Christmas music

I think its what ill miss this year- not hearing all the christmas songs when you troop round the shops& malls.they kind of get you in the mood for christmas.BUT- no trooping anywhere for me this year.Definitely not.???

Many years ago I used to teach English in a College where none of the students had English as their first language. One year everyone sang Silent Night together in their mother tongue. It was truly beautiful and always reminds me of those days when I hear it sung.

I see you are all saying We three kings from Persian lands S afar. I've always thought it was We three kings from Orient are. This may be because I was brought up in South Africa and that is how it was sung over there.
I love Silent Night, and Fairy Tale of New York. Oh and Once in Royal David's City!!
So many lovely carols its difficult to choose.

One I cannot bear to hear is The Little Drummer Boy I love the Bing and David Bowie version- you wouldn't think their voices would go together so well.

But did you read on why I cannot bear to hear it elleks? Nothing to do with it not being a good song, whether sung by Bing and David Bowie or by anyone else. The most beautiful choir on earth would not be music to my ears if they sang that song

Thank you, Paddyanne, I haven't heard that for a long time.

This is the first time in over forty years that I won't be in school at Christmas, I'm really missing all the joyful preparations for the Nativity, Carol service and Christmas concert.

I love Christmas hymns, Carols and pop songs..
A few favourites,
Adeste Fideles... I love the Latin,
Gaudete, more lovely Latin from Steeleye Span, I think?
O Holy Night
Away in a Manger... I'll really miss singing this with the Infants...
The Angel Gabriel...thank you, Bellasnona!
Winter Wonderland, Phil Spector Christmas songs,
Mary's Boy Child,
I wish it could be Christmas everyday.. Reminds me of DS1s first Christmas,
Santa Claus is coming to town,
Fairytale of New York,
and White Wine in the Sun, a more recent discovery, Tim Minchin's quirky but poignant song about family Christmas.

Thank you, Georgesgran, for this lovely thread.

Lots that I love have already been mentioned but not "2000 Miles" by the Pretenders - about being reunited at Christmas (particularly poignant this year) www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEyGZlBdkaA

Sorry, Bellasnana.

I love Oh Holy Night and I have the Phil Spector cd too and it's fab. It's the one that goes on when I'm putting up the tree with a wee Bailey's helping me along the way.

Georgesgran

Coming into the Christmas season - what’s your favourite music. Religious or not.
At school in the 60s, we sang Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar - no one seems to have heard of it.
A favourite of mine is Oh Holy Night - I love the key change for the chorus - but only performed by certain singers.

Love the traditional ones and we too sang Three Kings at school.

I sing in a choir and we have 20 carols each year!11 phew!
My favourite is oh holy night . But the new kid on the block carol of the bells comes a close second.

Popped back in when I remembered a little song MIL used to sing to my girls - The Little Boy that Santa Claus forgot. They would get quite upset and I’m sure she did it on purpose!
Little Drummer Boy - that should be banned, but perhaps some aren’t familiar with the Moors Murders link?

My favourite Christmas Carol is o little town of Bethlehem, loved singing it at school. My favourite christmas song is every year , every Christmas by the great Luthor vandross perfect.

Love the Pogues singing ‘Fairytale of New York’ and ‘Oh little town of Bethlehem’

My favourite ever Christmas song is A Spaceman Came Travelling. It gives me goose bumps.

@Georgesgran, we sang that at school in the 60s too - it’s always been a favourite of mine. We had an exceptional head of music and choir - occasionally recorded and broadcast on what is now Radio 3 - and the choir always sang the beautiful descant.
You do still hear it now and then - I’ve been known to request it on Classic FM! but also have it on a CD somewhere - probably a Carols from King’s one.

Another Pogues fan here. Plus Michael Bublé and Kelly somebody singing FelizNavidad.

@Annaram1, ‘Three Kings from Persian lands Afar’ is a quite different carol from ‘We Three Kings Of Orient Are’.
Why not have a listen on YouTube?

‘Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar’ and ‘We Three Kings Of Orient Are’ are two totally different carols with different tunes. Both good.

Carol of the Bells

To clear up confusion, here’s the link again that I posted earlier for Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar:-

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIedUioo_Jk

Personent hodie sung by Maddy Prior and the Carnival band. However I’ve just listened to it on utube sung by the Ely Cathedral choir. I make a point of only listening the Christmas music for a few days over Christmas and it all gets put away after Christmas Day. This Carol sends shivers down my spine.

paddyanne: thanks for reminding me about Thea Gilmore. We saw her at a Sandy Dennis tribute concert and I was very impressed by her but never went on to buy any of her music.

It came upon a midnight clear that glorious song of old ......

I do love The Pogues, Fairytale of New York, sad they are going to sanitise it! Silent Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, most of the actually but not in November ?

Fairytale of New York complete with all the swear words!