Suggestions for Christmas CDs?

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So I’m kind of all over the place in terms of what I enjoy listening to, but I’m not looking for anything too pop-culture or modern, and I’m particularly interested in:
  1. Black gospel Christmas music (traditional gospel, not ‘hip-hop’ contemporary gospel)
  2. ‘Traditional’ hymns/carols (preferably choral music)
  3. Traditional Catholic Christmas music
Thoughts? Feel free to list CDs outside the above guidelines too.
 
Any of the Cambridge Singers’ (traditional English choral) Christmas albums. These are glorious. 👍
 
My favorite Christmas (and I have a lot) CD is Harry Connick Jr’s. He has the perfect mix of traditional religious and fun secular. With a big band for the fun ones and an orchestra for the religious ones. It makes me feel so “Christmas-ie”. Baking cookies with Harry crooning in the background.
 
I know this probably won’t appeal to you, but I thought I’d mention, anyway: Billy Idol’s Christmas album is actually very good. He has a good voice and sings the songs with enthusiasm. He sings them “straight” and covers all sorts of traditional songs, although not the hymns. More like “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Silver Bells” and those. I got it for my husband as a joke last year and we actually found ourselves enjoying it!

I thought that was funny.
 
HOPEFUL_IN_UK said:
I know this probably won’t appeal to you, but I thought I’d mention, anyway: Billy Idol’s Christmas album is actually very good. He has a good voice and sings the songs with enthusiasm. He sings them “straight” and covers all sorts of traditional songs, although not the hymns. More like “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Silver Bells” and those. I got it for my husband as a joke last year and we actually found ourselves enjoying it!

I thought that was funny.
Click to expand...
Shucks…I went to amazon to listen to a sample, and there are none. I’m not planning to buy it, but now I wanna know what Billy Idol sounds like crooning Christmas tunes!
 
My favorite, by far, is “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.

Peace

Tim
 
Thanks for all the recommendations!

Here’s what I ended up getting:
  1. Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Joy to the World
  2. Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits - 1935 to 1954
  3. Billboard Greatest Christmas Hits - 1955 to present (came out in 1989 - my mom had this one on casette!)
  4. Harry Connick Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas
  5. Christmas With the Chipmunks, Vol I
And that’s it for this year! Luckily, all of these were $8 or less at amazon, so I didn’t spend too much.

Maybe next year I’ll add some gospel and traditional Latin Christmas hymns. 👍
 
I grew up listening to my parent’s Perry Como and Mitch Miller records, so I’m partial to those.

I just paid $7 for The Three Tenors Christmas CD at WalMart. It’s pretty good. —KCT
 
Diana Krall Christmas Songs. All secular but classic. Krall is among the best jazz vocalists around today. A great Christmas CD.
 
You might enjoy “Born to Us” by Curtis Stephan, a Catholic musician and composer from TX. It has a mix of styles for the traditional songs and a couple of really beautiful original songs.

“Someone is Waiting” will make you cry as it speaks about remembering the people who need more than our prayers as we prepare for the birth of Christ. It is a duet with another TX Catholic, Jesse Manibusan. Another beautiful slower arrangment is “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.”

I can listen to this CD nonstop. “Born to Us” is the title song and definitely more contemporary/rock, but still good.

www.spiritandsong.com (Catholic music site where this album is currently featured on the home page)
 
Well, when it comes to individual Christmas SONGS, here are my personal top 20…
  1. “Amen” - Impressions
  2. “Ring Christmas Bells” - Ray Conniff & Singers
  3. “Angels We Have Heard On High” - Bill & Gloria Gaither
  4. “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” - Caedmon’s Call
  5. “O Little Town of Bethlehem” - Imperials
  6. “Breath of Heaven” - Amy Grant
  7. Messiah (Hallelujiah Chorus) - Handel
  8. “The First Noel” - Mark Schultz
  9. “O Come O Come Emmanuel” - Selah
  10. “Little Drummer Boy” - Jars of Clay
  11. “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” - Jewel
  12. “Away in A Manger/Child in the Manger” - Michael W. Smith
  13. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” - Jars of Clay
  14. “We Three Kings of Orient Are” - Mario Lanza
  15. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” - Bing Crosby
  16. “One Small Child” - Evie Karlsson
  17. What Child is This?" - John Denver
  18. O Come All Ye Faithful" - Stryper
  19. “Silent Night” - John Denver
  20. “Oh Holy Night” - Larry Gatlin
 
I absolutely adore “These are Special Times” Celine Dion’s Christmas Music CD. She sings “Ave Maria” and “O Holy Night” and a few other classics. The last song is really neat - its her whole family singing Feliz Navidad.
 
Tennessee Erie Ford’s *Star Carol *(unfortunately no longer available).

Bing Crosby

Mannheim Steamroller

Kenny G (VERY relaxing!!!)

Does anyone know a Catholic online store which carries the new DVD entitled The Birth of Christ: Narrated by Liam Neeson?
 
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