{"id":20326,"date":"2024-12-23T12:38:25","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T17:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/?p=20326"},"modified":"2024-12-23T12:38:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T17:38:25","slug":"best-christmas-carols-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/?p=20326","title":{"rendered":"Best Christmas Carols Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can find lists of great and favorite Christmas songs everywhere, and whose list is definitive will depend on who you trust. This morning, I looked up <a href=\"https:\/\/parade.com\/living\/christmas-carols\">Parade&#8217;s list of 50 best<\/a> and compared it to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicfm.com\/discover-music\/occasions\/christmas\/nations-top-30-christmas-carols\/\">list of 30 from ClassicFM<\/a>. You might think Parade&#8217;s list leans toward pop songs, but I found a 46% overlap between the lists out of a possible 60%. I wish these songs were what you could expect on the radio or while shopping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parade&#8217;s first 10 (with ClassicFM&#8217;s number in parentheses), not intended ranking priority:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Silent night (2)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">O Come All Ye Faithful (6)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">12 Days of Christmas \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Do You Hear What I Hear\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">The Little Drummer Boy\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"6\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Joy to The World (13)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"7\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">The First Noel (29)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"8\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Jingle Bells\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"9\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Deck the Halls\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"10\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">O Christmas Tree\u00a0(this one also made it on the list at #43 as &#8220;O Tannenbaum&#8221;)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That leans toward popular fare, and it&#8217;s a good, fun list. &#8220;O Come All Ye Faithful&#8221; is one of the best carols of all time. You could sing it year round in English or Latin. On &#8220;Silent Night,&#8221; ClassicFM notes, &#8220;During the Christmas truce of 1914 during World War I, the carol was sung simultaneously by English and German troops.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"11\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">We Three Kings\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"12\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (14)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"13\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">I Saw Three Ships\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"14\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">O holy night (1)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"15\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Away in a Manger(15)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"16\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Go Tell It on the Mountain\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"17\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Caroling, Caroling\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"18\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (5)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"19\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">The\u00a0Holly and the Ivy (22)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"20\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">O Come, O Come Emmanuel (7)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"21\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (10)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"22\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">I Wonder as I Wander\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"23\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">What Child Is This \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"24\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Carol of the Bells (23)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"25\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">March of the Kings\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now we&#8217;re into more reverent while still joyful songs: &#8220;God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,&#8221; &#8220;O Holy Night,&#8221; &#8220;Go Tell It on the Mountain.&#8221; &#8220;O Come, O Come, Emmanuel&#8221; is old chant material. &#8220;I Wonder as I Wander&#8221; as a similar vibe. I&#8217;m not familiar enough with &#8220;March of the Kings&#8221; to recognize it by name, but I recognize <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ravenboymusic.com\/la-marche-des-rois\/\">the melody of this old French carol<\/a> about the magi coming with their caravan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"26\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">How Far Is It to Bethlehem\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"27\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Good King Wenceslas (27)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"28\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Once in Royal David&#8217;s City\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"29\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/lRwImrZvlao?si=lYjHc0DEvmzcBi23\">Children, Go Where I Send Thee<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"30\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Angels We Have Heard on High\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"31\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">We Wish You a Merry Christmas\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"32\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"33\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Ding Dong Merrily on High (25)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"34\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">In the Bleak Mid-Winter (3-4, two versions)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"35\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">The Sans Day Carol (Saint Day Carol)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"36\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Here We Come A-Wassailing\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"37\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Angels From the Realms of Glory (28)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"38\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cWiGYIxYD1c?si=zpzp8w-UgHaaP-jC\">I Saw a Maiden<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"39\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Truth From Above\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"40\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Whence Is That Goodly Fragrance\u00a0Flowing\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"41\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Wassail Song\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"42\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Of the Fathers Heart Begotten\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"43\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">O Tannenbaum\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"44\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Uc2-LR0Albc?si=OruKnXM2-uqTIU4Y\">The Cherry Tree Carol\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"45\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">O Little Town of Bethlehem (9)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"46\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Coventry Carol (8)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"47\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">In Dulci Jubilo (12)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"48\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Sussex Carol (16)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"49\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Shepherd\u2019s Pipe Carol (17)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"50\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/g5oA29INBH8?si=b1EY-Lf7joSRJ6NR\">Gabriel&#8217;s Message<\/a> (19)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the last half, Parade&#8217;s list has carols I haven&#8217;t heard before. I linked to a few of them. We&#8217;ve been celebrating Christmas for a so long that we&#8217;re bound to have written more music than casual listeners can keep up with. Low on the list, &#8220;The Sussex Carol&#8221;, is one of my favorites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the works on ClassicFM&#8217;s list that remain, my church choir has sung three of them recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"51\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Once in Royal David\u2019s City \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"52\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/E_9m4KX_P9s?si=0osQ-06UyHjrlRg4\">The Three Kings<\/a>\u00a0(Not We Three Kings)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"54\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Jesus Christ the Apple Tree\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"55\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2KSxg9Ij5r8?si=MA-nNKexH2Ew67cQ\">Gaudete\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"56\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">See Amid the Winter\u2019s Snow\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"57\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Candlelight Carol\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"58\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">What Sweeter Music\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You can find lists of great and favorite Christmas songs everywhere, and whose list is definitive will depend on who you trust. This morning, I looked up Parade&#8217;s list of 50 best and compared it to a list of 30 from ClassicFM. You might think Parade&#8217;s list leans toward pop songs, but I found a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/?p=20326\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Best Christmas Carols Ever<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[3919,504],"class_list":["post-20326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music","tag-carols","tag-christmas"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20326"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20328,"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20326\/revisions\/20328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandywinebooks.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}