Oh Holy Night - I agree with those above, when done well, it’s about as good as it gets. Thing is, it’s butchered so often, not only by the singers, but by arrangers and conductors, that I often prefer not to hear it performed live.
Oh Come, Oh Come Emanuel - Again, when arranged properly, and sung properly, it’s beautiful and somber. I tried to come up with a good arrangement for it to play on my classical guitar, which is OK sounding to my ears. I sometimes wonder what a good guitar player would sound like playing it.
Gabriel’s Message The first time I heard this performed was at a small church concert in Washington D.C. Very shortly after, I heard Sting massacre the bloody hell out of it on some Xmas compilation…vocally he was OK, but there’s this goofy, totally electronic-sounding drumbeat going in the background…it sounds like a rhythm program from a $20 Casio keyboard you buy at Toys 'R Us. In the concert, it was sung by an a cappella male chorus, and the harmonies were just fantastic. I wish I could find a similar recording of it. Plus, I loved the lyrics…really evokative of the wonder of what should, I suppose, be thought of as a pretty unsettling experience for a young and virginal Mary, having an archangel tell you you will give birth to God’s Son. My understanding is it’s derived from a traditional Basque carol, and it’d be interesting to hear that, too.
I second Kythereia’s recommendation of “Ding Dong Merrily On High” – I absolutely loved this melody from the first time I heard it, and never learned its identity until I posted a question on these boards fairly recently. It seems to convey to me, a lifelong atheist, what religious bliss feels like. In other words, it puts me into the emotional state of the person who created it several centuries ago. That’s the greatest thing music can ever do.
At the other end of the emotional spectrum, there’s “Santa Baby”, as sung by Eartha Kitt. Hubba.
I am also an atheist (of Jewish upbringing) but had a serious case of Christmas envy growing up. I married a Catholic, so now I get the tree and everything!
O Holy Night is definitely my favorite by far. I once heard Jewel sing it on Leno and almost dropped dead, it was so beautiful.
On an opposite note, which is your least favorite Christmas song. For me that honor would have to go to Winter Wonderland. Any song that discusses conspiracies (“later on, we’ll conspire”) around Christmas time is right out.
Least favorite would have to be all those pieces of drivel performed for kids. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer -although there’s a pop version with an extra verse wherein Rudolph calls out the other reindeer for being hypocritical pricks that I like. Don’t know who does it. Jingle Bells - I like the verses, which no one sings any more. The chorus is inane shrieking over and over until I want to jam an icicle through my skull. Away in a Manger - can anyone sing this without whining? It’s always, *always *flat on the high notes. Deck the Halls - Well, Fa my La but that one gets old real quick. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - nothing makes me Scroogier faster. Well, OK, I kind of like Springstein’s version, but only because the whole band is obviously WAY drunk
Very few people I know seem to like this “sequel” to Winter Wonderland… but it makes me giggle whenever I hear it: Marshmallow World. I don’t know how many people have sung it, but there’s a version I hear often on the radio, sung by a man, and whenever he says “take a walk with your favourite girl”, I crack up. It’s something about the way he says it, I guess you’d have to hear it for yourself to know what I mean.
Also, Ava Maria, but it must be done by someone who has the vocal chords to handle it… when it’s done right, it’s wonderful.
Another vote for Good King Wencelas, and What Child Is This?
And, just for jollies - Oi To The World, by the Vandals. And a special place in my heart is reserved for I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas, since it’s my father’s favourite, and my mother bought him a little toy hippo one year and stuck it in his stocking. This delighted him to no end, and it is still sitting on his computer monitor at his office at work, for all to see.
Oh yes! I forgot about that. Love Steeleye Span’s version.
Also, I’m a bit embarrassed about this, but I like that Walking in the Air song.
Of course you can’t beat Fairytale of New York. It’s gets played a bit too much here in Ireland around Christmas, but even that hasn’t managed to ruin it.
If we are talking really stunning though it has to be Mormors Julstjarna from Swedish trad band Triakel who recorded an whole album of gorgeous Swedish Christmas music: Vintervisor. I tend to play that all year round as I don’t speak Swedish so the Christmas aspect doesn’t impact too much and the music is just too lovely to only play once a year.
I like some of the more obscure/older carols. In Dulci Jubilo sung by a boy choir really does it for me. The Wexford Carol and Rorate are two others I just adore. I always think of Once, As I Remember as a handspinner’s carol, since one verse says
Ox and ass around him
Courtier-like did stand.
Fair white linen bound him
Spun by Mary’s hand.
Nope, I was wrong. There is a *Rudolph *on that album, but not the one I was thinking of. I’ll have to listen for a name next time I hear it on the radio.
