December 6, 201312 yr Author No. 20(b) "Gaudete" - performed by Steeleye Span This is the most entertaining of this song ever done. No question. They deliberately sang in what I would call godawful poor Latin, to make it sound like English countrysiders singing it in the middle ages who couldn't say the Latin correctly. What resulted was a really fun track that really stands out. Oh, and Ms. Maddy Prior has serious pipes. [video=youtube;EDc2FD-vy8M]
December 6, 201312 yr I'm wondering if DMX's rapping of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" will make its way onto Getslow's list.
December 6, 201312 yr ^ ... I thought it might nestle itself nicely amongst the King's College Choir and Bach.
December 6, 201312 yr Author ^ At the risk of ending some of the suspense, while I'd never considered DMX, "Christmas Time in Hollis Queens" is an honorable mention, finishing just outside my Top 25.
December 7, 201312 yr Author No. 19 "I'll Be Home For Christmas" - written by Walter Kent and Buck Ram; lyrics by Kim Gannon; performed by Bing Crosby Released in 1943, in the middle of the Second World War, the lyrics are from the point of view of a soldier serving overseas. Knowing that, it's the last line that gets me every time: "I'll be home for Christmas... if only in my dreams." As a natural baritone myself, I've always had a soft spot for Bing Crosby's voice... I can actually sing along. As such, this is not the last time he's going to appear on this list.
December 8, 201312 yr The Trinity Choir sang "For Unto Us A Child Is Born" from Messiah with the Assumption choir one year. It was pretty good... then the Assumption choir launched into the Hallelujah Chorus and absolutely blew the roof off the place. That song, man... that song... It's got a longstanding association with Christmas, but I've never been able to think of any part of Handel's Messiah as Christmas music. I love the whole work, and certain sections are among my favorite things to listen to. I think my wife was one of those girls.
December 8, 201312 yr Author I think my wife was one of those girls. I'm fairly sure we did some small amount of collaboration with Assumption's choir at Christmastime for at least two of my years in Trinity's choir. We also worked together in the spring so that we could get SATB quartets together for All-State auditions. They had a really nice choir program at AHS.
December 8, 201312 yr Author No. 18 "Oh du Froehliche" - music: Catholic traditional; words by Johannes Daniel Falk; performed by Adoro with the Augsburg Cathedral Boys' Choir The second German carol on the list, it won't be the last. There's nothing wholly remarkable about this piece except that it's set to a traditional Marian hymn that's easily near the top of my all-time list of Catholic music: "O Sanctissima". The lyricist, Johannes Falk, lost four of his seven children to typhoid fever and founded an orphanage in their honor. These lyrics were written and the song dedicated to the children of the orphanage. [video=youtube;_GV-V_kXLjo] O joyful, O blessed, O graceful Christmas time! The world was lost, Christ is born: Rejoice, rejoice, O Christianity! O joyful, O blessed, O graceful Christmas time! Christ appeared to our atonement: Rejoice, rejoice, O Christianity! O joyful, O blessed, O graceful Christmas time! Heavenly armies rejoicing to honor you: Rejoice, rejoice, O Christianity!
December 9, 201312 yr Author Bonus "Alma Redemptoris Mater" - music by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina; lyrics by Hermannus Contractus; performed by the Monteverdi Choir Not a Christmas song... so it doesn't go in the countdown, but I'll put in a few other advent bonuses here and there. Palestrina was one of the finest composers who ever lived. Blessed to be alive at a time the Church was growing to embrace polyphony in liturgical music, the Holy See became his great patron and enabled him to write beautiful music. Alma Redemptoris Mater has historically been associated with the Advent season as it is sung during the liturgy of the hours between the First Sunday in Advent and the Feast of the Purification in February. The original hymn was written by Hermann of Reichenau (Hermanus Contractus), who was an 11th century monk, scholar, music theorist, mathematician, astronomer, and poet. He is most famous for his even more well-known composition, "Salve Regina". Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again. To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator, yet remained a virgin after as before. You who received Gabriel's joyful greeting, have pity on us poor sinners.
December 9, 201312 yr Author ^ Almost all the best carols seem to be either British or German; those people really did Christmas right. There's at least one more German... pretty high on the list if I remember right.
December 9, 201312 yr http://www.godvine.com/What-a-Choir-of-Silent-Monks-Does-Will-Make-You-Laugh-2484.html This is pretty cool
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