Christmas music

Georgesgran, I remember singing Three Kings From Persian Lands Afar in our small church choir as a girl, and it is one of my favourites. Such a beautiful melody.

marionk

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 ?

No! Why on earth would they sanitize it? Ugh .. I got rid of hundreds of CD's and only kept a small amount, including the Pogues-

EllanVannin

Dolphindaisy, I was hopeless at the children's carol concerts, couldn't contain myself. I've always been the same and remember carol singing around the wards, particularly the children's ward on nights when us nurses went around with our lanterns . So sad to see the sick children in hospital for Christmas even though they enjoyed opening their presents on Christmas Day----after " he'd " been.

EllaVannin You had me welling up just reading your post!

I love 'Gaudete'. I've got it saved in my Favourites and if I ever need cheering up, anytime of year, I play it. Here's my link:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbKWk6RzaiM&feature=youtu.be

As soon as I hear Handel's Messiah, music from The Nut Cracker, or Ella Fitzgerald I feel Christmassy.

Thank you, HillyN.

I also love T. S. Elliott's narrative poem, Journey of the Magi. We learned it at High School in the late 1960s.

Last year I read, for the first time, Norah Lofts' How far to Bethlehem? It was a GN recommendation!
It will be an annual event now.

here you are Maybee just for you.

youtu.be/9-aic4qHQWA

I love Little Drummer Boy .
I don't know the connection between it and the Moors Murders , would someone tell me ?

I don't know Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar, is it a translation of Heinrich Heine's Die heilgen drei Köng'e aus Morgenland?

I love Christmas carols and my pupils start learning them from mid-November onwards to be ready for Christmas. They nearly all want to learn We Three Kings first, which is totally different from the Kings from Persian Land Afar. I know that one - it was still being learned by school choirs in the 1970s, my time. One that was also popular with children's choirs at that time was the Zither Carol - Girls and Boys, Leave Your Toys. Anyone else remember that one? My all-time favourite is the Sussex carol: On Christmas Night All Christians Sing. Out of the secular canon l really enjoy playing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The wartime words are as resonant this year as 75 years ago. I was nine when Slade were no. 1. I sometimes think if I have to hear Noddy Holder yelling out "It's Christmas" one more time l would like to get a pair of pliers to the continuous loop of whichever shop is assaulting our ears with it.

I love 3 mins from Persian lands Afar too with music by Peter Cornelius. Also o holy night like a lotof others. Shepherds pipe carol is lovely. Also the shepherds farewell & many other carols we have sung on my choir including lots of John Rutter.
Some Secular music too including sleigh ride (Leroy Anderson one) winter wonderland, chestnuts roasting on an open fire .
I can’t stand Fairly tale of New York - just t see the appeal! Also can’t stand some others like Frosty the snowman, merry Christmas everybody (slade?)
I like the music to be magical!!

Oh dear too many typos! Three kings not mins! I think the rest are obvious.

Silent Night is my favourite Carol but my all time favourite Christmas song is Fairy Tale of New York by the Pogues & Kirstie MacColl.

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

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

Gaudette by Steeleye Spa

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

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!

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

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!

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.

Here’s a ‘ Schneewalzer’

youtu.be/4HBqelNiJYQ

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.

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.

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

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.