Christmas Carols - Favourites

Singing in our Hospital Choir, the annual service in York Minster, the opening Once in Royal David’s city, sung by a young soprano up in the rafters was the most beautiful sound. Still gives me tingles when I hear that Carol today.

I love them all. My favourite would have to be The Coventry Carol, followed by In the Bleak Midwinter and O Come, O Come Emmanuel. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen takes me back to my childhood

At school we used to sing "It was the winter wild, When the heav'n born child..." I love it, but have never herd that version anywhere else.

I love ‘It came upon a midnight clear’ and ‘Three kings from Persian lands afar’. We sang that in our school choir and it sounded magical. We were lucky enough to have a choirboy of the year contestant in our choir and he sang the opening lines. Even as a 14 year old it sent shivers down my spine, absolutely beautiful.

It’s not a carol as such, but one line of ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ strikes me as somewhat tearily poignant now that we older generation are all getting on a bit, and a BiL has cancer:
‘Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow…’.

I never knew the words until our group piano teacher gave us a lovely version to play a few years ago - it’s a favourite now.

Us oldies mostly will all be together tomorrow night. ??? Only one missing will be DSis in the US.

I've loved It Came Upon The Midnight Clear ever since I was at school. Other favourites are Oh Holy Night, The Coventry Carol and Veni Veni Emmanuel (Preferably sung by Friar Alessandro)

Once in Royal David’s City for me too, then Ding Dong Merrily on High and The Holly Bears a Berry. There’s so many lovely carols, hard to choose.

Adeste Fidelis .....sung with gusto! Even if not much musicality.

Bob Chilcott’s “The Shepherd’s Carol”. Sublime.

Has to be Silent Night, both the English and German versions.

Should add it's Andrea Bocelli
Cantique de Noel/O Holy Night
a totally different version sung in French

youtu.be/ilO75EUExTU

I listen to this many nights before going to sleep.
It's beautiful.

I love carols. In The Bleak Midwinter, The Cherry Tree Carol, Silent Night, The Coventry Carol, O Come O Come Emmanuel... Impossible to pick a favourite. I have been Pagan for more than 30 years but carols still go straight to my heart.

I can't hear children singing carols without feeling the tears start. My 9 year old granddaughter was recently singing one she was learning at school, It Was On A Starry Night, and I immediately had a lump in my throat.

I

1) "It came upon the midnight clear","See amid the winter snow"-probably because they are not heard so often and have a thought-provoking message.

2) Any of the wonderful Sheffield carols, now sung in the pubs as the Victorian clergy barred them from church as too rousing!

3) A German carol with the refrain (in English!) "Up,up,up"

4) Lastly my all time favourite, I recorded this from Capital radio in the 80s, London kids singing about Mayree and her baybee, the journey made er weereey. Aww, lovely!

I love lots of Christmas Carols! In common with other posters, I love "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night" - but I will have my CD's of Christmas Music found and playing, very soon!

I love music by John Rutter.

Carol of the Bells is beautiful but O Holy Night makes me feel calm and loving. Should probably be on all day on repeat!

Christians Awake, which I haven’t heard for ages.

O Little Town of Bethlehem is my favourite. Plus Bambino by The Springfields which I suppose is not a carol......but I love it.

I'll introduce a bum note here...I can't stand most of them. Some of them, the music yes and possibly the ones about wassailing which is definitely up my street. I must be a pagan throwback...

The carol that I first heard sung by Giovanni Mauriello in “Another Time Another Place” (cracking film, by the way) remains my absolute favourite. A haunting and beautiful rendition.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyoKfBSDQaI

Oh holy night is my favourite but I love driving home for Christmas and all I want for Christmas is you yes I know there not carols, ???

I'm a sucker for a Christmas carol. They bring back the memories of childhood and the sentiment that comes with them. Silent Night is my all time favourite and always brings a tear to my eye. I was an embarrassing mother with tears running down my face at school Christmas concerts as soon as the singing started.

Just thought of another favourite. Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.

Oh Come all ye faithful

I was a child and walking past the church possibly Christmas eve, the strains of this carol reached me through the stained glass windows, I thought it was wonderful - that is. I was walking to my grandmothers house, two doors along. This hymn always reminds me of her.