Christmas Carols?
I don't really like Christmas music all that much. Correction. I don't like singing much Christmas music. Chalk it up to just a few too many Christmas concerts over the years singing a few too many Christmas carols.
There are two, however, that I never tire of singing or listening to. O Holy Night and O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. I think I like O Holy Night because it's a "singer's song." One that really rewards breath control, and is, in short, simply pleasurable to sing. My affinity for O Come, O Come Emmanuel is a longer and more fluid history. In short, I love the tune. I love the way it flows like chant yet has forward motion that presses on.
The first time I discovered how much I liked O Come, O Come, I think I was in college, shortly after a trip to Estonia. I heard the most beautiful arrangement of it set for choir. It has such a haunting melody. And it is very well suited to a variety of arrangements.
As I think longer and harder about it there are other songs I like such as O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night, The Christmas Song, Little Drummer Boy, and, especially in Minnesota where we are all but assured of a White Christmas this year, I always break out into song when I see those flakes a falling -- Let It Snow or maybe Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland.
Then there are those songs that I could go twenty years without hearing -- 12 Days of Christmas, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, We Three Kings, Joy to the World . . . (no offense, SSD... it's the tune, the tune). I'm sure there are others in this vein. I'm not particularly fond of the Carol of the Bells but I don't really mind it. It doesn't grate on my nerves like some songs.
There are two other songs that I just thought of, whose tunes I enjoy -- The Holly and the Ivy and Good King Wenceslaus.
Oh, one more thing.
I love the Grinch.
What are your favorites? Are there Christmas songs that you can't stand?
posted by everettg at
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
8 Comments:
Sorry, but I LOVE "Carol of the Bells." It's my absolute favorite! It's so energetic and I love how it starts out low and builds to a crescendo and I love all of the different layers to it. It makes me feel really Christmasy.
I'm with you on "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" though. It comes in at a close second. It's simple yet profound, and I love the medieval sound it has. It's almost melancholy, but really moving.
"12 Days" can get really annoying. And so can its little spin-offs.
The best way to get into the Christmas spirit at ANY time of the year (for fans of Jazz only) is the soundtrack to Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, as played by Vince Guaraldi, the original composer. That album has become the first one I listen to every year, starting in about October.
Basically any song that can be translated into a fluid jazz composition played on piano (or Rhodes) is an A+ Christmas song in my book. There are a few other, more obscure songs though that you owe it to yourself to look up:
"Norris the Nocturnal Nutria" - Benny Grunch and the Bunch
"12 Yats of Christmas" - Grunch and the Bunch (the only 12 days song that is any good)
"Christmas is Coming" - John Denver and the Muppets.
"I saw three ships come sailing in" - Any Artist (I know this song is about the trinity, but it's really beautiful and Celtic.
Those are just a few.
Everett,
HA!!:) You just make me laugh here with this post! This morning I was listening to a local station that starts playing Christmas music on Thanksgiving and continues, 24 hours, until just after Christmas. Some of those songs..... heaven help us.... I think it's just someone's excuse to lament their life, sneak in the word "Christmas" or "holiday", etc.. and call it a Christmas song, sell the CD and make money. Then as I was driving in to school today, I heard good ole' Burl Ives singing "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" and it I felt vindicated! He's the voice of the narrator/snowman in the original "Rudolph the The Red-Nosed Reindeer" - remember him? I
I just despise music that doesn't "sound" like Christmas. There's that certain magic and lilt in the words that HAS to be there for me to buy into it.
I love "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" - there's a line that say "Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, 'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep' the wrong shall fail and right prevail, with peace on earth good will to men." I love, love, love that one!
Ditto on "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."
AA
If you've never seen this, check it out. It builds in a way I believe the original writer may have thought it should:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZFxG6-WSnI
Probably gonna have to cut and paste it.
-R
Ron - David Phelps is one of my favorite gospel tenors. Thanks for the link. That was great. BTW, Jason Crabb has a new Christmas project and he has a nice rendition of "I'll Be Home for Christmas."
Thanks, Ann for the reminder of "I Heard the Bells..." another great song. Likewise on Burl Ives -- classic artist! I was listening to him yesterday within minutes of reading your post.
Chantell: I know what you mean on Carol of the Bells... as a favor to a church member, I wrote out a transcription of it for voice and we sang it a few years back. It is a great tune. But I do get tired of it. It's like when you've sung Beethoven's 9th six or seven seasons, three or four performances per season. It's still a great piece, but I get to the point where I lose enthusiasm for it and I need a year or two off from it.
Jessy: Agreed on jazzy Christmas. Have you heard An Oscar Peterson Christmas? If not you should check it out immediately.
Thanks, Ron, for the link. It was nice to have that song playing this morning during pancakes, getting the boy ready to go to Grandma's for the day.
Everett, thanks for the suggestion, I'll check him out asap.
Christmas Concerts abound in the Twin Cities, but they rarely include playlists.
The Bah Humbuggery Music Critics Guild is a group that goes to Christmas concerts, looks at the program, yells "Bah!" and stomps out. Playlists would stop the Bah Humbuggery Music Critics from having to do so much stomping.
The link above contains a list of some of the places with Christmas Concerts. I googled the "Bah Humbuggery Music Critics Guild" but didn't get any hits.
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