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Christmas Carols

I was inspired by reading some other blogs to post my favorite Christmas carols. My top three are:
  • Of the Father's love begotten. 5th century Latin poetry, 11th century music. Mysterious, eerie, chill inspiring (in a good way =). It really manages to integrate doctrine and music; you get an idea of what questions the Christians were asking at the time from what Prudentius writes about in the hymn.
  • Lo, how a rose ere blooming. 15h century German lyrics, music by Praetorious. I love the rhythms and the harmonies, which can be difficult to sing unless you have training from a young age in the Lutheran church...
  • Hark the herald angels sing. Charles Wesley could certainly write a good tune (that is understatement, by the way). Fun to sing as loud as you can, with trumpets and organ, if you can find them.
The girls like Away in a manger and Silent night, probably because those are the ones I can remember all the words to, those are the ones I sing to them at night, and those are the ones that talk about the Baby Jesus. They have much more experience with babies than, say, angels and begottens.

The only Christmas hymns I really don't like are O Holy night and O little town of Bethlehem. I think I have heard them too many times over-emotionalized by soloists, and I hate having my emotions tugged at without my consent. O Holy night ranks up there with Danny Boy in my (small) list of songs I will skip when I'm listening to a CD. I know lots of people really like these ones, though, so probably I'm just crazy.

What are your favorites/least favorites?

P.S. Carol singing at my place, Saturday. Email for details =)

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Anonymous said…
I've always loved "The Holly and the Ivy" (esp George Winston's arrangement), but I do have that same early Lutheran appreciation for Lo how a rose ere blooming...
December 17, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Gary said…
Bummer- we missed caroling!

I love 'em all, but "Lo How a Rose" is especially lovely. I also love "Angels We Have Heard on High". My guys love "the manger song" for the same reason as your little folks love it, and I have been singing "Silent Night" in German (the first verse, anyway). "Still, Still, Still" is also a good one to sing auf Deutsch.

-Lenise
January 5, 2009 at 9:15 PM
mathmom said…
Hi Lenise! Next year, we're having caroling at some other time than Christmas =) People are too busy.

I don't know the German, but I do sing Adeste Fideles for the girls. They're impressed (but they're pretty easily impressed).
January 5, 2009 at 10:25 PM
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