A Voice Missing, A Memory Shining: Shanneyganock’s “You Won’t Be Here This Christmas

Christmas music in Newfoundland has always carried a special weight — it’s where joy and melancholy meet, where memories sit beside melodies, and where stories are kept alive through song. Shanneyganock’s newest holiday release, “You Won’t Be Here This Christmas,” arrives not just as another seasonal track, but as a deeply emotional tribute to one of the province’s most beloved musicians: Mark Hiscock, a legend on the button accordion and a heart at the centre of the band’s identity for decades.

Hiscock passed away in the spring at just 53 years old, leaving behind a legacy that shaped Newfoundland music. And while the subject matter is undeniably heavy, Shanneyganock does something remarkable with this track: they honour him through a song that’s bittersweet, heartfelt, and surprisingly uplifting — capturing both the ache of grief and the power of memory with the warmth only they can deliver.

A Celebration Wrapped in Grief

Musically, “You Won’t Be Here This Christmas” leans into an upbeat Newfoundland folk sound, keeping the rhythm bright enough to carry listeners through the emotional weight of the lyrics. It’s a clever and moving choice — the kind of sonic contrast that reflects real grief. The world keeps spinning, music keeps playing, and Christmas keeps coming, even when someone we love won’t be there.

The arrangement feels familiar in that classic Shanneyganock way: lively instrumentation, steady tempo, and layered harmonies that fill the room like a kitchen jam session. But beneath the upbeat feel, there’s an undeniable undercurrent of loss. The song is built with love, and you can hear that love in every chord.

Lyrics That Hold Memory Like a Candle

The lyrics capture the complexity of grieving someone during the holidays — a season built on tradition, family, and togetherness. Lines like:

“You won’t be here this Christmas… but I’ll always have those memories, and I know they’ll never fade.”

hit straight to the heart. There’s no hiding from the truth the song is telling: Christmas is harder without the people who shaped it for us.

But there’s comfort there too. The band reflects on cherished times, shared music, and the connection they’ll never lose:

“It’s the power of a memory that shines the greatest light

to help me in the darkness and save me through the night.”

It’s one of the most beautiful and honest lines in the song — a recognition that even when someone is gone, what they gave us doesn’t disappear. Memory becomes its own form of music.

The tribute becomes even more powerful as they reference the stage, the songs, the love of melody — all reflections of Mark’s life and talent:

“Thus it seems so long ago we shared upon the stage

a gift that we call music and all the joy it made.”

And perhaps the most gut-punching line of all:

“Yes, because it’s Christmas… it hurts a little more.”

Anyone who has ever lost someone knows how true those words are.

A Tribute That Lives and Breathes in the Music

What makes this song stand out is how authentically Shanneyganock it is. They didn’t write a funeral dirge. They wrote a Newfoundland Christmas song — one that carries grief in one hand and celebration in the other, exactly the way Mark would have wanted.

It’s sincere. It’s raw. It’s hopeful.

It acknowledges the pain, but it celebrates the life.

And because it’s Shanneyganock, it still feels like community — like everyone is invited to sit around the tree, raise a glass, and remember.

❤️

A Song That Will Mean Something to So Many

“You Won’t Be Here This Christmas” isn’t just for fans of the band or for those who knew Mark personally. It’s a song for anyone who has faced an empty seat at the holiday table, anyone living with a December ache, anyone who finds comfort in music when memories become too heavy to hold alone.

It’s a reminder that grief and love are twins — that we hurt more because we loved deeply, and that music can help us navigate both.

Looking Ahead: Shanneyganock Continues the Tradition

Despite this difficult year, Shanneyganock will carry on with their annual Christmas concert on December 27th at the Jag Soundhouse - a sold out show ! And this song is sure to be a defining moment of the night. It will hit hard. It will heal a little. And it will bring people together, just as Mark always did.

Final Thoughts

“You Won’t Be Here This Christmas” is one of the most emotionally resonant Newfoundland holiday songs in years. It’s both a tribute and a gift — a beautiful reminder that the people we lose remain with us in the melodies, the memories, and the traditions they’ve touched.

Shanneyganock didn’t just write a Christmas song.They wrote a love letter.

A farewell A celebration.

And a promise that Mark Hiscock’s light — and his music — will never fade.

If you’re building your holiday playlist, this one isn’t just recommendedd. It is essential!