twenty list of Christmas songs is sung by Mariah Carey.
b) “Merry Xmas Everybody” and “ Do They Know It’s Christmas” were both sung by Slade.
c) Chris Rea’s song “Driving Home for Christmas” is more popular now than in 1988.
d) Some people buy old songs because they are going to meet friends and celebrate Christmas.

Question 2 (2 points)
Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) How do old songs continue to make money?
b) Why is it now easier to select the songs you want to listen to?

Question 3 (1.5 points)
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a) write (Paragraph 1)
b) wide choice (Paragraph 5)
c) the list of the highest selling records for one week (Paragraph 5)

Question 4 (1.5 points)

Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) Mariah Carey first sang “All I want for Christmas” in1994.
The song “All I want for Christmas” …………………………………… in 1994.

b) Martin Talbot said: “Five or ten years ago, you'd have to buy a Christmas hits package, but now it's more democratic. People can choose what they like."
According to Martin Talbot, five or …………………………………………….…..

c) A single airing of a three-minute song on BBC Radio One generates about £37.50 for writers and £37.50 for performers.
If a three-minute song is played once on BBC Radio one, both ...................................................

Question 5 (5 points)

Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
“Music is just one of many things which help us to celebrate.” What do you think?

Most played Christmas tunes

1 All I Want For Christmas Is You (1994) Mariah Carey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ymlnxMZkXA

2 Last Christmas (1984) Wham!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1zWafQF1hc

3 Fairytale of New York (1987) The Pogues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwHyuraau4Q&feature=related

4 Merry Xmas Everybody (1973) Slade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqiDo28s70w

5 I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day (1973) Wizzard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r8UVR9DDBo

6 Do They Know It's Christmas? (1984) Band Aid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5cX_ncZLls

7 Driving Home For Christmas (1988) Chris Rea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czhZbqpyBm8&feature=fvsr

8 Stop The Cavalry (1980) Jona Lewie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOe18JcatZo

9 White Christmas (1942) Bing Crosby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddVZOK_9UUI

10 Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (1966) Dean Martin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mSSPM3ies0

Key Vocabulary tasks

1
Money

pay cheque, generates, percentage, revenue, profitable, money-spinners

Musicsongs, hits, airing, release, digital downloads, playlists, compilations, tracks

2
a) hits b) generate c) profitable d) release e) tracks
f) pay cheque g) airing h) digital download i) money-spinner
j) revenue k) playlist