Don Campbell, left, has been playing Christmas concerts for more than 20 years. Photo by Kristen DeQuattro

Don Campbell of Scarborough has been a full-time singer-songwriter since 1997 and has been doing holiday concerts around Maine since 2002. Some of his upcoming Christmas shows with the Don Campbell Band are Dec. 7 at the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, Dec. 8 at Scarborough High School (a benefit for Hospice of Southern Maine) and Dec. 14 at Bear Mountain Inn in Waterford.

Do you have a favorite holiday song?

My favorite holiday song is “The Christmas Song,” written by Mel Torme. But my favorite recording of it is by Nat King Cole. I just feel like it’s timeless. I love the sentiment that it conveys, and I love Nat King Cole’s voice, the orchestral body to the song and the sound of the grand piano. It can make me feel like a kid again.

Do you have a favorite Christmas song to sing?

There’s a song that I wrote called “Christmas Lights.” One of my favorite memories as a kid was when my parents would take my brother and sister and I, pile us all into the car, and drive up and down Congress Street looking at the Christmas lights.  It was back when there was a lot of hustle and bustle downtown.

My favorite thing about Christmas is the lights. People can drive by your house – who don’t even know you – but you’re giving them the gift of light. And I think that’s a beautiful thing. The song is all about how we give each other that gift.

Why did you start doing annual holiday shows? 

As a musician, your gigs would kind of slow down after Thanksgiving. So I was like, “I love Christmas music. I think I’m going to record a Christmas CD and fill up my calendar with Christmas shows.”

How do you keep the shows fresh every year, for you and the audience? 

We always try to add a few different songs every year. We do a version of “Little Drummer Boy” that would remind people of (rock band) Rush. We like to do high-energy songs and some quieter ones, so it’s kind of a roller-coaster ride.

Do you remember seeing many holiday concerts as a kid, on TV or live? 

My parents would always bring me out to concerts, and one of my biggest inspirations has always been (Maine folk band) Schooner Fare. They used to put on a Christmas show every year at Portland Players (in South Portland). I’ve done many Christmas concerts there, too, with my band, and it’s just a magical place. Schooner Fare had a great Christmas CD as well. They don’t do that show anymore, but that’s a favorite memory of mine, seeing their shows.