Favorite religious Christmas music

Subject: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 07:44 PM

So the people whose favorites didn't fit on the other thread, I thought I'd start one for those of us who love the religious Christmas music.

For me, some of the top favorites are:

Riu Riu Chiu
Rocking
March of the Kings
Coventry Carol
I wonder as I wander
The Cherry Tree Carol
Noel Nouvelet
Masters in this Hall
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Do You Hear What I Hear

Any others?

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 07:57 PM

Religious or not, I think Riu riu Chiu is downright sexy. I love it.
Other favorites of mine are "Carol of the Bells," "Lo, How a Rose," the German carol Still, Still, Still, and Gaudete (as sung by Steeleye Span).
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Mooh
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 08:12 PM

The Huron Carol. The Holly and the Ivy. The Cambridge Hymnal has some nice stuff in it too. Mooh.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Matt_R
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 08:19 PM

Wow, someone else know "Rocking"! Does the English translation sound familiar? "We will rock you, rock you, rock you..we will rock you, rock you, rock you, little baby...."

Throw in Gesu Bambino too.

BTW Gaudete is best by Brother Seamus Kennedy

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Hotspur
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 10:54 PM

"What Sweeter Music" is one of my favorites. "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" always gives me chills. "People Look East" is upbeat and joyful, and "Prepare the Way O Zion" is good too. I also love the Sussex Carol and "In the Deep Midwinter" (Holst version.)

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Susan A-R
Date: 11 Dec 00 - 11:06 PM

Lo How a Rose, Cherry Tree (the one with the verse about the stars and elm trees trembling with fear) Green Grows the Holly, Wexford Carol, Good King Wenceslos (my spelling is falling apart folks)

I'm headed for a caroling party on Saturday evening. Keep 'em coming.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: kimmers
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 12:42 AM

Anything by John Rutter, esp. "What Sweeter Music".

"Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day"

Two years ago, we sang something that I believe was just called "Shepherd's Song", originally a French carol. Loved it.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: roopoo
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 01:59 AM

I love "It came upon the midnight clear". Just read the words. Especially: "And man, at war with man, hears not the lovesong which they bring. Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing". I believe it was originally an American Unitarian Carol.

Andrea

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: mkebenn
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 08:06 AM

What Child Is This? And my voice always cracks when singing The Cherry Tree Carol. Mike Bennett

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 09:31 AM

I love every single one mentioned. And over-worked as it is I still love Silent Night.
Also......
Children Go Where I Send Thee
Mary Had a Baby
The Holly and the Ivy (any version at all!)
D'ou Viens-tu, Bergere?
The Holly Tree Carol (by Jean Ritchie)

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 09:36 AM

Is A Soalin' religious enough for this thread, or should I post it on the other?

Jehovah Halleluliah
I wonder as I wander (anyone else hear the lyric as "For poor ornery people like you and like I?)
Down in Yon Forest
Little Drummer Boy
We Three Kigs

Ok, ok, I like most of the "traditional" ones!

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: alison
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 09:41 AM

"The angel Gabriel" (most highly flavoured gravy *grin*), and "In the bleak Mid-Winter".....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: GUEST,rabbitrunning
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 10:36 AM

Yes, Matt, those are the words I know to "Rocking" I've got a tape some where of the Trapp Family Singers singing it, and a CD where Julie Andrews sings it. **grin**

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Kim C
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 10:58 AM

O Come O Come Emmanuel. Oh Holy Night - LOVE Joan Baez's version in French. Jesus Jesus Rest Your Head. Hark the Herald Angels Sing. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Cherry Tree Carol. Someone else mentioned the Holly Tree Carol, which Mister and I have just added to our list this year. The Bellman's Carol.

Thanks - that has lifted my spirits!

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Robby
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 01:35 PM

Adestes Fidelis Silent Night
Gesu Bambino
Bring Your Torch Jeannette Isabella
The Cherry Tree Carol
The Christ Child's Lullaby (Kathy Mattea's??[spelling]
version)
O Little Town Of Bethlehem

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: mousethief
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 03:07 PM

All of the above (except Holly and the Ivy, the lyrics to which I just don't get -- although the George Winston (instrumental) version is wonderful), as well as:

I saw 3 ships
O Bambino (One Cold and Blessed Winter)
Mary's Boy Chile

But my absolute favorite (I know, I'm weird) is:

The Snow Lay On the Ground.

I just love this one. don't ask me why.

Silent Night is chilling. Especially in German. Interestingly, the German text is mostly about the humanness of the Infant, whereas the usual English translation is more about His divinity.

Great thread!

Alex

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Snuffy
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 07:07 PM

Rocking is brilliant. My Hymnal (Songs of Praise) says "Melody 'Hajej Nynjej' as sung in Czechoslovakia (origin unknown)

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Matt_R
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 07:18 PM

Former Queen guitar player Brian May used "Rocking" at the beginning and the end of his album Back To The Light.

Subject: Lyr Add: OXFORD
From: Burke
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 07:31 PM

Angels we have Heard on High
Oh Come all ye Faithful
The Snow Lay on the Ground
Est ist ein Rose
While Shepherds watched their flocks by Night (Sherburne)

Oxford from the Sacred Harp Lyrics by Isaac Watts:
Shepherds, rejoice! lift up your eyes,
And send your fears away:
News from the regions of the skies --
A Savior's born today!
Jesus, the God whom angels fear,
Comes down to dwell with you...
Today He makes His entrance here,
But not as monarchs do.

No gold nor purple swaddling bands,
Nor royal shining things,
A manger for His cradle stands,
And holds the King of kings.
Go, shepherds, where the infant lies,
And see His humble throne,
With tears of joy in all your eyes,
Go shepherds, kiss the Son.

Subject: Lyr Add: MARY, DID YOU KNOW? (M Lowry, B Greene)
From: Nathan in Texas
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 09:28 PM

A new favorite, "Mary, Did You Know?" I learned from the CD "Frost and Fire," by Barry McGuire and Terry Talbot. You can hear an audio clip at their website:
http://www.talbotmcguire.com/
MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Lyrics by Mark Lowry, Music by Buddy Greene

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby you've kissed the face of God.

The blind will see.
The deaf will hear.
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap.
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the Great I Am.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: richlmo
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 10:35 PM

Silent Night is The Christmas song I remember singing as a child. It is still beautiful. I agree with "Mary, Did You Know? ". such a powerful song.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 11:46 PM

Whoops, it's "Jesus Jesus Rest Your Head" I have by both the Trapps and Julie Andrews. I've only got JA singing "Rocking" but it's in a medley with the other song, so I got mixed up. Love them both, though.

But at least I was inspired to find my tape of the Trapp Family. They're really quite wonderful.

Does anyone know the English (or original) words to "Pastores A Belen"? I can understand "Vamos la nino Manuel" I think, which sounds like "come baby Emmanuel".

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 02:38 AM

I love some of the standards. Oh, Come All Ye Faithful is my favorite Christmas song of all, perfectly suited for full chorus w/ orchestra renditions, with Joy To The World and Good King What's His Face a close second/third (Oh, yeah, Wenceslas). Apart from the standards, I find John Roberts and Tony Barrand's album Nowell Sing We Clear a real gem of a recording.

-chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 04:37 AM

good king wenclessessessessessslassessss (never did know when to stop)

E

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Matt_R
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 09:12 AM

George Winston does a superb job on "Jesus Jesus Rest Your Head". I love "I Wonder As I Wonder" as well. Come to think of it, I love everything JJ Niles found!

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 11:11 AM

Good King Wenceslas looked out ON THE FEAST OF STEPHEN - which is Dec 26th! (Boxing day too.) But it's still Christmassy...

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 12:13 PM

hey... I'm from the UK I'm allowed to be eccentric

and we sing it round here for caroling... well not me... because it's too bloomin cold.

and don't you just hate know it alls

Oh be quiet

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....

So... shove it - bah bloomin humbug and all their scroogy friends...

(JOKING.... before anyone attacks me)

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Les from Hull
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 04:16 PM

My favourites? Jacob's Well, Diadem, Pentonville, Awake Arise, Oughtibridge, There's a very strong carolling tradition in South Yorkshire. I was in the Royal at Dungworth last Sunday, singing along (with about 200 others) to a whole range of carols that you don't hear in many other places. If you want to know a bit more about South Yorkshire carols have a look at:- http://web2.si.edu/folkways/40476.htm (gives details of a Smithsonian Folkways CD) http://www.sgpublishing.co.uk/gm/vc/vcfest.html (Ian Russell's site, giving details of everything else)

Cheers, Les

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Les from Hull
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 04:41 PM

Sorry about the lack of blue clicky in my last post. I'll get modern one of these days. But I should mention The Voice Squad's rendition of Coventry Carol - that's the absolute best there is.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 11:02 PM

I'll have to go looking. I've never heard of most of the songs you mentioned, Les, and am now fascinated.

My favorite version of Coventry Carol is the one the King's Singers did on "A Little Christmas Music." The arrangement jars me almost as much as the song does. Don't know why it's a favorite, when it gives me the creeps every year, but there it is.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Jimmy C
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 12:57 AM

I like many religious christmas carols but my favourite has to be the "Huron Carol"
Others are
Angels we have Heard on High Adeste Fideles ( Oh come all you faithful)
and of course " Silent Night"

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Trevor
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 01:47 PM

I like 'Gabriel's Message' and 'Il est ne'. Last year we sang a mediaeval carol called 'As I Outrode This Enders Night' - anybody know it?

'Rocking' always reminds me of the kid's carol service where the little ones always sing 'We will ro kyew, ro kyew, ro kyew'. Our choirmaster is always on about getting more enunciation of the 'K' sound - we must have forgotten it somewhere along the line!

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: GUEST,Guest- Jean Ritchie
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 08:00 PM

Thanks, someone, way back up the thread,who liked my song, "The Holly Carol." I love ALL carols, but my very favorite of all time is my Granny Catty's Old Christmas hymn, "Brightest and Best of the Suns of the Morning."

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Snuffy
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 08:38 PM

Guest Jean Ritchie

I've always loved "Brightest and Best of the Suns of the Morning."

My hymnal (Songs of Praise) gives two tunes, but neither are the one I know her in the UK. The ones it gives are:

• LIEBSTER IMMANUEL Late form of melody from Himmels-Lust 1679) - 3 1/2-notes to a bar
• LIME STREET Geoffrey Shaw - 1 1/2-note and 2 1/4-notes to a bar

The hymn is in 11.10.11.10 verse meter, but none of the other tunes in that meter are the one I know. Which tune do you use?

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Snuffy
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 08:42 PM

Sorry about the attack of italics. My excuse is I was distracted by having to switch to the Ragtime server when the other one died as I pressed Submit.

The original posting had no mistakes whatsoever. Honest!! **BG**

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Matt_R
Date: 14 Dec 00 - 09:35 PM

I like "Salva Nos" by the Medieval Baebes

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 15 Dec 00 - 04:27 AM

lol Matt... are you sure it's just the song you like?

(giggle)

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: GUEST,Jean Ritchie
Date: 16 Dec 00 - 06:24 PM

Snuffy- It appears here in the shape-note hymnals as, "Star in the East." Granny, however, didn't carry a tune too well so it became "Ritchized" over the years. My older sisters, learning it from her shortly after the turn of the century, passed it on down in the family. I'm the youngest, born in '22, am now 78.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Jeri
Date: 16 Dec 00 - 06:55 PM

Click for Star in the East. The music starts playing automatically when you go to the page.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Matt_R
Date: 16 Dec 00 - 07:11 PM

Well Ella, I heard the song before I even knew who they were, much less knew what they look like.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Caitrin
Date: 16 Dec 00 - 07:23 PM

*grins* Matt, don't take yourself so bloody seriously! She was just joking! "I Wonder As I Wander" has always been one of my favorites. Lovely alto or tenor solo. "Riu Riu Chiu" is great, too...I especially like it as done by a men's choir. I'm quite fond of madrigals, so "Nowell Sing We Clear" is one of my favorites to sing. When I'm in a show-off mood, though, "Angels We Have Heard On High" and "Stille Nacht" are my choices.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 09:23 AM

I picked up an Andy Williams CD and it has "Some Children See Him" which is more religious than not. I'd almost forgotten it, and it was nice to hear it again.

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Snuffy
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 06:30 PM

Jean,

Mudcatter Liland has seven tunes for Brightest and Best on this page of his Esperanto site. The very first one EPIPHANY HYMN by JF Thrupp is the one that I know, and there are two versions of Star in the East from the Sacred Harp, but I don't know if they've been "Ritchized" or not.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Haruo
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 06:59 PM

The Cyber Hymnal's Star in the East is not the same as the shapenote tunes by that name used for Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning. Not at all. There are two different tunes "Star in the East" in the US shapenote tunebooks, for that matter, and they are as far as I can tell unrelated (though both are used for Brightest and Best). The one from the Southern Harmony is twice as long as the one from the Sacred Harp; the Southern Harmony tune is usually set either so you sing the "Brightest and Best" stanza as a refrain (as in An Online Christmas Songbook's rendition, or else two stanzas of the text are sung to one stanza of the tune, often with the anonymous first (half-)stanza "Hail the blest morn" (also found in Sacred Harp) or with "Brightest and Best" repeated as a final half-stanza. MIDIs of both (as well as six other tunes, one of them the shapenote tune "Walker") are available in my Esperanto hymnal (go to the Esperanto version of Brightest and Best, Filo plej hela, and scroll down below the text to get to the MIDI links. The background music is Thrupp's Epiphany Hymn. The most common "mainstream [i.e. Northern, roundnote] Protestant" US setting is Harding's Morning Star, though in the last 20 years or so one often sees shapenote tunes (albeit not actually in shape notes!) in Yankee hymnals. I'd never heard of setting it to Lime Street before; the tune I am missing (if anybody has it, by all means send it or post it) is Epiphany (Hopkins). The Cyber Hymnal (which, linkers be warned, changed its URL last week; it was at tch.simplenet.com, now it's at www.wordnic.com/~tch) has another tune named "Epiphany (Filby)" which with a bit of judicious editing can also be made to fit this text quite well.

Liland

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Haruo
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 07:33 PM

Somebody mentioned "Shepherds Rejoice" to Oxford, as in The Sacred Harp; I also like it to Billings' tune Boston, as in my hymnal. And while I'm plugging my own stuff, I should mention my Christmas/Innocents carol, In Bethlem Town, to the "Pesky Sarpent/Springfield Mountain" tune. The tune may seem a bit jaunty for the slaughter of the innocent children, but surely the same cavil applies in case of snakebite, non? And I do now have the correct tune (though not a very well sequenced MIDI of it) at Who'd Have Thought the Lord Almighty, my "sacred ballad" in memory and honour of the women of Matthew 1 (i.e. Jesus' ancestrices).

My Online Christmas Carols in Esperanto page is a useful list of much of my Christmas stuff. My general Songlist (including secular material) is in the Mudcat Links list.

There's a Chinese carol (it's in the 1990 (PCUSA) Presbyterian Hymnal (aka Hymns, Psalms and Spiritual Songs); I think also in the 1995 Episcopal Wonder Love and Praise) called something like "Sheng Yi Chen, Shen Qi Chen" (Chinese is not one of my many languages!), that is beautiful.

Liland

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Haruo
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 07:51 PM

For anyone planning on actually singing "Hail the blest morn (Brightest and Best)" from An Online Christmas Songbook, be aware that there are two typos in the text there presented: it should read "Shepherds, go worship the babe in the manger" (v.1, l.3)
(not "the base in the manger")
and
"Richer by far is the heart's adoration" (v.4, l.3)
(not "richer be far").
Liland

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 07:54 PM

What about the masses/oratorios?

Messiah

Praetorius Christmas Mass (already mentioned this on another thread)

Bach "Christmas Oratorio"

Czech "Christmas Mass"

Favourite carols - "Three Kings from Persian Lands afar" especially the final "offer my heart" - O Holy Night

- The Boar's Head and anything in Latin!

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: GUEST,Jean
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 08:03 PM

Snuffy and Liland- Thanks for the variations and the information. Interesting, even to a non-scholar like myself. The nearest tune to ours is one of the MIDI versions: Southern Harmony 1835 (arr. Wm. Walker). But we never had songbooks; I think Granny Katty had heard it sung in the Old Regular Baptist Church she went to, and just disremembered the tune. She love to sing but was not very good with getting tunes right, so over the years "our" tune evolved. If you care to you can hear my family singing it (it's the song sample from my Christmas record, "Kentucky Christmas- Old & New"). Don't know how to put it online here, but you can go to my site, www.jeanritchie.com click on Recordings, find the Christmas record then click on the song sample.

Anyway, this is the "folk" way the song is sung in the Kentucky Mountains! Jean

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: GUEST,Jean
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 08:07 PM

Liland- Forgot to say that we sang, "suns" instead of "sons" of the morning, as the song is addressed to the Christmas star, the "Star in the East." Jean

Subject: RE: Favorite religious Christmas music
From: Haruo
Date: 17 Dec 00 - 08:18 PM

Incidentally, since I mentioned An Online Christmas Songbook above, I should add that I really like their early-American fuging tune setting of Joy to the World, to SHOUTING JOY.

By the way, Jean, in your local dialect is there a difference between "suns" and "sons" (a difference in pronunciation, I mean - would a listener know which you were singing? "Sons" is the way Heber wrote it back in 1811, but some later Protestant hymnals changed it to "Stars" (probably for fear the Brightest and Best Son might be confused with the Infant Himself); "Suns" is an interesting and useful compromise.

Liland