The song about Gabriel is called "Gabriel's Message", and it is quite old. Sting did a surprisingly good version a few years back.

Speaking of that CD (A Very Special Christmas? something like that) there is Santa Baby, performed by Madonna. You can also listen to the original, by Eartha Kitt, on a CD I think is called A Hipster's Christmas. Both are good, but heresy! I rather like Madonna's version, since her more boo-boo-be-doop version is more in keeping with the theme of the song and sounds more, well, more loose.

On Hipster's Christmas are two marvellous songs by Louis Armstrong, "Zat You, Santa Claus?" and "Christmas Night in Harlem". (I've rarely gone wrong purchasing anything by Satchmo.)

There are a lot of good Christmas songs from the modern pre-rock-and-roll era, although I do confess to liking "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree."

For traditional Christmas songs, I am very happy to learn that Vanguard has released Joan Baez's Noel on CD, which I simply must have for this Christmas as it is one of my favourites. All of the songs are traditional, although some are actually Advent, rather than Christmas, carols. (There's a difference) I can never tire of Coventry Carol, or Down In Yon Forest (The Bells of Paradise), although I suppose I hear them only at one season a year.

As a boy I used to sing in the church choir, and always liked As Joseph Was A-Walking, although I've never found it on a recording.

The Boar's Head is a jolly old song, which you may hear along with many other jolly old songs on the Chieftains' Bells of Dublin CD.

Here in Canada we have The Huron Carol, although I have never heard a recorded version which appealled to me. (Any recommendations) A French priest wrote it to explain Christmas to the Indians, thinking (probably correctly) that they'd never understand the Biblical version. The English version begins:

'Twas in the moon of wintertime
When all the birds had fled
That mighty Gitchy Manitou
Sent angel choirs instead
Before their light the stars grew dim
And wandering hunters heard the hymn

Chorus
Jesus your king is born, Jesus is born
In excelcius Gloria!