Here in Los Angeles, it's usually necessary to put on socks to be comfortable outside, which means that various Winter Solstice holidays are just around the corner. I'm going to be taking the next few weeks off blogging — this Friday's post will be the last one until 2015 — so this seems an appropriate moment to get into the holiday spirit. Often, when tasked with presenting seasonal music, I go for the deliberately out of place, pointing to things like Krzysztof Penderecki's languid, brooding (but "Silent Night"-quoting!) second symphony, but today I'm going to do something of the reverse: Present a cheerful, exuberantly naïve work from a composer who is rarely either of those things.