Your favorite Christmas song(s)? (Mason, sunday, spirit, about)
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O Holy Night at least comes closer to convincing me that Christ's birth is our savior than anyone's proselytizing ever has. It's that moving and artful of a composition. From the 1800's, no less.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is one of my favorite of the non-religious classic ones. Classic as in, originating from the 1940's, and a standard. Nothing complex about it, I just like the simple, relaxed melody. Warm feelings and all that.
Christmas Time Is Here is another one I've always loved, for that sort of... almost somber tone of some of the notes. I hear the minor key in that song and personally I hear profound sadness and longing. Maybe for memories lost. Vince Guaraldi and that whole Charlie Brown album... just genius.
Last Christmas (Wham!) is a great 'modern' Christmas song. Although, wow, that's now almost 40 years old.
There are just so many of them. Truly blows away all other holidays. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and time of year, for all kinds of reasons. Perhaps even spiritual in some way.
I love O Come O Come Emmanuel, but I didn't say that because it's an ADVENT song.
Partly for that reason, though. It's very old.
I don't really know the difference. lol (When hearing the word Advent, I just think of those calendar things that you open everyday and get chocolate. Mmm chocolate!) And I'm not sure it's important to me as I'm not religious anyway. I just appreciate good music.
What I remember when I researched the history of O Come O Come Emmanuel is that musically it's derived from a medieval piece with different words, the words we know to the song now came much, much later. Or at least were applied with the music much later.
It's the music that matters to me, and that's what draws me to it. I love early music.
Anyway, here's arrangements for both songs for my favorite instruments!
"Hark the Herold Angles Sing" is my all time favorite hymn. This doesn't make any sense and sounds pretty silly, but my beloved grandfather's name was Harold and I always think of him and other beloved relatives who are gone now who were such wonderful role models for me who had strong faiths and were such giving people. That hymn if I am singing it with others or listening to it beautifully sung gives me goose bumps every time.
"Joy to the World" is a second favorite. It was never really a favorite of mine growing up, but DH and I were married Jan. 5 of 1985 and it was a hymn everyone sang together at our wedding accompanied by a wonderful organist on an incredible pipe organ. This one gives me goose bumps today too as I think back on our wedding and all the people we love singing together in that happy celebration.
I don't really know the difference. lol (When hearing the word Advent, I just think of those calendar things that you open everyday and get chocolate. Mmm chocolate!) And I'm not sure it's important to me as I'm not religious anyway. I just appreciate good music.
What I remember when I researched the history of O Come O Come Emmanuel is that musically it's derived from a medieval piece with different words, the words we know to the song now came much, much later. Or at least were applied with the music much later.
It's the music that matters to me, and that's what draws me to it. I love early music.
Anyway, here's arrangements for both songs for my favorite instruments!
I laughed out loud. I used to love those chocolate calendars, too, and I bought them when for my kid when she was a kid.
I have an Episcopal Deacon friend, (a couple of 'em, actually) who posted "what is your favorite Advent song?" on FB the other day, so it was in my head.
When I used to go to church regularly, I'd gone to an Episcopal Church, which focuses on the liturgical calendar, and I am still aware of the division of the seasons like Advent being different from Christmas. I don't go to church anymore, but I did like the tradition and ritual of the Episcopal Church.
My daughter's high school chorus winter concerts always ended with Carol of the Bells, and former students/chorus members who might be attending were invited to come up and join. I love it, too.
I can't go wrong with Silent Night. One of my favorite childhood memories was the Christmas Eve Candlelight service, when everyone was given a candle upon entering and at the end of the service, they shut out the lights, someone walked with a big candle up the aisle lighting the candle of the person at the end, and then the flame was passed candle to candle and we all sang Silent Night together.
My Episcopal Church did it, too, but it was always badly coordinated. They'd forget to shut off the lights, the pianist would start playing and people would start singing before everyone was lit. It annoyed me because ruined the magic of it.
That is wonderful your daughter was in a choir that sang Carol of the Bells. I was in choir as a child, but we never sang that. Probably too complicated for that age. I really like all traditional Christmas songs, not so wild about the secular songs. There seems to be a lot of that on the radio when I'm driving. I do like Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, and some others. Silent Night and O Holy Night are favorites also, and especially O Come, O Come Emanuel.
Sleigh Ride, because it brings back memories of singing with The BSO at Holiday Pops, which was an amazing experience. It was a signature piece and done every year, and we had such fun with it.
Of The Father's Love Begotten, an absolutely mesmerizing chant.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, which is a traditional hymn that I've always enjoyed but I was really hit by the powerful setting done by Cadting Crowns a few years back. Moves me to tears every time I hear it.
"Hark the Herold Angles Sing" is my all time favorite hymn. This doesn't make any sense and sounds pretty silly, but my beloved grandfather's name was Harold and I always think of him and other beloved relatives who are gone now who were such wonderful role models for me who had strong faiths and were such giving people. That hymn if I am singing it with others or listening to it beautifully sung gives me goose bumps every time.
That was my fave as a child However, today I downloaded the Trans-Siberian Orchestra doing Carol of the Bells as my Ringtone
Other than that, I do not really have a single Favorite. I have always loved Christmas music, Advent and Christmas Hymns Very Few that I do not like (I'll turn Feliz Navidad, Little Drummer Boy or We Need a Little Christmas) off in a second but as for religious songs, no none that I dislike
wonder if anyone else here is as fond of Middle Age songs, and Gregorian chants as I am ?
That was my fave as a child However, today I downloaded the Trans-Siberian Orchestra doing Carol of the Bells as my Ringtone
Other than that, I do not really have a single Favorite. I have always loved Christmas music, Advent and Christmas Hymns Very Few that I do not like (I'll turn Feliz Navidad, Little Drummer Boy or We Need a Little Christmas) off in a second but as for religious songs, no none that I dislike
wonder if anyone else here is as fond of Middle Age songs, and Gregorian chants as I am ?
Absolutely! I started to study traditional music as utilized in the Latin Mass a while back, though I wasn't able to stay with it for various reasons. It is quite different and not easy to learn, though I have a solid background in classical music. Singing in Latin along with it adds to the challenge. I love Gregorian Chants and also The Benedictine Sisters. Tbey have several recordings, as do others. I find the music quite calming, uplifting and inspiring.
That was my fave as a child However, today I downloaded the Trans-Siberian Orchestra doing Carol of the Bells as my Ringtone
Other than that, I do not really have a single Favorite. I have always loved Christmas music, Advent and Christmas Hymns Very Few that I do not like (I'll turn Feliz Navidad, Little Drummer Boy or We Need a Little Christmas) off in a second but as for religious songs, no none that I dislike
wonder if anyone else here is as fond of Middle Age songs, and Gregorian chants as I am ?
I like them, although my knowledge is limited.
But NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art has its medieval collection in a separate, wonderful museum called The Cloisters, which is designed after European abbeys and monasteries and includes medieval artifacts from all over Europe.
They used to hold a Christmas concert of medieval music using Latin chants and instruments from that time period. I attended one year, and it was amazing, like going back in time.
It doesn't look as though that group is doing it there this year, but they do have this one.
ETA: I went looking, and the group I heard was called The Waverly Consort. It appears that one of the founding members of the group died in 2019, and the group disbanded. Their music is still available online.
Wow, it's been a long time since I heard The Waverly Consort. Local PBS and NPR stations used to play their music quite a bit, and I think they came to San Francisco to perform, although I didn't get to hear them. You're so fortunate MQ to have heard them in person. I would dearly love to see the trio you linked to, especially at The Met. The ticket prices look very reasonable.
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