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‘Tis the Season… for Music

2010 December 13
by Sarah

Many things come together to distinctly make Christmas feel like… well, like Christmas. One of those things for me (and so many others) is music. It just isn’t Christmas until I’ve listened to hours of my favorite Christmas songs.

I’m one of those staunch one-holiday-at-a-time-please people. No Christmas music until after Thanksgiving! I used to even wait until December 1st so as not to steal any of Thanksgiving’s thunder, but I’m over that now. We have a limited time to enjoy Christmas music each year, and there’s so much of it to enjoy!

I love the more generic Christmas favorites such as

  • “Linus and Lucy” by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (from A Charlie Brown Christmas)
  • “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  • “Deck the Halls” by Mannheim Steamroller
  • “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole
  • “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” by Frank Sinatra
  • “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” by Thurl Ravenscroft
  • “Carol of the Bells” by the American Boychoir

Then there are the more traditional Christmas carols that shout the true meaning of Christmas:

  • Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
  • Joy to the World
  • O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
  • Angels We Have Heard On High
  • O Holy Night
  • Silent Night
  • What Child Is This
  • O Come All Ye Faithful
  • O Little Town of Bethlehem
  • The First Noel

And I can’t forget The Nutcracker! And so many others…

My junior high and high school youth group used to go caroling every year to a couple local nursing homes and other older folks/shut-ins from our church. I can still see the joy on their faces as we would sing their favorite requests. (They must not have heard me in the back!)

What tops your list of favorite Christmas music?

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  • http://StampingwithEllen.blogspot.com Ellen

    I LOVE Christmas music!!! I am sad that there are only 12 days left to listen to it (well…). My favorite Christmas albums: Point of Grace A Christmas Story and Patty Loveless Bluegrass, White Snow. BUT I have many favorites for individual songs. A few years ago, Kevin and I compiled a 3 disc Christmas Mix with “the best” version of each Christmas song. :) Enjoy listening, friend!

    • http://smarkas.wordpress.com Sarah

      I actually thought of you and Kevin when I wrote this post! I think you two are the biggest Christmas music lovers I know. :)

  • http://jaimieteekell.com Jaimie

    I realized this year that I don’t give a crap about Christmas music. Haha! Doesn’t put me in the mood at all. (In fact, most of it is annoying?) I feel kind of guilty declaring this on your heartfelt music post.

    What does do it for me… movies. Love Actually. It’s a Wonderful Life. And up and coming… The Nightmare Before Christmas.

    • http://smarkas.wordpress.com Sarah

      Haha – no worries. :) This is a judgment-free zone.

      I’m not at all surprised about the movies thing. I love them too. In fact, my post about Christmas movies is already in the works. We were going to watch Love Actually this year (for the first time), but couldn’t find it streaming when we wanted it. We watched It’s A Wonderful Life this weekend. Doesn’t get much better than that!

      • http://jaimieteekell.com Jaimie

        I noticed this week that Love Actually is on Netflix.

        I really like that movie. It’s not flawless, but it doesn’t get extremely cheesy when it could. Although it gets SOMETIMES cheesy, since it is about love. But it’s fun cheesy.

        I <3 the Prime Minister character. Of course.

        • http://jaimieteekell.com Jaimie

          Curses, not Netflix! iTunes rentals.

  • http://deepeningroots.wordpress.com/ Lynnette

    I love several from Andrew Peterson’s CD. And, I’ve played my Amy Grant one so much, it’s starting to skip!

  • http://amanda-suzanne.blogspot.com amanda

    All time favorite Christmas song = O Holy Night. Probably because of the memory of singing it all four years in high school.

  • prairiecowboy

    O Come, O Come
    and
    what child is this?

    • http://smarkas.wordpress.com Sarah

      What Child Is This! I can’t believe I forgot that one. Great pick.

  • http://www.sarahreck.com/blog Sarah

    My favorite Christmas song is Mary, Did You Know? Have you heard it? It’s gorgeous.

    I also really like a song Linda Eder did called The Bells of St. Paul. It’s a great romantic Christmas song, ha :D

    • http://smarkas.wordpress.com Sarah

      Ooh, I love Mary, Did You Know? I knew when I made that list that I was forgetting some good ones. Mark Lowry has a nice version of it.

      I haven’t heard of The Bells of St. Paul before, but I just listened to the preview on iTunes. Since my trip this summer, I love anything that references London – ha!

  • http://www.333537skid.blogspot.com Mama Bear

    Loved this post! I agree with all of your music favs — mine too! I love Carol of the Bells. When I was in grade school I would sing that song to myself (out loud) but would never bring it to an end. I remember my daddy growing weary of the song going on and on and on … and then telling me to sing something else! ha-ha!