Christmas music

Twopence absolutely love The Shepherd's Farewell. Play it anytime of year.
Driving Home for Christmas. One year my 2 sons were both at uni in different parts of the country. One went to pick the other up and as I was excitedly waiting for them to come home this was playing.
The Angel Gabriel
In the bleak midwinter
I believe in father Christmas, Greg Lake
Jingle Bell Rock reminds me of my dad dancing around to it
Anything played on Christmas eve afternoon at The Bridgewater Hall. A real feel good concert.
Lots of the above. Need to renew my Spotify account!

I have never heard of Three Kings From Persian Lands Afar.
I really like The Holly And The Ivy, I Saw Three Ships ( Come Sailing by) Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Gaudete, Adeste Fidelis ( Come all ye faithful) Once In Royal Davids City and various others.
Other sorts of Christmas music ?...nope, can’t think of anything I like.

I'm getting more in the seasonal mood reading all these favourite songs. Lovely thread!

So many beautiful carols but one of my favourites is Once in Royal David's City.
Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" is another classic at Christmas time. Reminds me of a school concert where my granddaughter aged 7 sang this in their choir.

Same here Calendargirl. My son was born in December 1975 and When a Child is Born by Johnny Mathis was playing as I left the ward to go home with my new baby boy. Always remember this.

Silent Night. O Come O Come Emmanuel. The Coventry Carol. In The Bleak Midwinter. Oh Come All Ye Faithful (particularly when the descant is sung.) The Cherry Tree Carol.

And Elvis snarling that "Santa Claus Is Back In Town."

When it was my DD's first Christmas in the US, she and our eldest DGD put on a CD of all the old Christmas stuff - Slade, Wizzard, the Pogues, John and Yoko, etc - and both burst into tears. It made them feel unbearably homesick.

To me the best has to be hearing little children singing Away In A Manger at Nativity plays.
Guaranteed to have me groping for the tissues.
Alas there will be none of that this year. ?

'Wind through the Olive Trees', local carols including 'Sweet Chiming Bells', and one I heard the end of on the car radio, which made me shed a tear, about a boy and king. Never heard it before or since and couldn't find it online. Can't even remember the lyrics now. One day I'll hear it again hopefully.

So much lovely Christmas music both sacred and secular. One favourite of mine is "The Shepherd's Farewell"

Check out this original song The School Nativity Play, sung by my friend Bruce Davies

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ts2Iqpvw-s

Another you might like - Whose Birthday is Christmas? by The Statler Brothers

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixij80H1iRA

This afternoon I dug out my two books of Easy Carols for piano, and rediscovered ‘It Came Upon The Midnight Clear’, ‘As With Gladness Men Of Old’, and The Zither Carol - all lovely ones IMO.

I also have a really nice (but not quite so easy) piano arrangement of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, which was dished out by the teacher at the group class I used to go to. It’s lovely, and includes the words, which I hadn’t known before.

Oh yes Musicgirl - I too remember the Zither Carol from school days with great fondness. Wasn't it in the green Oxford Book of Carols? "Zing, zing, zing, Girls & boys, leave your toys, kneel at his crib & worship him" - lovely tune & easy lyrics.
I also enjoyed singing Three Kings from Persian lands afar.
Troika is very evocative of snowy Christmas time & Driving home for Christmas reminds me of journeys bringing DD back from boarding school for the Christmas holidays. She's now 36 & we always contact each other as soon as we have our first hearing of the year, it brings us together across the miles.

Favourite carol: Silent Night
Favourite songs: Let it Snow - Dean Martin and White Christmas - Bing Crosby.

Rosecarmel, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is my favourite too and Annie Lennox's version is so magical and the video is a treat for the eyes.

Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar is very definitely my favourite and for Advent, Oh Come, Oh come Emmanuel.

Away in a manger and I’m dreaming of a White Christmas
always make me fill up - so many happy memories. And not forgetting the music from The Snowman.

I don’t think there can be many carols I haven’t sung. When I was younger I sang in about eight carol concerts every year, plus a couple of Messiahs and the occasional Christmas Oratorio (Bach). It was hard work! I still love carols, though.

Here’s a ‘ Schneewalzer’

youtu.be/4HBqelNiJYQ

I wonder if anyone here is old enough to remember our irreverent childhood version of Good King Wenceslas?

“Good King Wenslas
Knocked a bobby senseless
Right in the middle of Marks and Spencer’s.”

I thought that was hilarious when I was seven.

If I’m not feeling emotional, I like to hear hymns and songs which remind me of times past.
I sang O Holy Night at secondary school, then when I sang choral music I loved singing ‘ Schneewalzer’.
Sleigh Ride reminds me of attending school concerts when my sons were playing in orchestras, and when we were on holiday at Christmas I always sang Fairytale of New York with a dear friend who died a few years ago. I can’t even listen to it now, far less sing it!

grannmarie “Journey of the Magi” is my go-to poem for Christmas Eve.

My school favourite was "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" and I've always liked the Holst "In The Bleak Midwinter". I love some of the newer carols, in particular "The Carol of the Bells". The much-missed Terry Wogan used to play a particularly good version of "Good King Wenceslas" by a group/choir, but I can't remember who!

George Michaels' "last christmas" for me....

Driving Home for Christmas - Chris Rea
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDt3u2Ev1cI

Gaudette by Steeleye Spa

The Judy Garland version of 'Have yourself a merry merry xmas' brings me to tears remembering loved ones with whom I spent such wonderful Christmases