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What is Your Favorite Traditional/Common Christian Christmas Carol? Consider sharing what you like about your choice.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing Votes: 3
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Votes: 1
Angels We Have Heard On High Votes: 0
O Holy Night Votes: 1
We Three Kings Votes: 0
O Come, O Come Emmanuel Votes: 1
How Great Our Joy Votes: 0
Other Votes: 2
Joy to the World Votes: 1
What Child Is This? Votes: 1
Silent Night Votes: 0
The First Noel Votes: 1
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear Votes: 1
O Come All Ye Faithful Votes: 1
Away in a Manger Votes: 0
O Little Town of Bethlehem Votes: 0

(Migrated poll)

N/A
0% (0 votes)
Total votes: 0

Discussion

Wed, 11/21/12

We sometimes begin singing Christmas carols right after Thanksgiving. My favorite is always, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” I marvel at how Wesley packed SO MUCH doctrine into these verses, with imagery from all over Scripture.

I especially like, “Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.” After coming to the Lord, I finally understood what “second birth” meant.

I once preached two sermons on this carol, two verses a week. Meaningful.

"The Midrash Detective"

Wed, 11/21/12

one before the 25th, O, Come All Ye Faithful.

and one for the period 26 December (Boxing Day) until 6 January (Twelfth Night\Night of the Three Kings)

We Three Kings of Orient Are

Hoping to shed more light than heat..

Wed, 11/21/12

There are 2 songs that I have grown to love. The first is actually an ancient Greek hymn - Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence. I enjoy its mystical, reverential tone and its eucharistic allusions.

The second is an old English Christmas carol standardized in the 20th century by Ralph Vaughn Williams - This is the Truth Sent from Above. I appreciate how it narrates the whole story of redemption, beginning with the creation of man and ending with a plea for the hearers to have faith.

My Blog: http://dearreaderblog.com

Cor meum tibi offero Domine prompte et sincere. ~ John Calvin

Sat, 11/24/12

[Charlie]

The first is actually an ancient Greek hymn - Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.

I have grown to love this one too. Interestingly, the first time I *recall* hearing it was as part of a Ron Hamilton Christmas cantata, but I now have several versions of it in my library.

Dave Barnhart

Sun, 11/25/12

Of the ones listed I really like O Holy Night, but my absolute favorite is I wonder as I wander.

Lot of good doctrine put in a homespun, almost haunting way in that white spiritual.

Shawn Haynie

Sun, 11/25/12

For my third: Angels We Have Heard On High. When it’s sung, it’s about the only time you hear Latin as a part of a Baptist church service.

Hoping to shed more light than heat..

Mon, 11/26/12

[SDHaynie]

Of the ones listed I really like O Holy Night, but my absolute favorite is I wonder as I wander.

Lot of good doctrine put in a homespun, almost haunting way in that white spiritual.

Real nice a capella. One of our gals is going to sing a spiritual medley, I Wonder As I Wander, Sweet Little Jesus Boy, and then Go Tell It on the Mountain (we’ll join in on that one).

Thanks for some good sharing, everyone.

"The Midrash Detective"

Mon, 11/26/12

Love Hark. … great theology in it, a pile of verses nobody sings anymore + the quirky title change.

Original: Hark How All the Welkin Rings

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Tue, 12/04/12

I found a very nice video recording of the King’s Singers performing selections from This is the Truth Sent From Above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esetcEymOL4

I first heard some of my favorite Advent/Christmas music through a Lessons and Carols service at my church. I have found it to be a very uplifting service that I look forward to year after year.

My Blog: http://dearreaderblog.com

Cor meum tibi offero Domine prompte et sincere. ~ John Calvin

Tue, 12/04/12
[Charlie]

I found a very nice video recording of the King’s Singers performing selections from This is the Truth Sent From Above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esetcEymOL4

That was really good, except it cuts off at the end. I think I will need to get a copy of this. Looks like I can get it on iTunes. Thanks for the pointer.

Dave Barnhart

Mon, 12/10/12

We did a Lessons and Carols two years ago at our church. I think it was the best “Christmas cantata” thingy I’ve ever been to.

Along with “Hark the Herald …” and “Let All Mortal Flesh …”, I really like “See Amid the Winter’s Snow”. I can’t seem to make my links work right lately, but you can read and hear it here. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/e/seeamid.htm