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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
Nope.
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree?
Na-uh.
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus?
Not even.
"No Jingle Bells nor I'll Be Home For Christmas," John McDermott says.
"We'll leave that for... whoever."
No, don't expect to hear too many commercialized Christmas tunes during McDermott's two concerts this week at the Arts Centre. The tenor is, in fact, dedicating half of his set to seasonal songs, but likely something from his own collection of traditional Christmas favorites than from the new Hanson album.
"There's The Old Tin Star, Murray McLauchlan's old piece. There's the more traditional pieces -- Ava Maria, O Holy Night. We doing songs from the other five albums. On top of that, it's going to be fun because we're doing it with the symphony."
The concerts with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra take place tomorrow and Friday at the Jack Singer Concert Hall.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.
McDermott -- a former Toronto Sun employee -- isn't relying solely on our symphony for accompaniment. He's still touring with his usual cast of characters, gathered from the Maritimes to the Pacific.
"We're bringing everybody. From St. John's, Nfld., Victoria, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and of course your own hometown boy, Bill Bridges, who is our musical director."
Thirteen months ago, McDermott sold out the same venue once.
This time, he is scheduled for two shows.
"I have to believe it's a great deal of hard work to sell these shows simply because you can't turn on the radio and hear something we've recorded," he says.
But you can hear other recordings.
Melanie Doan, Natalie McMaster, Leahy, Spirit of the West, The Rankin Family ... the list goes on, yet it is a movement McDermott takes no credit for.
"I don't think of my music as being Celtic music. I think of it as traditional folk," says McDermott.
"There is without question a Celtic influence in everything I do. But if you listen to Christy Moore's stuff... Christy is as Irish as the day is long, but you would hardly deem his music to be Celtic. When it's Scottish or Irish, most people will immediately say: 'Oh, you play Celtic music.'"
The McDermott family, which includes 12 children, emigrated to Canada from Scotland when he was nine.
One parent was from Ireland and one from Scotland and the Commonwealth crooner from Ontario sings sentimentally about both countries on his newest album, When I Grow Too Old To Dream.
"It's very intentional that I was splitting it up between Ireland and Scotland. I didn't want to leave one out," McDermott acknowledges.
"There are a couple of pieces on there that have nothing to do with traditional music, but they have a very old feel to them."
Then, of course, there are tracks that seem to come from nowhere, such as the title song by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein.
"That song is as far from traditional Celtic music as you're going to get, but the piece goes with what I want to do with any material that I record.
"It has an ability to bring back a memory, a place, a person, a moment that everybody can remember. I can remember my mother humming this song and she can remember her mother humming this piece."
And so it matters not to McDermott the origin of a song, because it is the song that matters.
"A love of music is not a case of being patriotic. If that were the case, every track would be O Canada," he says laughing, when asked about serenading both Isles at once.
Still, there are anthems that cannot be wrestled away from a country's heritage, as McDermott found out when his debut disc Danny Boy went gold.
Five years later, he is still finding classics he can't believe he's overlooked.
The new album, for instance, finally gets around to My Bonnie and Bluebells of Scotland.
"Are you kidding? I've got a list as long as my arm. The dilemma is: Which ones do you record this time?"
McDermott had to chop six recorded tracks from When I Grow Too Old To Dream to fit the album on a CD.
His list grows as he talks to fans in the lobby after every show.
"Where else are you going to get constructive criticism than from people who have bought tickets to your show?" he says. "When someone who has taken the time to come to my show is offering me advice, I'll listen to it. I don't have to agree, but I'll take it into consideration."
Such conferences are often where McDermott finds the less well-known songs he records.
"I got Barbara Allan from a couple in Calgary, actually. The Mulloys, Bill and Anne."
After a show at the Jack Singer, the couple presented McDermott with a book published in 1807 entitled (brace yourself) Elouis' Selection of One Hundred Scottish Songs for the Piano and Harp.
Yet with a worldwide network of song scouts, McDermott has yet to find a song named for his wife of 12 years, Agnieszka.
"She's a very private lady, so I leave her to privacy. She's quite happy with the dedications," he explains.
Agnieszka must also be pleased to note her travelling troubadour mate plans to cram in 15 shows this month and still make it home by Christmas Eve.
"I'll be home for Christmas, yes," McDermott confirms.
But he won't be singing I'll Be Home For Christmas.
"No, not at all."