Music: Sleigh bells in the recession

’Twas the beginning of November and all through the house, not a creature was stirring. But on the radio, Bing Crosby was crooning “White Christmas’’ on one station, while Jose Feliciano proclaimed “Feliz Navidad’’ on another. In recent years, the Christmas season has lengthened dramatically, with carols starting after Halloween and lights twinkling well into February. But never has the expanded season felt more appropriate, or even necessary, than this year. Christmas music triggers warm but sometimes wistful memories, and such a poignant blend of feelings is especially resonant. On Oldies 103.3, one of the stations shifting to holiday programming, callers speak of feeling moved by the old songs, remembering long-gone relatives and childhood innocence. They capture what many are feeling, a need for security and a yearning for hope. Too early to celebrate the holidays? Not this year.