Looped or repeated sounds can sometimes be hypnotically alluring. Gavin Bryars recorded an old London street person singing a devotional song in a frail paper-thin voice, looped it, and added lush orchestral accompanyment to create a sweeping masterpiece. On a 1993 revision of the piece Tom Waits joined in adding yet another dimension.
To me, this is the perfect Christmas song. Seekers will be able to find this 74 minute song out there in its entirety. Some articles on the piece:
Gavin Bryars - Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet. [2] [3] (with clips)
"When I copied the loop... I left the door of the recording studio open... while I went downstairs to get a cup of coffee. When I came back I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual, and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping. I was puzzled until I realized that the tape was still playing and they had been overcome by the old man's unaccompanied singing."
Happy Holidays!