’Tis sing-along season

Our Andrew Lloyd Webber playlist will see you all the way through December

December means the Christmas party playlist has arrived and as the winter nights draw in, sometimes only a show tune can really lift the spirits. So, we’ve put together a little selection box of musical treats to entertain you throughout advent (and beyond).

We’ve wrapped up the most festive Andrew Lloyd Webber songs in one seasonal Spotify playlist ready for you to enjoy.

If you want to listen to the full playlist right away, it’s right here. But if you’re the kind of person who prefers to savour the unwrapping experience, we’ve got a few suggestions on how to structure your listening through December. After all, it’s always wise to pace yourself during the festive season. Speaking of which…

To kick off December’s party season… play ‘With One Look’ from Sunset Blvd.

Pop the champagne corks and get ready for those close-ups: everyone’s favourite diva Norma Desmond is here to serve some looks. Even if our Sunset star Norma isn’t riding as high as she’d like her confidence is always unmatched, which makes ‘With One Look’ just the pre-party boost we all need:

“With one look,
I can break your heart.
With one look,
I play every part.”

This is the perfect song to sing as you pout into the mirror, pour that pre-party glass of fizz, and put the finishing touches to your outfit. For a final flourish, accessorise your look with the attitude of Norma marching back onto Paramount Studios lot and get that party started.

To encourage sweet Christmas Eve dreams… play Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Christmas Dream.’

“Every night should, I believe,
Be the same as Christmas Eve…”

This one is for all you ALW superfans. Back in 1974, Andrew Lloyd Webber and his Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and Evita collaborator Tim Rice wrote a Christmas song for the film The Odessa File, for which they provided the soundtrack. ‘Christmas Dream’ was played over the movie’s opening titles and performed by Perry Como – a legend of American TV specials and easy-listening pop – along with the London Boys Choir. The song also features German lyrics by Austrian singer/songwriter Andre Heller: The Odessa File is a film based on Frederick Forsyth’s spy thriller, which follows a German reporter as he tries to infiltrate a powerful group of former SS agents.

Give this song a listen, though, and you will be transported not to post-war Germany but to a snow-covered world of peace, as Perry sings:

“Nights should all be silent,
Days should all slow down,
An end to the hurry, the noise and the worry…”

For Christmas Day indulgence… play ‘I Do’ from Starlight Express (2024)

What’s Christmas without a little romance?

Performed by steam train Rusty and coach Pearl, ‘I Do’ was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber's son, Alastair Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Nick Coler. It has got everything you could possibly want in a festive romance: a slow build, lyrics full of feeling, and a sweeping crescendo which may or may not also include some sleigh bells ringing. Great for a family singalong.

Crack open a day-after-Christmas classic… play ‘No Matter What’ from Whistle Down The Wind

There are plenty of old favourites in this playlist – we’d say ‘Pie Jesu’ is perfect for a Boxing Day sit-down – but we must give a mention to Irish band Boyzone’s nostalgic version of ‘No Matter What’.

Released in 1998, ‘No Matter What’ comes from Andrew’s production of Whistle Down The Wind, which is based on Mary Hayley Bell’s novel and the Richard Attenborough-produced film adaptation. The lyrics for the show were written by Jim Steinman, who is perhaps best otherwise known as rock artist Meat Loaf’s main songwriter.

‘No Matter What’ appears at the end of the first act of Whistle Down The Wind, but for many the song will forever be associated with Boyzone, particularly band member Stephen Gately, who, along with Ronan Keating, sang lead vocals. When Stephen sadly died in 2009, ‘No Matter What’ also became its own tribute to the man who helped give voice to lyrics including:

“I can't deny what I believe
I can't be what I'm not
I know this love's forever
That's all that matters now
No matter what…”

Given the day after Christmas Day is also St Stephen’s Day, this song’s the one we’ll be swaying along to with our glasses raised.

Get New Years Eve party ready… play ‘This Time Next Year’ from Sunset Blvd.

A mid-show track from Sunset Blvd. ‘This Time Next Year’ is a song for the hopers, the dreamers, the optimistic party-goers who start the night full of joy and fizz. This is, of course, exactly the kind of energy you want to bring to a New Year’s Eve party – and probably not surprising, seeing as this song is performed at Artie’s own New Year’s Eve party (and, importantly in terms of the optimism part, before Joe leaves to go back to Norma’s house.)

So, pour out the champagne (again) and pop this one on the party playlist for a pre-countdown burst of hopeful energy. Here’s to next year, dreamers!

After midnight… play ‘The Perfect Year’ from Sunset Blvd.

We are on the other side of the countdown but it’s still a Sunset Blvd. party over here – this dance through December could not end with any other song, really:

“Ring out the old
Bring in the new
A midnight wish to share with you…”

We say forget about Auld Lang Syne and whack ‘The Perfect Year’ on after midnight, because what musical-lover would say no to a New Year singalong with Norma Desmond? Now there’s an acquaintance that’ll never be forgot.

Give those endorphins a boost… play ‘Pumping Iron’ from Starlight Express (2024)

To round off this round-up, here’s a post-December bonus track for you. Those New Year’s resolutions aren’t going to resolve themselves, so allow us to re-introduce Starlight Express superhero Greaseball singing the ever-so-January song ‘Pumping Iron’. If this one doesn’t make you want to hit the gym, nothing will (which is fine, by the way.)