Dec. 3, 2007
Bring out the Christmas music!
Yes, I am posting about music again. ;-) My Christmas playlist would be A LOT longer if I could find all of the tracks that I wanted. One of my favorite things about this season is listening to Christmas music. One thing that I absolutely love to listen to are boys choirs. A lot of the Christmas music that I listen to has boys choirs. I have always gravitated toward that for some reason. They are so beautiful!! And for some reason, they seem very Christmasy to me. ;-) lol
I thought I would share with you some of my favorite Christmas music. :-)
Handel's Messiah (conducted by Christopher Hogwood) - that has to top everything. I love how it is all based on Scripture. The choral pieces blow me away!! Last year, I sat and listened to it for hours and hours while working on my new crosstitch. I memorized all of the parts, including the soprano (which I cannot sing...lol) sung by the boys choirs. ;-) Favorite songs: Sinfony, And the Glory of the Lord, And He Shall Purify, For Unto Us a Child is Born, Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion, Surely He Hath Born our Griefs, Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates, But Thanks Be to God, and Hallelujah
The Promise by Michael Card - he is a favorite at our house. I grew up with this Christmas album always playing while we decorated the tree or baked butter cookies. All of the tracks are peaceful and centered around the real meaning of Christmas. Favorite songs: The Promise, Vicit Agnus Noster, We Will Find Him, Thou the Promise, and Immanuel (I learned this piano arrangement to accompany my parents singing a duet last year)
A Christmas Celebration by Celtic Woman - it's Celtic Woman, of course it's amazing!! David Downes knows how to arrange a song in the *best* way possible. The harmonies are really lovely and I've never heard more angelic voices. Favorite songs: O Holy Night, Carol of the Bells, O Come, All Ye Faithful, The Wexford Carol, Christmas Pipes, Little Drummer Boy, and Don Oiche Ud I mBeithil.
The Birth of Jesus by John Michael Talbot - he's a lot like Michael Card, except a little more "monkish" I guess you could say. There are more boys choirs and chant in his album (yay!). This is another one that we play CONSTANTLY during December at our house. Favorite songs: The Birth of Jesus, Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, Of the Father's Love Begotten, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, and Glory to God
Christmastime by Michael W. Smith - [nearly] every track is awesome!! BOYS CHOIRS GALORE...yes, Michael W. Smith definitely knows the Christmasy element of boys choirs. rofl. The orchestral arrangements are very pretty. Some of the tracks are all instrumental and there are quite a few medleys. Favorite songs: Christmastime, Hope of Israel, Sing We Now of Christmas, Child in a Manger, Carols Sing, I Saw Three Ships (best arrangement of this song I've ever heard)
Noel by Josh Groban - umm, okay...I haven't bought this yet, but just from the clips I know that this is one of my favorite Christmas albums ever made. =D He sings Petit Papa Noel, which is a French song that my mom always sang to us. I was so excited to see that track on there.
I also love all of J.S. Bach's Christmas Cantatas.
Honorable mention goes to Believe (Natalie Grant), Christmas Wish (Stacie Orrico), All the Joy in the World (Jump5), Joy (Avalon), and of course...Let it Snow, Baby...Let it Reindeer!!! How much better can you get than Relient K's 12 Days of Christmas, In Like a Lion (Always Winter), and I Hate Christmas Parties? I even loved their rendition of Handel's Messiah, and their "Untitled Track" with Matt Thiessen singing Good King Wenceslas to a ukelele? I nearly died laughing when I heard that...
Now, I want to hear all of your favorite Christmas music!! What CDs do you love to pull out every December?
Comments
Dec. 3, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by krisjacob
I can't harbor the same feelings that you have for Relient K and/or their Christmas album. So sorry.
I don't really bother to dive into Christmas music and get new CDs and change playlists and etc. I just enjoy what plays on the radio and what's song at church.
• Permanent Link
Dec. 3, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Jocelyndixon
Hello! Thanks for commenting.. do you still have your lotion recipe? That would be fun to make. ; )
As for Christmas music.. we don't listen to music much. Just LOTR soundtracks. ; )
Love,
Jocelyn
• Permanent Link
Dec. 4, 2007 - fav xmas disc
Posted by Anonymous
Carpenters!
• Permanent Link
Dec. 4, 2007 - I Love Christmas Music!
Posted by Your SSA
I nearly like any Christmas music, I like piano solos, but my favorite singers for christmas music, would have to be Bing Crosby, and Julie Andrews. I don't know any of the ones that you mentioned, (except Handel's Messiah), I also like it when country singers sing Christmas songs.
One of my absolute most favorite songs though, would have to be The Holly and The Ivy. It is so pretty! I love the Carol of the Bells too!
I am praying for you!
Your SSA
• Permanent Link
Dec. 5, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Chris
I listen to alot of christian christmas radio, me luffeth the classic songs by Switchfoot, Anberlin, Jump 5, and TobyMac (!!!!) as far as Cds, I just have the wows and RK's
• Permanent Link
Dec. 6, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by DarthYxpu
Sorry it took me forever to reply to your comment.
I've been busy.
Little Susanna is so cute. If you rub her cheek with your finger, she'll just grin at you. Haha, she's a fun little baby.
My favorite Christmas music? Hmm, I like a lot of what Trans-Siberian Orchestra does.
• Permanent Link
Dec. 6, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Jocelyndixon
You changed your blog title... I like it.
And, thank you for leaving a comment. I am glad you liked the poem. ; )
I got your email, btw. I just haven't had time to reply!
Love
Jocelyn
• Permanent Link
Dec. 6, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by BlogBoy
You are welcome, it was really fun. I'll try and post some more on the group about the story. Man I am busy. Lol.
You are welcome for the banner, that was fun to make also ;)
Eric
• Permanent Link
Dec. 6, 2007 - haha
Posted by SuperAngel
That is funny about Good King Wencals... I can just hear him singing that. lol...
not much for christmas music... not big on holidays I guess.
RYC:
Thank you for your comment. I am glad you liked my Thanksgiving post.
We could use the prayers. Thanks!!
Love,
Amanda
• Permanent Link
Dec. 8, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Laura
Hi Sylvia,
I like your new avatar! It is a good picture. I just dropped by to say hi, since I haven't been here in a while.
Laura
• Permanent Link
Dec. 8, 2007 - RYC:
Posted by SuperAngel
Yes, it is disappointing. Thanks for the sweet words and support.
Love,
Amanda
• Permanent Link
Dec. 9, 2007 - A looong comment that really has nothing to do with your post...
Posted by Altariel
I'm getting you inspired about fanfiction? Oops... sorry! I didn't mean to, honest!
As to why I have chosen to write about Denethor - well, there are a lot of reasons, and I recommend that you make yourself comfortable, as I fear you are about to discover my ranty side!
Ok, firstly, I hate - HATE - what Peter Jackson did to Denethor in the films. In the movies he was made out to be this crazy, stubborn pig of a man who verbally abused his son and cared nothing for his safety, or the care of his city. In the books he was stubborn, proud, aloof, and of course despaired in the end when faced with the destruction of his city and tried to commit suicide and take his son with him, but he also had so many good qualities! He was strong, noble, brave, he had spent his whole life fighting with every breath he had to preserve his city and country, and had done so successfully for many years, he genuinely loved his wife and sons - yes, including Faramir. Those two crossed a lot, they were both strong-willed people and really too similer for comfort, but they loved each other, although they both found it hard to show it. Denethor expected a lot from his sons, but he had to, they were full grown men, captains of their people, and there was a war going on. I don't see that what he asked of them was unreasonable in the circumstances. Ok, all that to say, I hated how Pete turned a really masterfully done character into a monster. People who only saw the movies, and even some of those who have read the book, often never look deeper into him than the impression they got on the big screen, and they miss so, so much. I wanted to open that up for them, to make them look a bit deeper into his character. As well as that, I must admit a big part of what inspired me to write about him was being driven crazy by all the people who think he was a horrible abusive maniac. If ever I suffer from writer's block I just need to dig up one such fanfiction, and it makes me so mad I have no trouble writing more! I guess that's another reason I chose him...
Then there's the fact that I find him really really facinating, and as a writer I enjoy the challenge of picking apart and writing about such a complex guy. His history, what he's been through, is pretty incredible, and the fact that he stuck to his job and was tireless in doing everything he could for the good of his country - well, I actually admire him a lot. Do you realise how similer he is to Aragorn? had their situations and upbringing been changed, I honestly don't know who would have turned out the better man.
Um... ok, I'm done. There are other reasons as well, but they're the main ones. Sorry for ranting...
Oh, the SAYR - you're about to start A Christmas Carol, aren't you? When's that, are you beggining immediately? I'd like to join, I should PM you on that page, shouldn't I? Oh, and when we are finished studying it I have something I discovered the other day that I think you'll enjoy...
Oh, I read through your recommended book list, and I've read most of them and loved them - we seem to have pretty similer taste in that regard! You just have Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott on there, is that the only one of his books you've read? He's writen heap, and personally Ivanhoe is one of my least favourites. The Fair Maid of Perth is hilarious, and Old Mortality is great too.
And do do a Veggie Tales Trivia contest! Or have you already done it? Have you seen Lord of the Beans? One of my all time favourite movies, I LOVE the scene with the eagle! Tolkien's eagles are just made to be poked fun at, seriously...
Ok, this is getting momentously long and I still haven't commented on your post. I don't really listen to christmas music, but I do love the songs on your blog. That'll have to do, sorry, I have to go...
Thanks so much for dropping by! And sorry for the ranting...
Gabrielle.
• Permanent Link
Dec. 10, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Jocelyndixon
Thanks for all the comments, girl. I hope you do redecorate you blog. I bet you will make it look lovely. Whatever happened to your testblog template? I thought you were going to use that.
love
Jocelyn
• Permanent Link
Dec. 12, 2007 - Hello
Posted by rjdjohn316
I haven't been here in a while, so I thought I would stop by and see how you are doing!
I don't listen to music, only soundtracks. They are just the music and not the words. The only word music we are allowed to listen to is like Hillsong. Just the worship ones. So, my point being I have no idea who any of those people are, so I can't comment on any of them. :)
I am allowed to listen to like orchestra Christmas Music, but I don't know if we are doing anything for Christmas.
And I see you changed your blog name.
Well, stop by when you can!
Have a lovely day!
Love,
Rachel
Edited by rjdjohn316 on Dec. 12, 2007 at 8:07 AM
• Permanent Link
Dec. 12, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Ebell1993
Hey there....
I loved that post especially being about Christmas music and everything. Well since you asked, probably one of my favorite Christmas songs is "Welcome to Our World" by Chris Rice. It is such a beautiful song. I have it on my playlist and you can listen to it if you haven't ever before. You would really like it....enjoy.
Well g2g, have a great week!
Love, Miss Elizabeth
• Permanent Link
