Ersatz is one of my new favorite words. It only became mine a few months ago. A German words, it means:
Artificial or inferior substitution or imitation
Here’s the word in a sentence.
Because of the ersatz Christmas carols blaring from the store’s ceiling, I prefer to shop online.
This is a season of joy, but there are abundant examples of artificial ick that just come out tinny. When heaven and nature sing don’t you believe it is something that could be accurately described as…music? Today I’m getting out the Christmas music and the first one to be played will be the orchestral overture of Handel’s Messiah followed by a tenor singing Comfort Ye.
Repeat the sounding joy!
A Living Pencil 
The needle finally broke on our stereo yesterday. sigh. Most of the songs on the records are ‘real’ Christmas music. I miss the carols already.(I think that the needle must have broken on that one dumb song about the donkey…)
Had to double check that the word can be used as an adjective without modification and learned that it can Spreading the Word in GA, Dana
I love listening to my Josh Groban Christmas CD on my way to and from places in the car. I had to give my dad all the rest of the classical Christmas music! I decided that Michael’s has fairly nice Christmas music this year, though. And I went to a church Christmas Festival of Carols last night that was absolutely wonderful and inspiring, too.
I am still laughing! Go Handel!
The Collegium Records website is full of gorgeous Christmas music. Truly wonderful music, truly beautiful English choirs~the best kind. Oh, and did you know you can buy recordings of the Nine Lessons and Carols? I got one a couple years ago on Amazon, and it quickly became one of my very favorite Christmas CD’s.Carol, I agree with you about the ersatz (love that word!) music that is being piped all over the place. I makes it painful to go shopping!
Great word! True concept. A great source is Pandora Radio and then key in Cambridge Singers Christmas. (Cambridge as in the English university) It works at work.
OH P.S. I heard a guy on the radio refer to Mannheim Steamroller as Classic Christmas the other day. While I don’t really mind them I nearly shouted at the radio.
Wow! I’m glad to know what that means. In my last WWII book the POWs complained about the ersatz coffee and now I get it. =)
PREACH IT.ps – the Cambridge Singers Christmas CD – all of them, actually – are pretty much the gold standard around here. LOVE. THEM. Esp. David Willcocks arrangements…
@roseteacup – Yep, the Cambridge Singers are mainstays of Collegium Records. Absolutely gorgeous singing and arrangements!