There are those who’d believe that the time of Winter Solstice is the darkest, bleakest time of the year (though for those living in the Northern part of the America’s will tell you that December’s got NOTHING on February when it comes to that!) and that all the programmed holidays and their concomitant celebrations are there to cheer us up as best possible. Meanwhile, others are content to immerse themselves in the melancholia of the season and this would include the duo Danse Macabre (an original band name, no?), part of Theia Mania who’ve created some suitably somber soundtracks for the long dark nights. Their site says:
“Theia Mania is a production & performance collective that is open to anyone and everyone who wishes to redefine the culture of creation. Too often we find ourselves in isolation – hidden away in our bedrooms, our studios, or behind our computer screens late at night. Yet we all have the impulse to share something. That something might be an emotion, an itch, an abstraction, a concept… but it’s ours to grow.
“While neighbors in the southern hemisphere enjoyed the summer solstice, our duo Dance Macabre created a tribute to Saturnalia, the Pagan festival that in many ways was recast into the celebration of Christmas. With only fiddle & piano, Dance Macabre has infected classic Christmas melodies with a dark fairy sensibility.”
https://theiamania.bandcamp.com/album/saturnalia-sessions
