Favorite Christmas carol
  • mmeladirectress
    Posts: 1,100
    no, not written by a Catholic, and yes, I know the angels did not sing good will to men
    but after Niels La Cour's Hodie Christus Natus Est, it's my favorite anyway.
    Merry Christmas to all of you, you have given me (and continue to give) more than you know.


    It came upon the midnight clear,
    That glorious song of old,
    From angels bending near the earth
    To touch their harps of gold.
    Peace on the earth, good will to men,
    From heaven's all gracious King!
    The world in solemn stillness lay
    To hear the angels sing.

    Still through the cloven skies they come
    With peaceful wings unfurled
    And still their heavenly music floats
    O'er all the weary world;
    Above its sad and lowly plains
    They bend on hovering wing.
    And ever o'er its Babel sounds
    The blessed angels sing.

    Yet with the woes of sin and strife
    The world hath suffered long;
    Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
    Two thousand years of wrong.
    And man, at war with man, hears not
    The love song which they bring:
    O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
    And hear the angels sing.

    And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
    Whose forms are bending low,
    Who toil along the climbing way
    With painful steps and slow,
    Look now! for glad and golden hours
    Come swiftly on the wing.
    Oh, rest beside the weary road,
    And hear the angels sing!

    For lo! the days are hastening on,
    By prophet bards foretold,
    When, with the ever-circling years,
    Shall come the Age of Gold;
    When peace shall over all the earth
    Its ancient splendors fling,
    And all the world give back the song
    Which now the angels sing.
    Thanked by 4Incardination Paul F. Ford Carol CharlesW
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    One of my favorite carols as well - always liked Mendelssohn. His violin concerto is one of my top 3.

    I'll have to look into La Cour... :)

    May all the blessings of the season be with you and yours as well!
    Thanked by 2StimsonInRehab mmeladirectress
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Now shall we wrangle over which tune to sing it with?
    Merry Christmastide!
    Thanked by 1mmeladirectress
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,415
    ...wrangle over which tune...

    I absolutely loathe St Louis.
    Wrangling is optional - but the loathing remains.

    Actually, I couldn't name a favourite.
    There are just too many of literary and musical worth and charm.
    One seldom heard (captivating it is!) this side of our Pond is 'Behold, the Great Creator Makes Himself a House of Clay', as sung to This Endris Nyght.
    (See no. 20 in The English Hymnal.)
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen mmeladirectress
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,510
    In dulci iubilo.
    Thanked by 2mmeladirectress bonniebede
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    As with MJO, there are too many fine carols to choose from. Here is one that is often overlooked.

    1) All my heart this night rejoices
    as I hear
    far and near
    sweetest angel voices.
    "Christ is born," their choirs are singing
    till the air
    ev'rywhere
    now with joy is ringing.

    2) Forth today the Conqu'ror goeth,
    who the foe,
    sin and woe,
    death and hell, o'erthroweth.
    God is man, man to deliver;
    His dear Son
    now is one
    with our blood forever.

    3) Shall we still dread God's displeasure,
    who, to save,
    freely gave
    His most cherished Treasure?
    To redeem us, He hath given
    His own Son
    from the throne
    of His might in heaven.

    4) He becomes the Lamb that taketh
    sin away
    and for aye
    full atonement maketh.
    For our life His own He tenders;
    and our race,
    by His grace,
    fit for glory renders.

    5) Hark! a voice from yonder manger,
    soft and sweet,
    doth entreat,
    "Flee from woe and danger;
    brethren, from all ills that grieve you
    you are freed;
    all you need
    I will surely give you."

    6) Come, then, banish all your sadness,
    one and all,
    great and small;
    come with songs of gladness.
    Love Him who with love is glowing;
    hail the star,
    near and far
    light and joy bestowing.

    7) Dearest Lord, Thee will I cherish.
    Though my breath
    fail in death,
    yet I shall not perish,
    but with Thee abide forever
    there on high,
    in that joy
    which can vanish never.

    - " Warum sollt' ich mich denn grämen?" - Paul Gebhardt,1656; Tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1858.
    St. 1,5,6,7 in The Hymnal 1940, No. 32.
    Thanked by 6Richard Mix M. Jackson Osborn StimsonInRehab mmeladirectress Carol CharlesW
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    I prefer carols such as this...
    image
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    Thanked by 4mmeladirectress CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn fcb
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Depending on what one means by the term 'carol', these are what come to mind:

    Mediæval: "Alma redemptoris mater, As I lay upon a night", from the Trinity Carol Roll and Sloane MS.

    Hymn: "While Shepherds Watched their Flocks", when sung to the fuguing tune LYNGHAM (aka NATIVITY), and preferably with a gallery band accompanying.

    Contemporary choral anthem/motet/carol: It's a tie between Peter Wishart's "Alleluya: A New Work is Come on Hand" and Thomas Adès's "Fayrfax Carol". (And Jonathan Dove's "The Three Kings" is a close second.)

    But, this list could change if I answered tomorrow.
    Thanked by 3StimsonInRehab mmeladirectress CHGiffen
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,933
    -Anything Alfred Burt.

    Distinguishing between contemplative and majestic carols, I'd say:

    -For contemplative, the Czech "Rocking Carol". It's just so beautiful and simple. It captures the spirit of a Marian lullaby.
    -For majestic, "The Great God of Heaven", set to the Gloucestershire tune. I love the lyrics in this one, they juxtapose the relation of the Incarnation to the Eternal so well. (Especially, for some reason, the beginning of the fifth verse, "O Wonder of Wonders, which none can unfold/The Ancient of Days is an hour or two old.")

    -Although Mendelssohn's Hark the Herald Angels Sing is damn near irresistible. Even if it was about Gutenberg in the first place.
    Thanked by 6Incardination WGS mmeladirectress Paul F. Ford CHGiffen Carol
  • WGS
    Posts: 300
    Tomjaw's favorite "Christmas Carol" from the late 15th ct. put me in mind of my favorite of the same vintage. It's a "monodic carol of the Annunciation" with some six verses and a simple one line burden. - "Nova, nova. Ave fit ex Eva."

    Good news! Hail to Mary by whom we received a savior after sin had come into the world through Eve.

    It's rollicking fun for group caroling with soloists singing the verses and all on the burden.
    Thanked by 2mmeladirectress CHGiffen
  • KyleM18
    Posts: 150
    "Christmas" Carol, as in specifically for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Christ? I'd probably go with Will Todd's "My Lord has come"; although Harold Darke's "In the bleak midwinter" comes in as a close second.

    If we were to the more broad Christmas season, I'd go with Peter Warlock's "Bethlehem Down" for sure.
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 297
    There is no carol but Adeste Fideles, and Willcocks is its prophet
    Thanked by 3Carol CharlesW ClemensRomanus
  • liampmcdonough
    Posts: 297
    I submit:
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    Thanked by 1MarkS
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 805
    Goss: See amid the winter's snow
    Thanked by 1M. Jackson Osborn
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    At our church, no names, no pack drill, we use 'O come let us adore him, ... ' as the Eucharistic Acclamation during Christmastide. Not my decision, but I like it.
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