Alright here’s the deal. I’m burning a Christmas CD and I want Christmas songs. Not just good Christmas songs. I want the best. And yes, I want Christmas songs that are actually about the birth of our Lord. Imagine that. What’s passing for Christmas songs on the radio today is actually pretty weird. When did that song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” become a Christmas song? I mean, other than its inclusion in the movie Elf, it has zero Christmas relevance. It’s about a guy trying to get a girl drunk so she’ll stay over, for goodness sake!
So I’m trying to think of the best Christmas song but I’m having a bad brain day. Maybe it’s because I just read the news story about Boy George being found guilty of falsely imprisoning a Norwegian male escort by handcuffing him to a wall. I mean, who could’ve seen that coming?
Alright. Back on target. I’m looking for a little aid here for the creation of the perfect Christmas CD. So some obvious ones to start:
Bing’s Silent Night
Nat King Cole’s “O Holy Night”
But there are a thousand version of all the good Christmas songs like “Come all Ye Faithful” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem” so if you guys have any favorites that are particularly good or just move you in some way please let me know. Or I’d love to get wind of songs I’ve never heard of which are great.
Now, of course, if anyone suggests any version of Jingle Bell Rock, they’ll be officially banned from the blog and handcuffed to a wall like a Norwegian man-whore pending further review at our annual CMR executive session held yearly in the basement of the Vatican.
Be warned, this is the Christmas CD the Archbold children will listen to their entire childhood so if we fail to inspire in my children some semblance of awe at Christmas, it’ll be all your fault. No pressure.
December 5, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Carol of the Bells WITH lyrics. If you’re including Advent songs, O Come, O Come Emmanuel.
December 5, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Ok, retract Carol of the Bells, I was thinking of something else but I can’t think of the name right now. I’ll let you know when it comes to me…..
December 5, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.
We’ve sung it in our choir for years. I don’t know if there’s a good recording of it out there.
December 5, 2008 at 3:06 pm
How about ‘For Unto us a Child is Born’ from Handel’s Messiah? ‘O Come Divine Messiah’ is another nice advent song. Those are my tips for songs which might be lost amidst recommendations of more modern songs.
December 5, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Patapan, Once in Royal David’s City. Leonard Berstein did arrangements of both on a CD their quite good.
December 5, 2008 at 3:22 pm
“The Blessed Son of God” by Vaughan Williams, “Bethlehem Down” by Peter Warlock (although it is a bit gloomy), “Gabriel’s Message” a Basque Christmas folk carol translated by Sabine Baring-Gould.
It’s unlikely you would hear them played on the radio, but they are all beautiful. And as a bonus, they all explicitly reference Christ!
December 5, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I always liked “Gabriel’s Message”.
It’s available from several boys’ choirs CDs, and of course, Sting did a very nice version, too.
Regards,
Jenny
December 5, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Harry Connick singing “Mary’s Little Boy Child”
Alan Jackson and Alison Krauss singing “The Angels Cried”
December 5, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I don’t if this is what you are looking for, but Check out a cover of “Do you Really Want to Hurt Me” by the Norwegian Man-Whore Choir. Amazing.
December 5, 2008 at 3:45 pm
this is a little off the beaten track, but Eden’s Bridge has a really good album of Celtic Christmas songs, including a beautiful medley of O Little Town of Bethlehem / It Will Be Well / O Come Let Us Adore Him. Their music is so calming, uplifting, and refreshingly not over-secularized like so many of the popular songs these days- check them out!
December 5, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Veni, Veni Emmanuel – Mannheim Steamroller (my first exposure to Chant, seriously).
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Bing Crosby
Christmas in Kilarney – Bing Crosby (a down-home Irish Christmas, priest included)
O Holy Night – John Denver
Emmanuel, God with Us – Amy Grant
December 5, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Martina McBride has a nice version of Silent Night. Her album White Christmas is actually a really nice mix – non-religious songs, yes, but not stupid ones (eg. not Baby It’s Cold Outside).
I also have a song I think you would really like but it’s not widely available. I have it as MP3 I think and would be glad to email it to you. It’s called Carol of the Incarnation, and has a very traditional feel. I’d be glad to email it regardless of whether you end up using it or not. Let me know here or via email – I sent you an email once so hopefully you’ve still got that address.
December 5, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Emmanuel, God with us is by Point of Grace (which is a beautiful Christmas song…though not a hymn). Emmanuel is by Amy Grant (or Michael W Smith). INfact as far as recent Christmas Music goes, I usually have Point of Grace’s “Christmas Story”, A CD of Christmas Chant, Amy Grant’s 1st Christmas album, A collection of choir singing tradition Christmas hymns, and some Nat King Cole/ Bing Crosby going in the CD deck. Oh…and the little ditty from a Charlie Brown Christmas…it makes me smile…no dancing though 🙂
December 5, 2008 at 4:23 pm
O Holy Night by Celine Dion.
December 5, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Wexford Carol and Christ Child’s Lullaby from Boys of the Lough’s Midwinter Night’s Dream cd. Don OÃche úd I mBeithil (That Night in Bethlehem) from the above-mentioned Boys of the Lough cd or from the Chieftains’ Bells of Dublin cd — why not both? And Coventry Carol!
December 5, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I third “O Holy Night”, but I’m not sure I’ve heard the John Denver version?
I used to literally “fall on my knees” out at the store or mall when they would play this song when I was a child, and my mom thought it was hysterical!
December 5, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Tennesee Ernie Ford did some very good renditions of some Christmas hymns.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Silent Night
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (not about Jesus too much, but tis about the season.)
Also, John Denver and the Muppets had some good Christmas songs (first time I heard Silent Night in its original language)
December 5, 2008 at 5:16 pm
I would suggest Barbra Streisand’s “Jingle Bells” as a final track – to be played any time you want to bring a gathering to an end or help overstaying visitors make a quick exit. (I believe Bab’s nerve jangling rendition is mentioned in the Geneva Convention.)
December 5, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I’ve actually uploaded the song I mentioned, so anyone can listen to it for free. It’s on my public page at me.com – so if you click the link you can click to download an MP3 of the song. It’s reverent and written by a Catholic musician (who also sings it). There is a small download arrow on the righthand side of the table that will download it when you click.
Carol of the Incarnation
This is not infringing on the musician’s rights, as I have permission to do this.
~Nzie
December 5, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Funny. CMR doesn’t really do Barbra so any mocking of her is welcome here.
These are all great suggestions. I’m looking through all of them. Keep ’em coming. Like I said, I’m not doing this twice so this one has to be perfect.