Best Christmas Songs

[everso]

Which is your favourite/are your favourites (if you can't decide). I like the old Christmas Carols: While Shepherds Washed their Socks, etc., but, for me, the one that sends a shiver through me is "All I want for Christmas is you" by Mariah Carey. This is because although it was recorded (apparently) back in 1994 it's played every year and has become a fairly traditional Christmas song. It was being played quite a bit four years ago when my twin grandchildren were born and every time I hear it I associate it with my feelings at that time.

[Weyland]

Dec 13, 2010 14:37:35 GMT everso said:

Which is your favourite/are your favourites (if you can't decide).

I like Adeste Fidelis (Ecclesiastical pronunciation). Reminds me of some great Midnight Masses of yore. For some of them I was one of the altar boys, dealing altar wine to the priest, but for most I was happy drunk, standing at the back with my mates and/or girlfriend, enjoying the sweet smell of incense. It was a lovely, warm, fuzzy feeling, the very essence of Christmas. I was, of course, following the family tradition founded by my sister, Margie, who never set foot in a church except for Midnight Mass. Devout, she was, RIP.

Venite, venite, in Bethlehem!

I like the old Christmas Carols: While Shepherds Washed their Socks, etc.

And the Angel came down from on high to the shepherds tending their flock on the hilltop: "Get outta here! This is cattle country!"

[trubble]

All I want is fabulous, Ev. One of the best.

But I love them all, from Wham to Handel.

I would have loved to have been in this food court for this flashmob:

[aubrey]

[jean]

Dec 13, 2010 15:01:54 GMT Weyland said:

I like Adeste Fidelis (Ecclesiastical pronunciation).

I'd hope it was Classical number, though - surely only one 'Fidelis' is a little, shall we say, Calvinist?

Reminds me - if you tune into Midnight Mass televised from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (details later) you might just catch a glimpse of ME.

Obviously the proper choir will be doing the best stuff, but when the congregation is supposed to be singing the hymns, being Catholics they don't sing much so the BBC likes to group some of us that do sing together, and mike us so it sounds better.

[jean]

Here is the Introit for Christmas Day - very austere, very beautiful:




And here are some snippets of Tudor polyphony from Stile Antico, the latest early music singing sensation:



Special note to Aubrey: there's some TALLIS in there.

(Please tell me if these work for you. The embedded ones never do for me, but you seem to like them, so I've done it.)

[Weyland]

Dec 13, 2010 21:51:00 GMT jean said:

Dec 13, 2010 15:01:54 GMT Weyland said:

I like Adeste Fidelis (Ecclesiastical pronunciation).

I'd hope it was Classical number, though - surely only one 'Fidelis' (*) is a little, shall we say, Calvinist?

Reminds me - if you tune into Midnight Mass televised from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (details later) you might just catch a glimpse of ME.

So it's come to this -- a fellow Crouchy calling me a <gulp> Calvinist. I'm shocked . . . SHOCKED!

I'll watch the Mass. I might even listen if I'm in a good mood. (Me mam was there for the official opening, or whatever it was, with the Catholic Women's League.)
_________
* It's the little-known irregular Zeroth Declension vocative plural form of fidgeter, meaning "you lot at the back with the bottles".

[everso]

Dec 13, 2010 16:15:07 GMT trubble said:

All I want is fabulous, Ev. One of the best.

But I love them all, from Wham to Handel.

I would have loved to have been in this food court for this flashmob:

Funny, but I was going to post that too! Only I never got round to it because I got mired down with looking at other Youtube clips - you know what it's like.

Ah, Wham. Last Christmas. So many memories of Mr. E. and I dancing the night away back in the 80s, the kids tucked up in bed and my parents babysitting. Me coming home half cut usually. Tsk! I was quite a bad mother at times.

I'm sure I've told you about the time we went to the Albert Hall for a wonderful Handel's Messiah. Our daughter worked at Rothschilds Bank at the time and got us freebie tickets. We sat in the Rothschilds box and felt very important, and Mr. E. fell asleep during the performance. The bit where they do the Hallelujah Chorus, everyone stands up, and it's one of those hairs on the back of the neck moments.

[trubble]

Sure is.

I went to a christmas concert last night. The tenor introduced a sing-along section by saying:

This is an old favourite, everyone knows the words, I know as soon as you hear the first bar you'll be humming along and please do, and I want to hear the chorus loud and clear. Maestro..

Now, if you heard that, what song might you guess was coming up? I know, it might be several...

Would it be this?

SPOILER: Click to show

A Winter's Tale - David Essex



Well, it was.

[everso]

I knoweth not the words to A Winter's Tale.

[Deleted]

Dec 14, 2010 11:31:00 GMT everso said:

I knoweth not the words to A Winter's Tale.

me neither, but i seem to recall some of the lyrics used to amuse me.. carnt think whay that was now..im gonna look ther lyrics up..

The nights are colder now.
maybe I should close the door,
And anyway the snow has
covered all your footsteps
And I can follow you no more.
The fire still burns at night,
my memories are warm and clear;
but everybody knows
it's hard to be alone at this time of year.
It was only a winter's tale,
Just another winter's tale,
And why should the world take notice
of one more love that's failed?
It's a love that can never be
though it meant a lot to you and me;
on a world~wide scale
we're just another winter's tale
While I stand alone
A bell is ringing far away
I wonder if you hear,
I wonder if you're listening
I wonder where you are today.
Good luck! I wish you well,
and for all that wishes may be worth;
I hope that love and strength
are with you for the length
of your time on earth.
It was only a winter's tale,
Just another winter's tale,
And why should the world take notice
of one more love that's failed?
It's a love that can never be
though it meant a lot to you and me;
on a world~wide scale
we're just another winter's tale.
It was only a winter's tale,
Just another winter's tale,
And why should the world take notice
of one more love that's failed?
It's a love that can never be
though it meant a lot to you and me;
on a world~wide scale
we're just another winter's tale.


erm.. still carnt see what i used to find funny abhaaat it, but the tune has returned to my memory banks.

[Deleted]

Ah.. i've remembered now! the lyrics.. don't you think it sounds a tad stalker-ish?
The nights are colder now.
maybe I should close the door,
And anyway the snow has
covered all your footsteps
And I can follow you no more.

bIt creepy that.. its not metaphorical, he has referred to the fact that due to the heavy snowfall, he can no longer follow his subject in the snow.. he is literally stalking someone. ;D

[trubble]

Stalking is a valid expression of love, Costal. Just think of the video tapes of Everso that Alph has amassed over the years. It's terribly romantic. I like this one best:


More songs for the Best Christmas Song list:

Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt is some kind of wonderful)

Fairytale of New York (unbeatable).

[everso]

Dec 16, 2010 14:43:10 GMT trubble said:

Stalking is a valid expression of love, Costal. Just think of the video tapes of Everso that Alph has amassed over the years. It's terribly romantic. I like this one best:


More songs for the Best Christmas Song list:

Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt is some kind of wonderful)

Fairytale of New York (unbeatable).

I'm still not certain about that shade of pink, frankly. Do you think it really suited me?

Yes! Eartha Kitt - wonderful. Santa Baby is HER song. Forget that bloody Kylie.

Fairytale of New York - Great song - terrible teeth.

[swl]

I heard this for the first time today as I drove through a blizzard. The tune really stuck and I had the line "to keep their little heads from falling in the snow" going round and round for ages.

It has a real 60s feel, dontcha think?

[Alpha Hooligan]

I love Christmas, don't really like any of the songs though.

Songs by Madness and The Jam always remind of Christmas for some reason, probably because I always used to get their albums on said festive occasion.






AH

[Weyland]

Dec 16, 2010 21:56:58 GMT Alpha Hooligan said:

I love Christmas, don't really like any of the songs though.

Songs by Madness and The Jam always remind of Christmas for some reason, probably because I always used to get their albums on said festive occasion. ...

AH

On the morning of the glorious Three Stags Day, I bought a book at the Museum of London: Suggs and the City. Only Suggs or Ian Dury could've induced me to buy a book about The Great Wen.

I like raspberry jam. German raspberry jam. That's the only jam I like.

I thought you should be told.

[everso]

Dec 16, 2010 20:21:12 GMT swl said:

I heard this for the first time today as I drove through a blizzard. The tune really stuck and I had the line "to keep their little heads from falling in the snow" going round and round for ages.

It has a real 60s feel, dontcha think?

Oh, I like it! I know what you mean about a 60s feel to it. I wouldn't mind betting the Beach Boys would have made a good version of that.

[swl]

It's on the R2 Xmas playlist apparently so we'll be hearing it beside Slade for weeks.