There is a subgenre of Christmas carols that belongs to Australian creations, such as ‘Three Drovers’ and ‘Carol of the Birds’, to go along with Christmas-adjacent songs such as Tim Minchin’s ‘White Wine in the Sun’. What doesn’t come to mind is a joint Australian and New Zealand Christmas song – but now there is one, thanks to NZ artist Aly Cook and Kay and Buzz Bidstrup, who have created ‘Southern Christmas Stars’.
The song depicts the experience of Christmas in warm weather, as well as the joy of reuniting with loved ones. The lyrics were written by Kay Bidstrup to celebrate the Christmas homecoming of her son after a year living abroad, and Buzz Bidstrup and Cook put the music together while Cook was in Australia promoting her latest album, Caught in the Middle.
While December isn’t yet upon us, this song is a lovely way to ease into the festive spirit – and, perhaps, it will become your new Southern Hemisphere Christmas anthem.
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