According to Wikipedia, “Advent is a season observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting”. It’s the same in non-religious communities, too, because it’s also when little children start waiting for a jovial old man with a long white beard, dressed in a bright red suit, to come down the chimney to deliver their presents. So today, on the first day of Advent, it seems appropriate to have Waiting as the Track of the Week.

Some children call him Santa Claus, some call him Father Christmas, but all his believers wait excitedly for his visit. Calum Graham, though, is in a much less animated mood. His acoustic guitar solo speaks of a timeless serenity that is hard to come by in these days of fast food and instant messaging. Calum is not waiting for packages wrapped in festive paper, nor is he waiting for the gift of redemption. He’s not waiting for anything in particular, he’s just passing the time, at peace with the world.

Calum Graham is a Canadian fingerstyle guitarist and singer/songwriter known for his impeccable technique. He has released four albums to date, the latest in 2016, so we are, I think, entitled to expect another one fairly soon. Crotchety Man is waiting. Let’s hope he has more luck than Vladimir and Estragon, whose wait for Godot proved to be in vain.