After eight great weeks of Christmas music, tonight we shut down Christmas Hope. Thanks for all the great feedback, we're glad you enjoyed it. Rest assured we'll be back next November.

In the meantime we want to wish you every blessing for the year ahead and pray that 2010 will be a great year for you.

Hope Media continues to broadcast 3 great music channels as well as great downloadable interviews on a broad selection of issues and topics. You can find us at www.hope1032.com.au We'd love to see you there.

best wishes
Andrew Morris 

G'day to all our friends from Hope 103.2 who have popped over to have a look around.

New Christmas Music
We're adding new music to Christmas Hope each day. Over the weekend we'll be adding new music from Elvis Presley's Christmas Duetsalbum from last year featuring duets with some great female singers including Amy Grant, Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride and our own Olivia Newton-John.

Also on the new music list are all your favourite Motown acts off the new Motown Christmasalbum. But it's not all classic material, new music from Sting, Mandisa and Andrea Bocelli is on its way.

Christmas Word Watch
Have you ever wondered about the story behind Advent, Father Christmas, Carols, Christmas Cards or Tree? Author and Broadcaster Kel Richards joins Aaron Wright for a look behind our Christmas Traditions.

Christmas Hope Facebook Page
We've also created a Christmas Hope Facebook page where you can look at some amazing Suburban Christmas Light photos and get recipes for Christmas.

Listening To Christmas Hope
You can listen to your favourite Christmas songs a few different ways:
1. Windows Media Player
2. High quality AAC+ through iTunes
3. Download the Hope Media iPhone app from the iTunes store online or off your phone. But be aware of your download limits.

I hope you really enjoy the music of Christmas Hope and please let us know what you think of it at our Contacts page.

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) – the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization representing over 330,000 music creators and copyright owners track the most played Christmas songs each year.

It makes an interesting list, here it is!

1. Winter Wonderland
   Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
   Performed by: Eurythmics
2. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
   Written by: Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
   Performed by: Nat "King" Cole
3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
   Written by: Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
   Performed by: The Pretenders
4. Sleigh Ride
   Written by: Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
   Performed by: The Ronettes
5. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
   Written by: Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
   Performed by: Frank Sinatra
6. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
   Written by: Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
   Performed by: Michael Bublé
7. White Christmas
   Written by: Irving Berlin
   Performed by: Bing Crosby
8. Jingle Bell Rock
   Written by: Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe
   Performed by: Bobby Helms
9. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
   Written by: Johnny Marks
   Performed by: Gene Autry
10. Little Drummer Boy
    Written by: Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone
    Performed by: The Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra
11. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
    Written by: Edward Pola, George Wyle
    Performed by: Andy Williams
12. Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
    Written by: Johnny Marks
    Performed by: Brenda Lee
13. Silver Bells
    Written by: Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
    Performed by: Kenny G
14. I'll Be Home For Christmas
    Written by: Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, Buck Ram
    Performed by: Amy Grant
15. Feliz Navidad
    Written by: José Feliciano
    Performed by: José Feliciano
16. Frosty The Snowman
    Written by: Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins
    Performed by: The Ronettes
17. A Holly Jolly Christmas
    Written by: Johnny Marks
    Performed by: Burl Ives
18. It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
    Written by: Meredith Willson
    Performed by: Johnny Mathis
19. Blue Christmas
    Written by: Billy Hayes, Jay W. Johnson
    Performed by: Elvis Presley
20. (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays
    Written by: Bob Allen, Al Stillman
    Performed by: Perry Como
21. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
    Written by: Tommie Connor (PRS)
    Performed by: John Mellencamp
22. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
    Written by: Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
    Performed by: Gene Autry
23. Carol Of The Bells
    Written by: Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich
    Performed by: David Foster (instrumental version)
24. Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)
    Written by: Midge Ure (PRS), Bob Geldof (PRS)
    Performed by: Band Aid
25. This Christmas
    Written by Donny Hathaway, Nadine McKinnor
    Performed by Gloria Estefan

Interesting Facts from ASCAP

Oldest songs:
"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Winter Wonderland" (both 1934)

Newest song:
"Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed the World)" (1984)

Most recorded Holiday song:
"White Christmas" with well over 500 versions in dozens of languages

Songs introduced in Film and Television
"White Christmas" in Holiday Inn (1942)
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
"Silver Bells" in The Lemon Drop Kid (1950)
"A Holly Jolly Christmas" in TV special Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1962)

Writer with most top Holiday songs:
Johnny Marks with three - "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and "A Holly Jolly Christmas"

"Sleigh Ride"is the only holiday song on the list written originally as an instrumental piece for a symphony orchestra. The Boston Pops Orchestra gave the first performance in a concert conducted by Arthur Fiedler at Symphony Hall in Boston, May 4, 1948. Mills Music published it that same year. The Boston Pops Orchestra recorded it in June of 1949. Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1949.

Christmas albums have become a tradition in popular music, here in Australia the Salvation Army in partnership with Myer have been releasing The Spirit of Christmas series since the early 1990's, I'm sure there's one in store for us this year.

Bob Dylan's first Christmas album.One of the biggest Christmas albums to be released recently is Bob Dylan's Christmas at the Heart. Profits from the sale of Dylan's album will go towards providing 500,000 meals to school children in developing countries through the World Food Program, 15,000 meals to homeless people in the United Kingdom thorugh Crisis and more than 4 million meals to American families through Feeding America. Read about it at Bob Dylan's website.

Sting, who has had a successful solo career after leaving The police and known for his experimental musical nature releases a mixed bag of Christmas and Holiday songs on his November album If On A Winters Night.

And award winning Christian worship leader Chris Tomlin has released his first Christmas album, Glory in the Highest.