Favorite Christmas Songs.

A tie between "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by Bob & Doug Mackenzie, and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

Just kidding.

My very favorite: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

Other favorites:
"Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus"
"Go, Tell It on the Mountain"
"Angels We Have Heard on High"

Know what? I can hardly wait until the Christmas music starts playing on the radio! I'm ready!

 

Well, I didn't want to be the first to say the Grandma song.

 

"Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" I'll give some bonus points if you use Hyfrydol for that one It never takes long for one of Charles Wesley's to come up in conversation He was also responsible for Hark the Herald Angels Sing...and just a couple of other good ones here & there

Isaac Watts gets a couple of bonus points too for Joy To The World, a possible second coming hymn.

However I think the best of the best is a tie between Benjamin R. Hanby's "Who is He":

Who is He in yonder stall
At Whose feet the shepherds fall?
Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?

’Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!
’Tis the Lord! the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!

Who is He the people bless
For His words of gentleness?
Who is He to Whom they bring
All the sick and sorrowing?

Who is He that stands and weeps
At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?
Who is He the gathering throng
Greet with loud triumphant song?

Lo! at midnight, who is He
Prays in dark Gethsemane?
Who is He on yonder tree
Dies in grief and agony?

Who is He that from the grave
Comes to heal and help and save?
Who is He that from His throne
Rules through all the world alone?

...and J. Wilbur Chapman's "One Day":

One day when heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my Example is He!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected:
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He!

One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o’er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He!

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my belovèd ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!

The Gospel summarized in a 5 verse song. Sing them any time of year I dare any new writers to match them...(My mate and self included in dare)

I better stop thinking about it or I'll have a list of 500 songs here

Pete

 

"Joy to the World" is actually a hymn that was written about the return of our Lord Jesus (that's why I didn't list it above).

Rev. G

 

In the Bleak Midwinter

 

It just isn't Christmas until I hear two things. One is not a song, but a group of songs: The Messiah! And the other is my hands down choice for a single favorite Christmas song: O Holy Night. My life would be complete if I could find a tenor locally here to sing it for me - but most are afraid of it, and I wind up singing it myself every year. Sure would like to just sit back and enjoy someone else performing this wonderful song of praise.

Ruth

 

Breaking from the traditional Christmas songs, I have a tape by Alabama, and I play two songs over and over again:

There's a Candle in Your Window and Christmas in Dixie. I get a special feeling when I listen to these songs. The first sort of reminds me of England,,,,,a candle in your window and Christmas in your heart.......

On the latter song, I have a special place in my heart for the South, and don't mind admitting it. The song seems to exude with the feelings I get when I meet with Southerners; warmth and welcome and ever giving of themselves. Isn't this what Christmas is all about? Yes, the birth of the Lord Jesus is celebrated, but didn't He give?
He brought the greatest gift one could ever expect; the gift of life itself. Blessed be the Lord.

Cheers,

Jim

 

*Pete picks up hymnal, re-reads Joy To The World to refresh his memory....And slaps his forehead. Got it wrong way around Thanks Rev. G

Pete

 

Now how did I do that?

I mentioned two hymns that summarize the Gospel and forget Messiah, just a slightly longer work...

And I forget O Holy Night too...

Thank God Ruth's memory is ok

Pete

 

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel( I sing this all year not just christmas I really ,love it)
Go Tell It On the Mountain
We Three Kings

 

O' Holy Night is my favorite hands down.

Although Elvis's Blue Christmas is always a good one.

 

Does Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song count??

 

"Joy to the World" is actually a hymn that was written about the return of our Lord Jesus (that's why I didn't list it above).</font>[/QUOTE]Can you give me a reference that explains the intent of Isaac Watts when writing "Joy to the World"? Otherwise I'm going to have to disagree with you if you say it is *only* about the return of Christ. He writes, "let every heart prepare Him room" -- if that is the second coming, what is Isaac Watts teaching about the nature of people being saved or lost?

Instead, I've always understood the hymn as a song of joy about the first coming of the Lord, the present reality of the Lord redeeming the world through us, and the future return of the Lord. Let heaven and nature sing indeed!

 

Oh my....my favorites are too many to count...but I'll list the top few.
1. Oh Holy Night
2. O Come O Come Emmanuel
3. The Coventry Carol (I like the melody...it's pretty, but the minor key makes it sound almost, well, for lack of a better word, "haunting")
4. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
5. One Small Child
6. Jingle Bell Rock

 

Wow! I can't believe someone else has "In the Bleak Midwinter" on their list! It's such a beautiful song, and it has special meaning for me. My college choir director passed away about a week before our annual concert (he had been in Germany, leading a study abroad group and fell ill two months in). We had his memorial service that morning (at which we sang . . oh, I can't remember the name of the song right now (grr!) - he told us the year before that when he died, he wanted us to come back together and sing it for him. Sadly, it was too soon for our taste), and our concert that night, in his memory. I could barely get the words out to "In the Bleak Midwinter." It was his favorite of all our songs that season. I still tear up when I sing or hear it.

There are so many others I love . . . "O Nata Lux," "Fum, Fum, Fum," "This Little Babe," "Carol of the Bells," "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming," "Lullay, My Liking" . . .

And on the lighter side: "Good King Kong Looked Out" is a lot of fun.

I've sung so many Christmas concerts, I feel like Christmas music is my specialty.

 

I love all Christmas music Sacred and secular.
This year my fav. new song is " Your Presence for Christmas"

A few lines:

In the busy christmas noise,
All the lights, the bells, the toys,
I have found
You are the only source of comfort and joy

Lord I want your presence for Christmas
I want your presence for Christmas
I long to feel
Your Spirit speaking peace to my heart.
Of all the gifts I may receive,
theres only one I really need
and tis your presence
Your presence for Christmas

 

Here is one:

http://www.learnthebible.org/Joy%20to%20the%20World.htm

Of course, you can find many, many others on the internet. If you want to read about it in a book, you might look at McIver's book 'The End of the World'.

Rev. G

 

Two of my favorites are because of memories they hold.

Silent Night -- I taught it to my deaf friends in sign and it was so beautiful watching them!

Hark the Herald Angels Sing -- the first time I realized my retarded son (who cannot speak but loves music) could make an octave jump accurately; it's when I realized how musical he was.

And my other favorites:

O Little Town of Bethlehem
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
O Holy Night
O Come All Ye Faithful
Carol of the Bells (in a group, of course!)

...there are so many...

 

Helen, I kinda sorta wish I didn't have to post my favorite Christmas songs just below yours but here goes--

Frosty the Snowman and Here comes Santa Clause--both sung by Willie Nelson

I know how some folks just as soon not hear or see willie--but I kinda like the way he does these two Christmas songs.

Youir friend,
Blackbird