![\"Hocken](\"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/thehockenblog\/files\/2014\/12\/Hocken-Christmas-music.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHave you ever heard of the New Zealand Christmas classic \u201cI want a Hippopotamus for Christmas\u201d by Pat McMinn and the Combie Murdoch Trio? No? How about Pixie Williams singing \u201cBest Wishes\u201d?\u00a0 These are only two of the many New Zealand Christmas classic tracks waiting in the Hocken stacks to be rediscovered. The recorded Christmas music that the Hocken has dates from the late 1940s with the Pixie Williams disc, though the 1960s to the 1980s featured many recordings popular at the time, but now faded into obscurity. These include<\/p>\n
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- \u00a0Chic Littlewood\u2019s \u201cLet\u2019s make everyday Christmas\u201d<\/li>\n
- The Dallas Four\u2019s \u201cWhite Christmas\u201d<\/li>\n
- Hauraki Good Guys with Salty Dog \u201cPlease daddy, don\u2019t get drunk this Christmas\u201d<\/li>\n
- Various Artists Still hooked on Christmas<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
However, many recordings have remained in the public consciousness, with arguably the most well-known being Kingi Ihaka\u2019s \u201cPukeko in a ponga tree\u201d.\u00a0 Along with Billy T. James\u2019 \u201cWhen a child is born\u201d, Julie Nelson and The Don Ball Orchestra\u2019s \u201cSticky Beak the kiwi\u201d is still incredibly popular. \u201cSticky Beak the kiwi\u201d was written specifically by Gisbourne-based folk singer Bob Edwards and lyricist Neil Roberts for children in 1961. 14-year old Julie Nelson sang the song, backed by the Whanganui dance band, the Don Ball Orchestra. The song became a hit.<\/p>\n