Christmas Songs -- Favorites or Simply Ones You Heard Recently
 

I heard Darlene Love on David Letterman the other day -- she has been on the show most every Christmas as far as I know:
Darlene Love on David Letterman Christmas 2010 (HD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QX5nHbBwGU
I can't stop listening to it because of her energy but it is a sad song.

Do you have a Christmas song you like?

M


http://i372.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps873f05dc.jpg

This is a beautiful and moving version of an old song: O Come Emmanuel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7ySn-Swwc
Take a look at youtubes of other Piano Guys videos...they are
are very very good. Some are even humorous! (the one with Pachelbel canon done in a new way-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKP06zkQDNY LOL

I find it has surpassed O Holy Night for me! ;)

And I love Walking in the Air....this is a new video mashup of several versions. Aled Jones is singing harmony with his boy soprano self, in this one. Enlarge the screen, to view the flying video better.
The complete video of 30minutes of The Snowman is available on YouTube too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Kpmq6dfJc
I simply love Aled Jones. He was a famous boy soprano in UK for many years. Today his voice is tenor/baritone, and he has some very nice CDs at Amazon. I bought 2 of them for myself for my birthday this year. The Best of Aled Jones, and a Xmas music one! Both CDs are just stunning! Lots of choir music, and oldies.

songs
 

I have two favorit Christmas songs white Chirstmas(Bing Crosby) and the little drumer boy.katmae:grouphug:

I love this upbeat/rockish remake of Joy to the World - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC3SwhJsLqU

:Heart:

That's a good one, Mari! I had never seen it before. :Heart:

mrsD - Oh Holy Night is one of my favorites, too! :Heart:

This is my grandma's favorite song. I still have her record of it. She used to play it while she decorated the tree and the house.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWoKgG8u1k0 :Heart:

This is my favorite Christmas song ever!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_UvTA_x-Tw

Every year I listen to it, and every year I tear up at the line "Another year's behind us, you helped us make it through". :Heart:

I like that song!

"O Little Town Of Bethlehem" ... and secrets unveiled!
 

I love this hymn... both of the versions I know of it. Turns out there is yet another still.

Well, here is the first version I learned, and perhaps my favorite:

O Little Town of Bethlehem (Tune: Forest Green)
— Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge

I had not heard this hymn sung to this score since primary school! I had grown to think it was obsolete since no-one else knew it. Turns out it is just more popular in Britain. (I went to primary school in a former colony.) The Youtube post explains (FINALLY!) where the melodies come from, where they are most common, and which came first. As to this particular one:
----------------------
Since then I've always come across the the following version which is more common in the US. This setting predates both the others, according to the Youtube post.

O Little Town of Bethlehem (Tune: St Louis)
— The All-American Boys Chorus

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Finally, there's one I'd never heard (and maybe you haven't either). It's even got an extra bit of text as an intro:

O Little Town of Bethlehem (Tune: Wengen / Christmas Carol)
— Choir of King's College, Cambridge

~ waves ~ who loves traditional choral music for Christmas

Silent Night in German - so lovely
 

I found an exquisite 1967 performance by the Vienna Boys Choir, of "Silent Night" in German. I believe anyone who appreciates choral music at all, will really enjoy this, whether or not you can understand the language:

Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night, Holy Night)

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It had been a long time since i'd listened to carols This thread inspired me to look for carols and I found a fair few... wow, I had forgotten how many there are and how much i love them. Today we had a good old family listen, which was so nice. :) Thank you Mari for starting this thread, what a beautiful Christmas present it ended up being! :Heart:

~ waves ~

I hadn't heard this before, but it's beautiful, and so true. I teared up at that line too. Then i looked back at what you said and realized it was the same line.:hug::hug:

I use to like,"It's the most wonderful time of the year",sung by Andy Williams. BF:hug::hug::hug:

It's the most wonderful time of the year - Andy Williams
 

Hi, Steve,

Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzCf_QkP6TM
It's the most wonderful time of the year - Andy Williams

M

Hey Mari. That's the one. Thank you. BF:hug::hug::hug:

Waves,

Thank you for the versions of O Little Town of Bethlehem.

I like Silent Night in German and the story of how the medley was written for guitar.


M

And now... for The Feast of Stephen (Dec 26)
 

Good King Wenceslas
~ sung by Aled Jones, Benjamin Luxon, Westminster Cathedral Choir

personal anecdote:

I sang this as part of an a cappella octet for a Christmas concert in highschool one year. Voices were: soprano (me+another), 2 alto, 2 tenor, 2 bass. We performed walking the upper periphery of our square gathering area, each holding a lit candle. It was fun and a very pretty arrangement too.

Not fun was being called on the next day for an unplanned performance at primary school assembly first thing in the morning with no warm up :eek: I went sharp on the high A at the end ("shall thyselves find blessing"). :rolleyes::o. Since we were exiting the gathering area about then... I tell myself it might not have been noticeable? yearrright!!! :D:o sigh. lol.

~ waves ~