A Case For Christmas Carols

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mood swung
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A Case For Christmas Carols

Post by mood swung »

tell me your faves. and why.

please.
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Post by oily slick »

well i surveyed the household and got 2 silent nights--mellow and pretty and what a carol oughta be; frosty the snowman--cause i like it; and winter wonderland--cause it reminds me of a winter wonderland. and mine--it's the most wonderful time of the year--obviously, andy williams.
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Post by Who Shot Sam? »

I'm not an especially devout guy, so definitely something secular. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" is pretty damn good - sort of a Christmas blues, with a huge dose of nostalgia and regret. Up until we started a family, Christmas usually found me traveling somewhere this time of year or wishing I had, so that's the song I'd choose. Elvis Presley did a nice but slightly hammy version. Bing's is still the best.

"Carol of the Bells" is my least favorite. Makes me want to take a hammer to the stereo.
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Post by so lacklustre »

Silent Night because of the Dickies

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pKcwjs4iZc8
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Post by mood swung »

I tried to find a decent Vandals version, but you'll have to settle for this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZjoJXAjXY8
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Post by Goody2Shoes »

Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming, because when we were kids, my lovely grandmother would sing it to us in her native German, and it still has the power to take me back to that time and place. Sorry to be so sappy.

As for secular songs, too many to name, but I like Lou Rawls' Merry Christmas, Baby lots.
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

Bruce Springsteen's version of Merry Christmas Baby (although I'm not sure if this classes as a carol). I'm not a big fan of Christmas songs - I guess I've heard too many of them over the years - but this one just hits the spot for me.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

I love Christmas Carols. Huge part of the magic of Christmas for me. I get out my book of carols for piano and set about murdering the left-hand counter-melodies over the month of december each year. Love to play the CD of carols from King's, and see a bit of the event on Christmas Eve. To get tickets you need to have connections or queue all night, I think. I guess I won't be going. My faves are:

O Come, O Come Emmanuel - it's so minor, baby
In The Bleak Midwinter - pure poetry from the poet Cristina Rossetti

But I love all the classics: O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night, Once In Royal David's City (gut-churningly exciting to watch it broadcast from King's), hark The Heral Angels sing, etc.

My piano book has various American tunes of classics like O Come All Ye Faithful, While Shepherds Watched. I don't know if these are the only versions people know there, but they all seem like pale alternatives.

Went to a nice crib service today with wife and youngest lad. Probably my only church outing in the last 12 months, but always good to sing a few carols.

(The only non-carol Christmas song that does anything for me, apart from childhood faves like Slade and Wizard, is the separately-cited and verbally itemised Fairytale of New York. It's a good idea to spell it out word by word as every word is perfect, beautiful and magnificent, and it's one of the best duets ever. To me it's so far away from any competition for Best Christmas Song Ever that that couldn't even be a discussion topic. And once the words have gone, the musical coda is as perfect as the words.)

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Post by DrSpooky »

Although we haven't gotten it out yet this year, Spooky and I really enjoy Phil Spector's Christmas Album. It is funny knowing Sonny Bono was the drummer on it and we just try to ignore the creepy abusive person that he became.
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Post by mood swung »

In The Bleak Midwinter was written by Cristina Rosetti? How did I now know that?

Don't answer that.

I've been giving this question a lot of thought. When I wuz a kid, we did go house to house caroling on Christmas Eve, all the kids in the neighborhood. Somehow we left that tradition in California.

For sheer singability (tm pending), I'm going with Jingle Bells. Adheres to the Keep It Simple, Stupid principle that allows all ages to enjoy and bellow.

Just for my listening pleasure, A Soalin' as performed by Peter, Paul and Mary. I'd love to carol this, but I don't know anybody else who knows the words.


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Re:

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

mood swung wrote:In The Bleak Midwinter was written by Cristina Rosetti? How did I now know that?
Just the words, you understand. Gustav Holst co-wrote the music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Bleak_Midwinter
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mood swung
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Re: A Case For Christmas Carols

Post by mood swung »

understood.


Now, when do you stop the carols?
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Re: A Case For Christmas Carols

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Yesterday, unless you're hardcore and need to keep going till Jan 6. Perhaps certain carols, e.g. We Three Kings should be played up until then. In The Bleak Midwinter is also suitable till then! I'm back to The Joy of Classics and It's Easy To Play... Chopin (which it isn't, not even these truncated versions).
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