I’ve found Pandora really very helpful in assembling music I like. You basically build your own online “radio” station, naming a few songs or artists you like, and then Pandora analyzes the music you like and makes suggestions for other recordings you may or may not have heard. You can train the program by clicking on a thumbs-up or thumbs-down symbol to indicate that you like or dislike a piece; you can switch the piece to another channel; you can edit things. After awhile you find yourself being presented with music you really like, with the option to buy it if you can’t live without it. Try it, you’ll like it.
For Christmas I have two Pandora channels, one for traditional Christmas carols and one for pre-baroque music, Gregorian chants, medieval music, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Hildegaard von Bingen, etc.
excellent Pandora channel ideas! I think I may do the same.