One that makes me wish I was leading the orchestra and could sing (better than I do in the shower) is Trans Siberian Orhcestra’s “On Christmas Day”.
What’s yours?
Stille Nacht by** Mannheim Steamroller**
Is that the cool one that starts with “Hark to the Bells” and then just gets crazy? I love that one.
My favorite and least favorite are the same: “O Holy Night”. Done well, it’s transcendant. Done poorly, it’s the cheesiest cheese fest of cheese. It’s also perfect for my voice - which is high and vibrato-y and utterly unsuited to the style of music I wish I could sing (Melissa Etheridge meets Nora Jones.)
I got to sing the the first verse solo in “O Holy Night” in high school - out of a choir of 250 students. I sincerely hope I was in the not-suck category.
YES!!! That would the Trans Siberian OrCHestra :smack: (I really can spell!)
We were lucky enough to see them last tuesday night at Air Canada Centre for the second year - interestingly enough, first year was at Massey Hall (tickets $17.00). This year, at ACC, $58.00!!!
They are truly amazing and talented…if you get a chance, pick up Beethoven’s Last Night CD - one of the few non-Christmas CD’s they have out. But all their Christmas CD’s are amazing.
Greg Lake, I Believe in Father Christmas. I always try to catch this on the radio but they play it infrequently.
I think it is “Carol of the bells.” But I love so many of them, I can’t say for sure.
I think The Little Drummer Boy is probably my favorite. I like Carol of the Bells too.
The best rendition of “O Holy Night” I ever heard was when a local men and boys choir teamed up with a local opera soprano. She did the first verse and the men & boys came in on the “fall on your knees…” part. The contrast in the vocal styles was really moving.
I like “Carol of the Bells” and for some reason, “Silent Night” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem” always make me happy.
“In the Bleak MidWinter” is probably my favorite, but it’s a bit too obscure to hear much.
The best rendition of “In the Bleak MidWinter” I ever heard (;)) is by Jane Siberry, available on Sushan in the Palace and* Child:Music For The Christmas Season*. Her not-perfect style of singing (slight cracks in her voice, somewhat broken phrasing) actually makes the song even better.
My favorites are “Angels we have heard on high” and “The holly and the ivy.” It’s awfully hard to pick, though, there’s also the Wexford carol and so many others. I mostly don’t like anything written in the 20th century, except “Paa loftet sidder nissen.”
I like singing them myself best; I cannot come up with a favorite recording.
I’m a Jingle Bells person, all the way.
Ha ha ha. All the way. Get it?
I like it because there are so many good versions of it. Lately I like the Frank Sinatra version that goes, “I love those J-I-N-G-L-E bells.” It seems like every year it’s a different song. Remember in grade 1 we used to sing it “in the round?” After 33 years, that song has never let me down.
Oh Holy Night
Preferably sung by Martina McBride
O Holy Night, when done well. Anthony Warlow is my favorite; he’s one of the few people I actually wish would record a Christmas album.
O Holy Night, it’s eerily beautiful.
Anything - as long as it’s sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
I also like Dominic the Donkey 
I have a wide variety to my likes.
O Holy Night, as long as I’m the one singing it. Too many singers don’t have high enough voices and so they either shriek when they hit the high notes or give up and sing a lower note. They also do strange things with the tempo and put too many trills in. I like it sweet, high, simple and clear, and that’s the way I sing it.
I should record myself singing it and send it to all you guys, you’d love it
O Holy Night. My favorite version is Tracy Chapman’s. My least favorite (so far) is Avril Lavigne & Chantal Kreviazuk. (Kreviazuk isn’t bad, but Lavigne destroys the song.)
The Huron Carol never fails to send a little shiver down my spine.
On the reccomendation of another thread I found O Helga Natt by Jussi Bjorling… that is an amazing version of O Holy Night. This is also the first year I heard I Believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake and that’s swiftly becoming a favourite of mine as well.
I’ve always loved Little Drummer Boy and Do You Hear What I Hear the best though. When I was in choir they were the ones I most looked forward to singing.
the coventry carol. with a new joy and carol of the bells running close and tied second.