Favorite holiday music

[clifffaith]

Religious - Once in Royal David's City (as sung by King's College Cambridge choir)
Secular - Baby It's Cold Outside (Steve & Edie, but just about any version)
Silly - I Want A Hippopatomus for Christmas

For the first time in over 20 years I forgot to listen to Nine Lessons & Carols from Cambridge this morning at 7am; need to see if there is a repeat broadcast. Both JB and I were up, apparently making up (not) for blowing the alarm yesterday.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Russian Christmas Music.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Old favourite: White Christmas by Bing Crosby
Traditional favourite: O Holy Night duet by Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti
Foreign favourite: Stille Nacht (Silent Night in German) by Helene Fischer
Classical favourite: Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Sure to bring a smile to my face: The Christmas Song by Alvin and the Chipmunks

 

[Carol C]

Religious: "O Holy Night" by anybody who sings well and goes for the high note
Secular: "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses, and Vince Guaraldi's "Charlie Brown Christmas"

 

[Talent312]

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer -- Elmo+Patsy Shropshire (1979)

 

[Passepartout]

Old favourite: White Christmas by Bing Crosby
Traditional favourite: O Holy Night duet by Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti
Foreign favourite: Stille Nacht (Silent Night in German) by Helene Fischer
Classical favourite: Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Sure to bring a smile to my face: The Christmas Song by Alvin and the Chipmunks

I sang Handel's Messiah last week, and when I heard the Tabernacle Choir perform Hallelujah on Sunday I wanted to hide my head. Oh well, we tried.

Jim

 

[CanuckTravlr]

I sang Handel's Messiah last week, and when I heard the Tabernacle Choir perform Hallelujah on Sunday I wanted to hide my head. Oh well, we tried.

Jim

Hey Jim, I think it is a classic case of setting the bar too high when comparing yourself to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Not only have they been doing it for decades, but there is also just the sheer numbers of performers. Kudos and bonus points to you for singing it, or even just trying. Hallelujah and Merry Christmas!!

 

[pedro47]

How can anyone or choir compare themselves to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. How many choir members are in that Choir?

 

[AwayWeGo]

Stille, Stille, Stille.

Traditions Of Christmas.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Somewhere In My Memory.

 

[pedro47]

A Local radio station is playing The Temptations Christmas albums. Times / years flies or I am just getting old. Both I feel. LOL

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

For the first time in over 20 years I forgot to listen to Nine Lessons & Carols from Cambridge this morning at 7am; need to see if there is a repeat broadcast. Both JB and I were up, apparently making up (not) for blowing the alarm yesterday.

I listened to the "9 lessons..." from Kings College twice yesterday on "ClassicalMPR" out of Minneapolis. Here is the recording of it! I prefer to listen to that station or KING FM out of Seattle. Both using iHeartRadio. I can listen to the regular music, but it becomes the same song sung by different singers putting their own "spin" on it. Classical Christmas is far better!

TS

 

[Passepartout]

How can anyone or choir compare themselves to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. How many choir members are in that Choir?

There are 360 members of the choir and 110 in the orchestra at Temple Square. They can serve for 20 years or until age 60.

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

In terms of the choir, the leadership ("Apostles") have decided they would no longer be known as Mormon. The choir is renamed the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, the church is either the Church of Latter-Day Saints or LDS. But they still are the biggest and best choir in the country, the conductor (Mack) does everything from arranging the music and conducting both.

TS

 

[Passepartout]

I should note that visitors to Park City are just a half-hour or so from Temple Square in SLC and can see the weekly broadcast (free!) at 8:30 every Sunday, or full rehearsal Thursday evenings. We make it a point to go there periodically (seasonally because the gardens are over the top!) You needn't worry about being proselytized. A simple 'No Thanks' is sufficient.

My grandmother sang in the MT choir waaaay back in the 1930's while my mom cared for her sister

Jim

 

[easyrider]

A favorite of our family is Mariah Carey. It just wouldn't seem Christmasy if this song didn't play with everyone having fun with it.

One of my personal favorites is Jethro Tull.

 

[Snazzylass]

Stille, Stille, Stille.

Traditions Of Christmas.

I just came from a live performance of Manheim Steamroller. Really good!

 

[pedro47]

Our local station was playing Johnny Mathis Christmas songs.

 

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

My favorite Title is Oh Holy Night ---MANY artists have sang it well (Nat King Cole, Celine Dion, etc.)

My favorite two specific offerings are "Do they know it's Christmas" (Band Aid), and "Mary's Boy Child" (Boney M)

 

[mentalbreak]

I love lists like this. A few new ones for me to add to my Christmas playlist.

My all-time favorite is Amy Grant’s recording of ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. I also enjoy ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ performed by the a cappella group The Blenders. And a new discovery this year is Marc Martel’s ‘How Many Kings’.

 

[Talent312]

BTW (not sure where I read this, but)...

"Jingle Bells" is not a Christmas carol. There's no mention of Christmas in the lyrics.
It's about riding in a sleigh. It had an alternate title: One Horse Open Sleigh.
It was written by the uncle of J.P. Morgan, and released in January 1857.

... Say, "Alexa, can you sing Jingle Bells?"

 

[CanuckTravlr]

BTW (not sure where I read this, but)...

"Jingle Bells" is not a Christmas carol. There's no mention of Christmas in the lyrics.
It's about riding in a sleigh. It had an alternate title: One Horse Open Sleigh.
It was written by the uncle of J.P. Morgan, and released in January 1857.

... Say, "Alexa, can you sing Jingle Bells?"

Interesting comment, but I'm not sure I agree with the definition in the first place That is a pretty tight definition of "Christmas carol", IMO. Without pausing to actually list any, I suspect there are several songs that are considered "Christmas carols" with no direct or indirect mention of Christmas itself. However, with over 160 years of use and certainly traditionally considered a "Christmas carol" for the 70 years that I have been alive here, I will respectfully agree to disagree! "Jingle Bells"/"One Horse Open Sleigh" will remain on my Christmas carol list.

 

[Makai Guy]

BTW (not sure where I read this, but)...

"Jingle Bells" is not a Christmas carol. There's no mention of Christmas in the lyrics.
It's about riding in a sleigh. It had an alternate title: One Horse Open Sleigh.
It was written by the uncle of J.P. Morgan, and released in January 1857.

... Say, "Alexa, can you sing Jingle Bells?"

See:

http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/jinglebellssong.htm

Another "Christmas" song that has nothing to do with Christmas is Over the River and Through the Woods, the original title of which is The New-England Boy's Song about Thanksgiving Day. In the original it is "through the wood" not "woods" and we're going to Grandfather's house, not Grandmother's.

(It's too bad I don't remember much that's important.)