favorite Christmas songs

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Sacred: Lo how a rose e’er blooming (King’s Singers)

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as those of old have sung.
It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger they found Him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor the darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary, Who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory, Who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of heaven,
And to the endless day!

Secular: Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (Randy Travis)
(I’ll spare you the lyrics)

I also think the version Sting did of “The Angel Gabriel (to earth from heaven came)” is really neat.
 
Nat King Cole’s song, The Christmas Song (so sweet but with a touch of melancholy)

The Eagles’, Please Come Home for Christmas

(are you sensing a trend?)
 
I’m not quite sure what my favorite is. O Holy Night is pretty high up there; any song that gives me goosebumps is pretty good!

I recently bought Michael Crawford’s Christmas album. The Phantom sings Christmas songs quite nicely. 😃
 
There’s a Polish lullabye Christmas carol which brings me to tears every time: Lulajze Jezuniu; it translates into some like “Sweet Baby Jesus.”

Manhattan Steamroller does great instrumentals

I agree with virtually all of the choices. No sense being too selective at Christmas. Even “All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” deserves a couple of plays.
 
O Holy Night has been my favorite Christmas song since childhood. Best arrangments IMHO are Nat King Cole, Martina McBride, and Josh Groban.

For secular tunes, I like Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride (instrumental) and I’ll Be Home for Christmas, which is a sentimental favorite because I usually spend the Christmas season at work.
 
I am a church pianist so I get to play lots of Christmas music. I have lovely renditions of O Come Little Children, O Come All Ye Faithful, I Saw Three Ships and more by Lorie Line that I play every year.

My favorite hymns are O Come Little Children, Night of Silence, Away in A Manger (using the melody as sung by Julie Andrews, oh so long ago) and Mary Did You Know.

I love Bing Crosby and Davie Bowie’s rendition of Little Drummer Boy.
 
I love “Do you hear what I hear?” which I consider religious.

Jingle Bell Rock is my favorite secular song.
 
StratusRose said:
O Holy Night by Nat King Cole

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas - I don’t know why but this song always gives me goosebumps!

I’ll second those, from albums.
Favorite instrumental: Carol of the Bells.
Favorite to hear in church: Joy to the World. Even quiet parishes seem to belt that one out and mean it.
Oh, and Silent Night, especially in German with guitar.
 
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puzzleannie:
Since I will not be going to malls, and will avoid any other shopping experience I can until December 26 because I am already tired of the incessant piped in Christmas music and chintzy decorations, I will let you choose the Christmas songs for me. What is your favorite Christmas hymn, religious content, and also what is your favorite “secular” Christmas or holiday song?

Stille Nacht (auf Deutsch) and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (as sung by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis)
Ave Maria; Silent Night; O Holy Night and my non-religious favorites are “Rockin Around the Christmas” Tree (Brenda Lee); Jingle Bell Rock and White Christmas.

Blessed holiday,
Shannin
 
O Holy Night

When I was a kid, a woman at my church would play it on her flute at the Christmas Eve Vigil…at Communion. And I just about died hearing it, it was so lovely. Ever since then I have daydreamed either about playing it on my flute as well as she, or belting it out, every note perfect, in praise of the birth of Jesus. May sound dumb, but it’s very inspirational to me…and it makes me cry. Anything that makes me cry like a baby usually becomes a favorite.

What Child is This-- first time I ever cantored alone was at an 8:30 am Mass on Christmas day…they were short Eucharistic ministers so the cantor threw the book at me, ordered me to lead the singing…and ran off to assist as an EMC. That song will always have a special place for me.

I Wonder as I Wander --it’s a pretty, haunting, contemplative tune.,

I’m sure there will be others…
 
I recently heard a slightly reggae sounding version of “Mary’s Boy Child” on the radio that was actually really good. Anyone else know it and who recorded it?

Also- I forgot about it before, but John Denver and the Muppets “A Christmas Together” is priceless. I’ve had a copy since I was 4 years old. It has some lovely religious carols, as well as hilarious versions of “12 Days of Christmas” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, plus Dr. Teeth & band’s “Little Saint Nick”, complete with Animal providing backing vocals. 😃
 
“Mary’s Boy Child” was recorded by a German disco group popular in the late 70’s called Boney M. The song was first done by Harry Belafonte back in the 50’s, but Boney M added more lyrics and a reggae beat to the original calypso song.
 
what, no Snoopy and the Red Baron Christmas Song? come on you guys. I still love the Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree theme song. For me Christmas begins not when I hear electronic carols piped in at Walmart, but at Tuba Christmas. Any low brass players out there?
 
O Come, O Come Emmanuel

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Good King Wenceles

Angels We Have Heard On High

Carol Of The Bells

I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Guarenteed tear jerker. Reminds me of family Christmas long past and parents deceased.)
 
Ave Maria as performed by Harry Connick Jr
Silent Night by Celine Dion
I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas by Bing Crosby
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives
 
As far as secular Christmas tunes go, I gotta go with *Carol of the Bells *(y’all know that one, right?), a popular carol adapted from an old Ukranian folk song and composed by Peter Wilhousky, a fellow Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic - *hey, we Byzantines gotta stick together, y’know! 😃 *

Actually, however, the Christmas song that “means” the most to me will most likely never make many folks’ “Top-40” lists… it’s called Nebo i Zeml’a (Heaven and Earth), as sung in Church Slavonic… fond memories of the past 50 or so Christmas seasons spring immediately to mind upon hearing it. In fact, my sis and I did a “warm-up” version at Thanksgiving Dinner the other night, just to get the season rolling! 🙂

a pilgrim
 
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