Christmas Music

[aileth]

It seems that Christmas sneaks up every year, and takes me by surprise. Only 15 more days, announced the sign in the store yesterday. And you would think that I would be well-prepared--after all, as a music teacher, my students had to begin on special music well beforehand. So speaking of music...

Every year we like to try to find a new Christmas song that we haven't sung before. That usually leads us into the realm of Bach chorales or obscure old French melodies.

And then there's Handel's Messiah. Two years ago there was a sing-along version put together by a local music school; it was a blast, but they aren't doing it this year

So, do you tend to like old familiar pieces, the same every year, or do you like exploring new pieces?
What about lyrics vs. instrumental?
Is there a certain song or recording that you just have to play every year, or it wouldn't be Christmas at all?

[King_Erlian]

In Britain, there's an album of Christmas pop hits (mostly from the '70s and '80s) that resurfaces every year and is played incessantly in every shop, pub and restaurant from the beginning of November onwards. You know Christmas is round the corner when you hear Noddy Holder of Slade screeching "It's CHRIIIIIS-MAAAAAS!" every half an hour or so.

When I was a teenager, people from the church I used to go to went carol-singing the two weeks leading up to Christmas - not to raise money, but as a form of low-key outreach. That used to get me in the Christmassy mood more than anything else. So for me, the familiar carols are still my favourites: "Hark The Herald Angels Sing", "While Shepherds Watched" etc. Though when I'm in a mischievous mood, I like to sing the words of carols to inappropriate tunes, such as "Silent Night" to the tune of "Postman Pat" or "Once In Royal David's City" to the tune of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall".

But somehow, the record I have to hear at Christmas is the Moody Blues' "Nights In White Satin". It always reminds me of a cartoon version of "Scrooge" that used to be on TV every year during the '70s. I don't know whether I heard the song on the radio while "Scrooge" was on on the television, or whether I thought at the age of six that the "white satin" referred to Scrooge's nightshirt, but there it is...

If you're looking for a new song, I could blow my own trumpet (well, guitar) and mention my song, "Son Of Man, Son Of God"...

[shastastwin]

I usually have a few albums that always come out this time of year, including the following:

-- Enya's And Winter Came
-- Relient K's Let It Snow, Baby ... Let It Reindeer
-- Kutless' This is Christmas
-- Jazz on Christmas Eve, a CD that was almost always playing Christmas morning when I was growing up
-- Josh Groban's Noel
-- the soundtracks for A Muppet Christmas Carol and the Jim Carrey/Disney version of A Christmas Carol

One carol that I listen to a great deal that is not on any of these is "This Have I Done for My True Love" by Gustav Holst. I also listen to any number of versions of "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" as it's my favorite Advent carol; one of my favorites is Enya's version on the album listed above because it includes the Latin as well as the English lyrics, though sadly it only covers the first verse.

[fantasia]

I am obsessed with Pentatonix's 'That's Christmas To Me' album. They're not a Christian group, but their beatboxer, Kevin, is a Christian and so they occasionally do Christian Christmas songs. Last year their 'Little Drummer Boy' went viral, and this year it's 'Mary Did You Know.'

And even though it's not religious, I also really love their original 'That's Christmas To Me.' It's really sweet and a million times better than the other secular holiday songs playing on the radio (imho )

This is the first album I have liked enough to buy in years.

[Meltintalle]

Christmas means choral concerts! Our local classical station puts together a fabulous line up of broadcasts (of which I miss more than I'd like) and advertises them by playing snippets from previous years. It's so nice to get in the car and be greeted by 'The Huron Christmas Carol' or 'Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day' or a new carol performed by VocalEssence... (Or Yo-Yo Ma with an arrangement of 'Happy Xmas (The War is Over)')

I'm currently making flaily hands over Cantus' rendition of Gaudete. And in the new-to-me category is Christmas Angel which is quite lovely.

*takes note of the Pentatonix recommendations*

[Anfinwen]

I start listening to Christmas music pretty early in the season as my Christmas playlist currently has 166 songs. That would take 10hrs 20min to listen to, so I've started just picking out my favorites.

These are probably my favorite albums.
Amy Grant- "A Christmas to Remember" and "Home for Christmas"
Avalon- "Joy" this is an amazing album!
Carman- "A Long Time Ago… In a Land Called Bethlehem"
Mannheim Steamroller- "Christmas in the Aire"
Trans-Siberian Orchestra- "The Lost Christmas Eve"
Straight No Chaser- "Christmas Cheer"
Point of Grace- "Winter Wonderland"
A multi-artist album called "The Nativity Story: Sacred Songs"
Celtic Woman- several songs from the album "A Christmas Celebration"

I also love the song by Eddie James called "He's Here" it's one of the best ever. Our choir is doing it again this year and it's so fun!

[shastastwin]

I forgot to include the soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" from the animated special. Those are absolute must-haves for my Christmas music lists.

[stargazer]

Thanks for linking that new version of "Mary, Did You Know?" fantasia. It's one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Thanks also to Mel for linking those Cantu songs. I enjoyed them. I noticed their performance of "Star In The East." I think I prefer Kathy Mattea's version (from Good News) - perhaps less interesting vocally but it has a sort of Celtic flavor that I like.

Speaking of Celtic, Celtic Woman's A Christmas Celebration has been getting some airplay in my car as of late.

[johobbit]

Thanks, aileth!

I am still looking for Pentatonix' Christmas CD, but it seems to sell out as soon as stores get them in! Our sons are helping me look in their cities, so hopefully one of them will come home with it. Their "Mary, Did You Know" is probably my favourite rendition. I also enjoy Kutless'. But, really, I have yet to hear a disagreeable version from anyone!

Thanks for those links, Mel!

I grew up on The Messiah, and sang in some performances during my university years. What a thrill! I hope to do this again someday. Some of those pieces were born in heaven!

I have many favourite Christmas albums, but some that have been especially treasured over the decades are (in no particular order):

*The Carpenters "A Christmas Portrait"
*any of Smitty's (Michael W. Smith) Christmas albums (love, love, love each one)
*Kutless "This is Christmas"
*Steven Curtis Chapman "The Music of Christmas"
*The Nutcracker
*Avalon "Joy" (as Anfinwen mentioned ^)
*Charlie Brown Christmas (great jazz!)
*"All is Well" compilation album
*GT and the Halo Express Christmas (wonderful songs on here: all Scripture!)
*some choral/more classical works

I enjoy both CDs with lyrics and solely instrumental, as well. Variety is the spice of life.

As for favourite songs, goodness, there are too many. Along with many well-known, traditional carols, I love some of the lesser known:
*Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
*Huron Carol ('Twas in the Moon of Wintertime)
*Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
*Long Time Ago in Bethlehem
*Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
*Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
*O Come, O Come Emmanuel
*I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
*In the Bleak Midwinter

Ahhh, music. ♥

[Meltintalle]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who enjoyed the Cantus pieces.

I picked up a digital copy of the Pentatonix album That's Christmas To Me and while I really like the pieces fantasia posted earlier, I think my favorite is 'White Winter Hymnal' which isn't exactly Christmas-y, but it's such a fun, upbeat, rhythmic piece which is really nice when it's cold and gray and drippy instead of crisp and white outside.

[stargazer]

For some years in the late 80s, the choir in my parents' church performed what was then a fairly new song, "Night of Silence" composed by Daniel Kantor. It was often sung a cappella and had a bit of the feel of songs like "In the Bleak Midwinter," but what was most memorable to me is that they would sing it in a round with "Silent Night." The two songs were great together.

Finding a similar version on YouTube has been a mixed bag, but here's one I stumbled upon just tonight. "Silent Night" appears in the background around 2:20 and becomes more prominent around 3:30.