The third day of Christmas: Lilac Wine

This one was a UK chart hit - it got to number 16 in 1978 - but I've rarely heard it since, so there's a good chance you won't know it.

Elkie Brooks - Lilac Wine

I didn't actually realise until I looked it up just now, but this version isn't the original - it's actually a really old song. Elkie Brooks was very popular where I grew up, because I grew up in Salford and she's FROM Salford. I suspect she wasn't as well-known elsewhere, but I could be wrong! Anyway, I know quite a lot of people who regard Jeff Buckley's "Grace" as the greatest album of all time, and he covered Lilac Wine on there, but I find his version disappointing compared to this one. (I think that's why, although I find Jeff Buckley's album pleasant enough, I've never been fanatical about it, even though I'm considered ignorant by some for having this opinion.)

I just love the orchestration on Elkie's version. It starts with a bare fifth, and you think there are only a few instruments backing her, but then more join in, until you realise there's a full orchestra there. There are timp rolls and everything! And I love the harmony too. It starts in A minor, but the chorus is in A major - at least until it surprises you by following a D major chord with a very unexpected F major. It gets back to A major in the end - and it's a proper ending. None of this fadeout rubbish! They don't make them like this any more :-)