08 December 2006

Your Favorite Christmas Song Or Music...

Ok, we've had at it with the silver and small screen holiday cheer...now for something a little more audio and a lot less video... Finding any ONE song that epitomizes the holiday season is daunting to say the least.

We always have the "standards" (carols) like O Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night, which just bring home everything that says CHRISTMAS. And most times, it doesn't even matter if it's sung in another language like German or even LATIN (any Catholic would agree). Even if you're not Catholic, you have GOT to "do" a HIGH MASS during Christmas ...the music is worth it alone!

Then we have "classical" standards, mainly orchestral in nature, but sometimes accompanied by choral groups...like The Hallelujah Chorus, or even The Nutcracker and Swan Lake Ballet. Handel's MESSIAH has got to be the tops though.... Finally, we have the "modern" standards such as White Christmas or The Christmas Song, as well as the light-hearted tunes such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. Heck we even have Celtic songs, new age songs, and country songs. Manheim Steamroller has one heck of a Christmas album.


Two of my *personal* favorite MODERN albums are the JINGLE CATS "Meowy Christmas" and "Santa Claws is Coming to Town". If you have to ask about these....go right ahead...LMAO!




My personal all-time favorite song is "The Christmas Song"...sung by (who else?) but the "master"...Nat King Cole. That man could sell this song like nobody's business! Actually Nat Cole's entire Christmas album is played EVERY SINGLE year at our house...a few times. It's THAT damned good! It wouldn't BE Christmas around here without Nat! White Christmas (Bing Crosby) comes in a close second, as does his duet with David Bowie (Peace On Earth/The Little Drummer Boy from the 1977 TV special). John Lennon's "So This Is Christmas" is among my top ten as well. Perry Como, who could sing ANYTHING well, deserves mention here, as his Christmas albums were fantastic. Add to that Neil Diamond's Christmas album (one of the BEST albums out there, and he's as Jewish as a menorah is GOLD...lol).

My favorite "modern" Christmas music...that's a bit harder, but I ALWAYS enjoy Vince Guaraldi's score to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (Christmas Time Is Here). Choral favorites have got to include every-single-carol-written. Heck, I sang most all of them both in high school and church (in English AND Latin) for years...they have this knack of "staying with you" over the decades...LOL! And yes, I even listen to the Dreidel song every Hanukkah...just because.

So let's hear what YOU like to hear....after all, 'Tis the season.

4 comments:

JR - A Green Eyed Gurl.... said...

Absolutely, hands down, no competition, the Christmas Albums by the Transyberian Orchestra. Amazing.

Jana said...

My favorite Christmas is "I Want a Hippo for Christmas" by Gayla Peevey.

Here's a link to the song & lyrics:

http://www.minibite.com/christmas/hippo.htm

Bob G. said...

OK...I must not be getting all my *memos*, 'cause I haven't heard that "Hippo" song....(but my wife Donna has)....!?!

I forgot those Alvin & the Chipmunks songs...and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree...

The more I think...the more I recall....scary, huh?
;)

B.G.

Anonymous said...

Although Silent Night would be my favorite, I really enjoy the barking dog version of Jingle Bells. LOL.