http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/whats-new/carols

Sheffield has voted! 22 December 2008

Silent Night is officially Sheffield's favourite Christmas carol.
Silent Night came out tops in the search to find ten of the city's most loved seasonal songs to be played by the Town Hall bells on Christmas Eve. A carol played by the bells will ring out every quarter of an hour and the clock will chime on the hour as usual.

It was the outright winner with 16.5 per cent of your votes, second came Ding Dong Merrily on High with 11.5 per cent and In the Bleak Midwinter came in third with just over seven per cent of your support.

Other carols which you gave the thumbs up to include: Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, Away in a Manger, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Deck the Halls, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and Jingle Bells.

Silent Night started life as a poem ('Stille Nacht') written by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr more than 190 years ago. The poem was put to music by his friend Franz Xavier Gruber.

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Help-pick-Sheffield39s-favourite-carol.4806830.jp
Help pick Sheffield's favourite carol
Published Date: 18 December 2008

Sheffield Council has launched a search to find the city's best loved seasonal songs and wants Star readers to take part in a vote. Star readers are being asked to help Sheffield choose its favourite Christmas carols. People can choose from a list of 22 carols including Hark the Herald, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Ding Dong Merrily on High and Away in A Manger.

Readers' favourite top ten carols will be rung out by the Town Hall peel of bells on Christmas Eve when the clocks chime. A carol played by the bells will ring out every quarter of an hour and the clock will chime on the hour as usual. Auld Lang Syne will be peeled at midnight on New Year's Eve to see in 2009 in style.

To vote, click here and register your choices by 10am on Monday, December 22. Voters are asked to choose their favourite seasonal song and the ten with the most votes will be played throughout Christmas Eve. As votes are cast online and a running tally will appear on screen which will tot up the front runners and show how the city is voting.

"Forget Strictly Come Dancing, your vote counts here in Sheffield," said Council Leader Coun Paul Scriven. "We want to hear from you about which carols are your Christmas crackers and we will play the top ten to bring some festive cheer on Christmas Eve. We look forward to seeing how Sheffield votes."