Favorite Christmas carol, hymn or song?
 

Or even a song of the season, like the "Christmas Song?"

I'd love to have you share it.

Guess that means I should go first?

Silent Night.

Thanks for reading this and for your responses, in advance.

There are too many that I like to say 1 in particular is my favorite.

I like O Holy Night (the Josh Groban version), Silent Night, and Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth (David Bowie and Bing Crosby).

My favorite is Silent Night. Currently the version I like best is by Reba McEntire, but I have yet to hear one I just couldn't stand.

Silent Night is also a favorite for me, and my favorite version of it is by The Ritz, a 4-part mixed a cappella vocal jazz version. Verse 1, new lyrics and melody, with the original melody hummed in the background. Verse 2, sung straight. Verse 3, very dense clustered chords, but still simple.

I'm also fond of The Wassail Song.

And the line "Bring us some figgy pudding" makes me laugh every time I sing it.

My favorite secular song would have to be The Christmas Song. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose...
My favorite religious carol? Probably, O Come All Ye Faithfull. Bing Crosby's, of course.

Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24

Very very good!

Best Christmas song written by two Jews: "Silver Bells", by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans (see also: Mona Lisa, Que Sera Sera, Bonanza, Mr. Ed).

Currently I can't get enough of Harvey Danger's "Sometimes you have to work on Christmas"

But I'd have to say my seasonal favourites are, "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "Let is Snow, Let is Snow, Let is Snow."

Man this is like asking my favorite movie or book...there's so many favorites. I am all about Christmas. My first memory is of Christmas, I celebreate one a year every year (okay that's not unique, but oh well), I perform every christmas in church or in a Macys, I carol! I give bigger presents than I can afford and I send tons to charaties and relief organizations. I pull out all the decorations and my cds of Christmas music and play them, starting the day after Thanksgiving (not after Halloweeen, that would take away from Thanksgiving). So neeways, my favorite song.

The Christmas song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire...). After much deliberation, this is probably my favorite because it really captures the feeling of christmas for me (and I know a kick ass version of it on piano). Second place is "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" as sung by Bing Crosby.

It's not Christmas season until I hear Cheech & Chong's "Santa Claus and his Old Lady"

I think I have to go with silent night as well--it touches a particular nerve that no other christmas song hits. It's comforting, spiritually lifting, and very warm.

Like sportswidow, "O Holy Night," though I prefer Nat King Cole's version. Makes me cry. That's Christmas for me.

What Child is This, but mostly because it steals Greensleeves for it's melody

Diana Krall - Christmas Time is Here
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time is Here (Instrumantal and Vocal)
The Carpenters - Merry Christmas Darling
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - by many

Yeah, me too.

Mahalia Jackson does a sweet version of O Holy Night. That whole Christmas album rocks.

I love O Holy Night and Lo How A Rose Ere Blooming for traditional hymns, as well as the Holly and the Ivy and In Dulci Jubilo.

For more modern songs, I really enjoy the Christmas Song, as sung by Nat King Cole, mostly because I love his phrasing. I also really love a good concert band or orchestral version of Sleigh Ride, mostly because I find the percussion part so awesome. As far as rock bands doing Christmas songs--I have to vote for U2's Baby Please Come Home because well, I love U2.

Truly, though, there is very little Christmas music I dislike, as I was in choir all through school, and Christmas music is our bread and butter. I know more hymns, carols, and whatnot than the average person because of it, but I think that's awesome.

A great reference: http://christmassongbook.net/

fuckin Elvis, baby.....


Blue Christmas...

Another vote for this.

I actually like Christmas music; it's unfortunate that I work in retail because I'm totally burnt out on it by Christmas and can't enjoy it.

I also like O Tannenbaum, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, So This Is Christmas, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, and the song by Tom Petty which escapes my memory at the present. And the season is never complete until I hear the messed up version of the Twelve days of Christmas ...ya know, the version where the first day of Christmas he rigs up the lights....

personally touching to me for some reason... Little Drummer Boy.

a whimsical one, C3P0 and R2D2 going over Christmas singing...

12 Pains of Christmas by Bob Rivers

If you like that one, you'll love The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
The Restroom Door Said "Gentlemen", so I just walked inside.
I took two steps and realized I'd been taken for a ride.
I heard high voices, turned, and found the place was occupied.
by two nuns, three old ladies, and a nurse -- what could be worse?
Than two nuns, three old ladies, and a nurse!

The Restroom Door Said "Gentlemen", it must have been a gag.
As soon as I walked in there, I ran into some old hag.
She sprayed me with a can of mace and slapped me with her bag.
I could tell this just wouldn't be my day, what can I say?
This just wasn't turning out to be my day!

The Restroom Door Said "Gentlemen", and I would like to find.
the crummy little creep who had the nerve to switch the signs.
'cause I've got two black eyes and one high heel up my behind.
Now I can't sit with comfort and joy -- boy o boy!
No, I'll never sit with comfort and joy!

Happy Christmas (War is Over) John Lennon :thumbsup:

My favorites are In Praise of Christmas and the Wassail Song.

Although an honorable mention goes to Carol of the Bells.

Oh No no no...Bob and Doug McKenzie's version is sooo much better, ya hoser...:)

Sadly -- I googled this -but I could do 95 percent of it from memory... :) andI'm not even a Canuckistani.... :)

My favorite christmas carol... hands down is O Holy Night... I also like Adestes Fideles but only if it's sung in Latin...

The other night I was listening to Jewel's Face of Love and that is really a beautiful song... depressing and weepy but a beautiful song

Non religious--Bruce's Santa Claus is coming to town wins... and Brian Setzer's Jingle Bells...

I have a few favorites: O Holy Night, Mary Did You Know, and The Christmas Song.

Also, I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas :)

I think my traditional favorite is O' Holy Night. But like pretty much all of them.. thankfully the season ends just about the time I start to get sick of them lol

Well, the responses so far have been interesting.

cellophanedeity, I'm not familiar with Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 -- any where to hear it online?

Never heard of Harvey Danger's "Sometimes you have to work on Christmas" Charlatan but sounds interesting.

willravel, do you play the piano well? You must be popular at parties.

God of Thunder, my brother was a Cheech & Chong fan but I never heard that one! lol

Derwood, you comment that "What Child is This?" STOLE Greensleeves melody made me laugh!

onesnowyowl, I've never heard of "Lo How A Rose Ere Blooming" -- anywhere to hear it online?

maleficent -- Speaking of McKenzie brothers, I used to love watching SCTV. A lot of comediens got there "start" there.

rhaevyn, I've never heard of "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" -- wow, can you imagine if you child actually asked for THAT? lol...

Thanks for the good responses. God bless.

I like
The Coventry Carol,
Carol of the Birds,
Lo, How a Rose Er Blooming, and
Bring a Torch, Jenette Isabella

In that order.

Alpha phi -- nice song!

Alpha phi! How very kind and considerate of you to go to the trouble of finding and posting this link! I can see why cellophanedeity likes this piece! Not too long and quite invigorating. I'm not a great classical music aficionado but I am guessing this would be in the "classical" genre, yet I thought I heard electric guitars? I'm wondering if anyone can tell me a bit more about it? The composer? Age of the piece? Or perhaps was this simply an "updated" arrangement of an older work? Either way I very much enjoyed that particular link alpha phi. Thank-you!

I agree. I love that song. I could listen to it all year.

No problem, I'm a big fan
they combine a classical orchestra
with modern instruments
http://www.trans-siberian.com/intro.html
The home page of the band

I've got two of their CD's

Mal! Bob and Doug Mackenzie... I haven't heard that one in a long time... and a beer in a tree!

Awesome! Thanks.

I have a particular fondness for this one:

Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella
Bring a torch, come swiftly and run.
Christ is born, tell the folk of the village,
Jesus is sleeping in His cradle,
Ah, ah, beautiful is the mother,
Ah, ah, beautiful is her Son.

Hasten now, good folk of the village,
Hasten now, the Christ Child to see.
You will find Him asleep in a manger,
Quietly come and whisper softly,
Hush, hush, peacefully now He slumbers,
Hush, hush, peacefully now He sleeps.


I am also partial to "These Three Ships"

Linus and Lucy the jazz piano riff from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Gilda

:thumbsup:

And John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"



and the KINKS "Father Christmas"

Either "Hippopotamus For Christmas" or "Santa Baby". Both hugely entertaining. :D

Carol of the Bells has always been my favorite (and the parody song "Ding fries are done").

Honorable mention must go to any group of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders singing "Away In A Manger". Only time I ever got teary-eyed in church.

Edit: when I was in eighth grade we did a musical version of Luke 2 with a truely awe-inspiring melody. Unfortunately that was in the days before realitivly cheap video cameras, so it only exists in my memory anymore.

Diana Krall could sing the AP Stylebook and I'd buy it. Her new Christmas album is great, makes me jealous of Elvis Costello.

For traditionals, I love, "There Was A Pig Went Out To Dig", and "Bring A Torch, Jeannette Isabella".

As a kid, growing up on the coast with the fishery and port industries, I always liked "I Saw Three Ships".

I'm posting this a little late, since Christmas is over...

"Jingle Bell Rock", by Bobby Helms.

and...

"Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24", by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.