gardenmom5 Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 The other thread got me wondering - what are people's favorite Christmas songs? do you have a preferred genre? Santa? secular? traditional/seasonal? religious? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 My first reaction to favorite Christmas song is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee (and only Brenda's version). I like a lot of Christmas hymns - I couldn't say which is my favorite. A lot depends on how it's performed. I love Vanessa Williams' jazzy "What Child is This." I love "O Holy Night" mostly when sung by a male; I don't know why. "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel" are so lovely; I do like the ancient hymns. We have a Christmas playlist that has a lot of different stuff on it. My husband dislikes jumping from, say, Tom Petty's "Christmas All Over Again" to "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" to "For Unto us a Child is Born" but my daughter and I love it. I think my son just tunes it out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyacinth Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) Decades ago, I bought Amy Grant’s first Christmas album on cassette. I played Love Has Come over and over and over. As a favorite, it still holds up. (The song, not the cassette.) Hallelujah by Darlene Zschech Some versions of O Holy Night Baby, It’s Cold Outside makes me smile every time. (I know, I know . . . ) Edited November 28, 2020 by Hyacinth 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 "Rebel Jesus" by Jackson Brown is my favorite contemporary Christmas song. In terms of more traditional stuff, I love "Good King Wenceslas" and "In the Bleak Midwinter." For actual hymns, my favorite is "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) Favorite religious song: O Holy Night Favorite secular song : Walking in a Winter Wonderland Favorite contemporary song: Step Into Christmas (I LOVE Jackson Browne. Now I have to check out Rebel Jesus - can’t believe I never heard this!) Edited November 28, 2020 by Amethyst 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
math teacher Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Hard to pick one favorite-I love so many. I love Mary Did you Know, O Holy Night, Christmas in Dixie, Rockin Around the Christmas Tree, Frosty the Snowman, I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, anything by TransSiberian Orchestra, I Hear Christmas, Silent Night. I could go on and on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 I love Winter Wonderland and Silver Bells. Fairytale of New York - the Pogues Christmas Wrapping - the Waitresses Christmastime in New Orleans - Bernd Hasel & his Santa Claus Jazzband A Marshmallow World - Dean Martin (my kids loved this when they were little🙂) Downton Christmas Suite - Budapest City Orchestra Christmas Canon - Trans Siberian Orchestra Jingle Bells - Frank Sinatra version Last Christmas - Wham (super cheesy & it irritates my dh to no end when I play it 😛) Any Christmas songs by the Glenn Miller Orchestra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Ooh, thank you for starting this thread, Gardenmom! One of my annual traditions is to get a new holiday album, and I'm hoping to get some ideas. I have too many favorites to list, so I’ll just pick a few. Traditional: In the Bleak Midwinter (Holst setting), O Come, O Come Emmanuel Modern original religious: Bethlehem by Chicago. (Yes, Chicago! This is always the first song I play to start my holiday music listening binge.) Modern original secular: Christmas Can-Can by Straight No Chaser and Elf's Lament by Barenaked Ladies 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Hymns are mostly my favorites. Difficult to pick favorites. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing! Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence Handel's Messiah! I also like Manheim Steamroller, Nat King Cole, George Winston's cd Winter, and the Peanuts' Christmas soundtrack. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer never gets old. Otherwise, nothing says Christmas more than Mannheim Steamroller's Christmas album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Another vote for traditional hymns. I think my favorite is Angels We Have Heard On High because it's fun to sing in a group. Otherwise, I prefer the really good instrumentals, such as those by Mannheim Steamroller & Trans Siberian Orchestra and the Charlie Brown Christmas. Or maybe Ave Maria? Yeah, I think it's Ave Maria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 My favorites to SING: Silent Night and Joy to the World. And I don't think it's just because I know the alto part by heart. They just give me deep satisfaction and joy to sing in harmony with others or in harmony with a recording. Others that stir deep memories of contentment: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (the organist in the church I grew up in played this during most every communion. I didn't know it had words until I was an adult because we didn't sing that one). Still, Still, Still (heard a great choir arrangement of this when I attended my husband's parents' church for Christmas Eve our first married Christmas. II Est Ne Le Divin Enfant (had to google the spelling on that one! My mom was a great pianist and had a book with Christmas songs from around the world. One year family friends came to visit and their daughter who was a few years older than me and was a great singer sang this as a duet with my mom playing the piano. Just a happy Christmastime memory that comes back when I hear this song) Feliz Navidad (we have a rocking version on the green GRP Christmas CD. It's a song that will always cheer my disabled dd. And it's fun to dance to.) Nat King Cole's Christmas album, and Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire in particular (another favorite and calming song for dd). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) O' Holy Night, hands down. I love Martina McBride's version. Every year I get hooked on a different album. Last year it was Kasey Musgrave's album. It's not traditional at all but it was a lot of fun. Edited November 28, 2020 by sassenach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Oh. And I forgot. Favorite album: Harry Connick, When My Heart Finds Christmas. Entire album is great 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) I love the lyrics of Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, and We Three Kings. All the verses, on all of those. For something fun to listen to, I love Bing Crosby's Jingle Bells. ETA: If anyone knows of a recording of We Three Kings that includes all five verses, I would absolutely LOVE a link so I can buy it. Edited November 28, 2020 by purpleowl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberia Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 My current favorite is "The Earth Stood Still" by Future of Forestry. Any of the Future of Forestry Christmas songs are great; kind of traditional with a contemplative vibe and cool instrumentation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I talk to the trees Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 2 hours ago, purpleowl said: I love the lyrics of Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, and We Three Kings. All the verses, on all of those. For something fun to listen to, I love Bing Crosby's Jingle Bells. ETA: If anyone knows of a recording of We Three Kings that includes all five verses, I would absolutely LOVE a link so I can buy it. Barenaked Ladies does all five verses on their Barenaked for the Holidays album. That’s another one f my favorites. Link to YouTube video. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Note Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) Three that are not so well-known, but are favorites of mine: To make your heart soar with joy: John Rutter's The Angels' Carol (from "The John Rutter Christmas Album", which also gets my vote for favorite album). To make your heart ache with beauty: Hector Berlioz' The Shepherd's Farewell. To give your heart peace: Pietro Yon's "Gesù Bambino", performed by Jessye Norman, or this version by Luciano Pavarotti. Edited November 28, 2020 by Quarter Note to fix a spelling mistake 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 One of my favorites is "The Cherry Tree Carol" which you can see performed by Judy Collins here. Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 7 hours ago, I talk to the trees said: One of my annual traditions is to get a new holiday album, and I'm hoping to get some ideas. The two CDs on my wishlist this year are: Winter Songs and Carols by Mary Fahl Christmas: A Season Of Love by Idina Menzel Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 I have a wonderful memory attached to the song "Once in Royal David's City", so I'll go with that one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Believe by Josh Groban Carol of the bells The little drummer boy Silent Night in German kling glöckchen, klingelingeling (German) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 (edited) O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - traditional hymn No Eye Has Seen/All is Well - Michael W. Smith - I love the way the first song fades into the second one on his Christmas album I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - Casting Crowns version - the history is phenomenal Edited November 29, 2020 by TechWife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 (edited) dp Edited November 29, 2020 by TechWife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebcoola Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Silent Night-sung by my dad. Jingle bell rock-original Go tell it on the mountain Jingle bells -barbara streisand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Faves to sing: Oh Rejoice Ye Christians Loudly Joy to the World Silent Night I Heard The Bells (minus the Civil War verses) Oh Holy Night From Heaven Above To Earth I Come (There has to be a Paul Gerhardt in here, but I can’t think of it right now, drat.) And The Glory Of The Lord (from the Messiah. I can sing the alto part of this against a whole choir. Love it so much.) Angels We Have Heard On High Oh Jesus So Sweet Oh Come All Ye Faithful The First Noel Beside Thy Cradle Here I Stand Break Forth Oh Beauteous Heavenly Light Faves to hear: For Unto Us A Child Is Born The Holy City (Jerusalem, Jerusalem) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theelfqueen Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Shout for Joy Angels from the realms of glory I saw three ships... In the bleak midwinter And I perform I a full choral Messiah every other year so ... basically all of Messiah. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachGal Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 I make a Christmas playlist every year. Some are not technically Christmas songs but fit the spirit of the season. My (many!) favorites so far: Santa Lucia / Valens Solistensemble Va, Pensiero / Russell Watson I'll Be Home for Christmas / Russell Watson You're All I Want for Christmas / Caro Emerald and Brook Benton Mele Kalikimaka / Kacey Musgraves Jingle Bells / Cumberland Gap Reunion Jingle Bells / Ella Fitzgerald Silver Bells / Dwight Yoakam Beautiful Star of Bethlehem / Ralph Stanley Run Rudolph Run / CeeLo Green Silent Night / The Temptations White Winter Hymnal / Pentatonix (very dark and perhaps not Christmas-y!) Purple Snowflakes / Weeping Willows Someday at Christmas / Weeping Willows Pretty Paper / Weeping Willows First of May / Sarah Brightman Mary's Boy Child - Oh, My Lord / Boney M. Snowfall / Manhattan Transfer Christmas / Leslie Odom My Favorite Things / Leslie Odom Snow / Leslie Odom Little Drummer Boy / Anthony Hamilton Little Drummer Boy / Harry Simeone Chorale Schedryk / Pink Martini Joy to the World / Cimorelli The Holly and the Ivy / Mediaeval Baebes O Holy Night / Trans-Siberian Orchestra Carol of the Bells / Straight No Chaser O Tannenbaum / Evandro Olivah 2,000 Miles / Mark Kozelek Snowman / Sia Walking In the Air / Sang Froid Let It Be Christmas / Alan Jackson I Believe in Father Christmas / Emerson, Lake and Palmer Merry Christmas / Carpenters 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted November 30, 2020 Share Posted November 30, 2020 O Come, All Ye Faithful - I so want to be counted among the "faithful" who come to worship Christ today. O Holy Night - I just love to hear it...except when our young worship pastor insisted on doing it on Sunday morning 3 weeks before Xmas Eve every single year. What part of "Night" did he miss?? I grew up hearing it only on Xmas Eve so it always seemed strange to hear it at 10am. I Heard the Bells And while I generally can't stand a lot of Christmas songs I can listen to "A Toolbox Christmas" over and over. Even my "cringe" songs are tolerable when performed with shop tools. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Rend Collective released a Christmas album this year. They have it on your tube. This is my favorite one. But all of them are SOOO fun. Good king Wenceslas is a favorite of the family too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 My favorite nonreligious Christmas song is The Night Santa Went Crazy by Weird Al. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 4 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said: Rend Collective released a Christmas album this year. They have it on your tube. This is my favorite one. But all of them are SOOO fun. Good king Wenceslas is a favorite of the family too. I just learned about this group this year! I love their music! My favorite songs of theirs (so far -- I haven't heard all of them!) are Christmas in Killarney and Today is the Saviour's Day. Otherwise, I've always loved Away in the Manger. Something about the humbleness and simplicity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 9 minutes ago, J-rap said: I just learned about this group this year! I love their music! My favorite songs of theirs (so far -- I haven't heard all of them!) are Christmas in Killarney and Today is the Saviour's Day. Otherwise, I've always loved Away in the Manger. Something about the humbleness and simplicity. Same. I heard an interview with them and they sound like a really fun bunch of people. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 (edited) I like the Burl Ives versions of songs that were on those animated Christmas specials from the 60s? 70s? (Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer and the rest) because of their associations with my childhood. And I love the songs from the Peanuts Christmas special. I am not religious, but I love Silent Night, especially when sung by Nat King Cole and The Carol of the Bells by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir I love I'll Be Home for Christmas sung by Johnny Mathis because my mom who rarely got to go to her home halfway across the country would always sing it sorrowfully on Christmas Eve while she was cooking. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! by Dean Martin Walking in a Winter Wonderland by Bing Crosby Winter Wonderland by Frank Sinatra The River by Joni Mitchell And because my husband doesn't like traditional Christmas music, this year I made him a "Punk Rock" Christmas playlist. I don't recommend it to just anyone with its explicit lyrics, but my husband, a big fan of punk (and similar) in his younger years likes it: Fairytale of New York by The Pogues, Silent Night by The Dickies, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by August Burns Red, White Christmas by Bad Religion, Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) by American Hi-Fi, Jingle Bell Rock by Thousand Foot Krutch, Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) by the Ramones, The Season's Upon Us by the Dropkick Murphys, and White Christmas by Stiff Little Fingers. Edited December 9, 2020 by Kalmia 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 I need to go through and add some of these to my playlist! I'm a little obsessive about my Christmas playlist. Here are my top 20, but I can't find the Linda Stonestreet one anymore: O Come, O Come Emmanuel–Sufjan Stevens Merry Christmas, Baby–Otis Redding Alone on Christmas Day–Phoenix Fairy Tale of New York–the Pogues O Holy Night–Tracy Chapman Tiny Tree Christmas–Ryan Miller Christmas in Hollis–Run-DMC Christmas at McKinley Pub–the Stone Foxes Christmas in Prison–John Prine Go Tell it on the Mountain–The Blind Boys of Alabama God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen–Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLachlan Merry Christmas from the Family–Robert Earl Keen Someday at Christmas–Stevie Wonder Thank God It’s Christmas–Queen Children Go Where I Send Thee–Natalie Merchant Here it is Christmas Time–the Old 97s Beautiful Star of Bethlehem–Emmylou Harris Twelve Days of Christmas–John Denver and the Muppets Christmas Time–Linda Stonestreet Boxing Day–Reliant K Auld Lang Syne–Barenaked Ladies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 My most recent favorite is also known unofficially as the atheist's Christmas song - White Wine in the Sun, by Tim Minchin Favorite religious songs Adeste Fidelis - I grew up Catholic when they still had Latin Mass and this is how we sang O Come All Ye Faithful. I used to know all the verses in Latin but can only remember the first verse now. O Holy Night - The music is beautiful. Favorite secular songs - Jingle Bell RockRockin' Around the Christmas Tree - My mother told me both of these songs were controversial when they came out because rock & roll was new and people didn't think it belonged in Christmas songsThere's No Place Like Home for the Holidays Silver Bells Holly Jolly Christmas - ds used to sing all the verses when he was five. He loved the song then, so I love it now that he's grown up And always, TSO - Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 Favorite Novelty Songs - Dominick the DonkeyI Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - It's not that I like this song, but that ds liked it when he was little so it reminds me of my little guy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 I joke that Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer is, but it's actually This is Salvation. I'm such a good Christian. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 (edited) I'm feeling nostalgic since we'll be staying home for the holidays this year. So I'm going to pick Sin Rencor, the most famous Christmas Gaita ever. It's not actually a Christmas song, but gaitas are the dominant Venezuelan holiday music and this is the one that everyone knows the words to: And as an added bonus: The Biggest Christmas Earworm Ever Created, El Tuqui Tuqui: Edited December 11, 2020 by chiguirre 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 Someone I grew up with wrote one for 2020, Back to Christmas, that I've been listening to a lot lately. Captures that nostalgia. He's got a nice set here:https://ryanmcallistermusic.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-christmas 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 My kids have Christmas names so my favorite Christmas songs - The First Noelle The Gift Up on the Rooftop or Little Saint Nick and because I had a white Christmas as a child - White Christmas! and not a song - The Train 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 (edited) I LOVE Martina McBride singing Please Come Home For Christmas, And Mariah Carey singing O Holy Night. (One year I listened to this one all year long. Her range is impressive.) Great thread idea!! Wendy Edited December 12, 2020 by Alicia64 Always forget to close my parenthesis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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