My favorite sacred Christmas Pieces are: Silent Night, O, Holy Night and The First Noel

My favorite non-sacred pieces are: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and The Christmas Song

Mahalia Jackson did a beautiful version of Silent Night. I also heard a beautiful jazz version done by Nany Wilson where Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is interspersed with it.

Nat King Cole does a beautiful version of O Holy Night as does Michael Ball. I don't know that I've heard an odd rendition of this one.

I have several versions of the First Noel. the most unusual is done by the Modern mandolin Quartet. It is still very pretty.

Kenny Loggins, Judy Collins, Chicago, and Judy Garland have beautiful versions of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Chicago's is a different version but I still like it. My husband has a very unusual recording of a saxophone quartet playing it in odd meters and odd keys.

Nat king Cole still does my favorite version of Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song". I also love Tony Bennett's version. Chicago does a very uptempo version that is fun. The most unusual treatment of this song is on a CD called A Jazzy Wonderland with the Traut/Rodby trio. It is strange to hear bass as the lead instrument but it works.

Perhaps the best of all is "There Ain't No Sanity Clause" by The Damned, but quite how festive that is depends on when you sing it!

It's 'flippin' funny!

Seriously tho'

Christmas eh?.......egg flips by the fire, Auntie Edie..'trousered', Uncle Eddie....'karaokeing' to his nieces and nephew's, Cousin George, with his 'amusing flamable party tricks'?

I can't wait!

wez x

Seriously, seriously tho'

'O Come All Ye Faithful'.......I don't know why? Just make's me feel all 'Christmasy' tho'!

[ 11-18-2001: Message edited by: wezpenny ]

I'm an alto and can sing tenor if they need someone who can read bass clef to help out, but that one is beyond my range.

Whatever the song, these four Jesii are digging the groove! Amen!

[ 11-20-2001: Message edited by: SuperFurryAnimal ]

1) I wanted to add "Oh Holy Night" as one of my (many) favorites

2) It's a timely thread, and it needs to be up close to the top

3) THERE ARE TOO MANY SONG CHAINS TAKING OVER THIS FORUM!!! It's time we get some other threads up there to post to!

Most of all I love going to Carols by Candlelight and listening to really wonderful singers doing every carol and song you can imagine.
Weeeee, only 25 more sleeps to go (not counting afternoon naps )

Il est né le divin enfant...wish I could play it for you!

Hark, how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say throw cares away: Christmas is here bringing good cheer to young and old, meek and the bold

Or in my case (I'm an alto):

(Pause)..................Ding, dong, ding, dong.

But it's fun to sing anyway.

As far as religious Christmas carols go, I love the Cherry Tree Carol - it really brings the Holy Family to life, for me. And "I Wonder as I Wander" just so perfectly expresses something deep inside.

to sing - Gaudete and Silent Night (both send shivers down my spine)

O Little Town of Bethlehem because it was my grandma's favourite

Away in a Manger - every time I hear it I can still picture my daughters dressed up as the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel in their infant school nativity play (they were so sweet - whatever happened to them!!!)

for fun I love Madonna's version of Santa Baby

and for wrapping presents you just need to have The Phil Spector Christmas Album

finally, my personal favourite, which i play to death every year - the Eurythmics version of Walking in a Winter Wonderland. It's so romantic and sexy.

I'm sure I could think of a million more but I wouldn't want to bore you

[ 12-01-2001: Message edited by: nenya ]

I played the violin when I was younger. I was in the second violin section. Everytime "Sweet Caroline" comes on the radio, I do an impression of the part that I always had to play. I was the "bomp bomp" part after the first violins did their little melody thing. They were off and playing, and I was "bomp bomping." I always felt like a dummy!

Then, one day not too long ago, after I really started listening to the music, I realized that that song wasn't the same without that "bomp bomp" part. It wasn't "Sweet Caroline." My part really was important! I wish I had realized that back then. I would have held my head up higher and "bomp bomped" with pride!

Michael McDonald's Christmas CD
Dave Brubeck's Christmas
Tony Bennett
Dan Fogelberg's "The First Christmas Morning"
Kenny Loggin's "December"