What is your Favourite Christmas Carol?

[avocadoandchill]

I like the three ships one.

The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came.
also love Britten's ceremony of carols mentioned earlier. Remember singing it at school.

Gaudete. Gives me goosebumps.

The Zither Carol

Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar

Drummer Boy (I vaguely recall some negative associations with it but I 've forgotten what they were exactly).

Away in a Manger

Silent Night

Yes, you're right. Love it.

There are two different versions of In The Bleak Midwinter, with two different melodies. Which one are people voting for!?

Holst version:
Harold Darke version:

Harold Darke, all day long.

And The Pogues, Fairytale of New York City

In The Bleak Midwinter, but it has to be the Holst version, the other is just wrong.

I do like Sussex Carol.

Reading this thread, there are actually so many! And I'm an atheist!

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

I also really love It Was On A Starry Night, used to really love the children singing that when I was teaching.

So many to choose from:
The First Nowell (reminds me of watching The Box of Delights on TV in the 80s)
O Come, O Come Immanuel
The Holly and the Ivy (but only one of the arrangements)
O Come All Ye Faithful (for the few times you can sing the last verse on the day itself)
Hark the Herald Angels Sing (for hitting the high notes after a few sherries)
Plenty others I love to listen to rather than sing along.
There's just something about Christmas carols - I'm as atheist as they come these days but it's a deep childhood memory, and even my (half Welsh) dad who never knowingly sets foot inside a church loves to belt them out.

@Witheringheights83 Harold Darke version…although I think the other version is the more popular one?

In the Bleak Mid Winter
Carol of the Bells
Jesus Christ The Apple Tree
I love all of them. Am I right in thinking Carol of the Bells was used in the film Home Alone?

Another one for In the bleak midwinter (Holst).
Love carols

This is my absolute favourite too! Did you go to a school beginning with W by any chance?

Tua Bethlehem Dref, a Welsh carol that sounds so dark and Presbyterian but has a gently lilting melody with a great lift in the B section.

Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. I never tire of this, although I have my preferred version to listen to.

I can’t think of a carol that isn’t a favourite!
amongst the newer ones my favourites are John Rutters Sherpherds carol and The Manchester carols
I loved singing Benjamin Brittens ceremony of carols at school as well.

I always think when I’m listening to bleak midwinter that don’t they say Jesus was actually born in March or something? And there definitely wouldn’t have been snow in the Middle East would there? Still love the carol though 😂🙈

Oh Holy Night but it's a flipping ear worm. And I still don't know the words!

And St Nicholas by Britten- when the boy treble sings “ god be glorified” . I’m not an active church person but that music always gets me

I know it's not technically a carol, but I love 'that's Christmas to me' sung by pentatonix, as an atheist I feel like it captures the love that should be shown and the family togetherness of Christmas unlike most modern Christmas songs, but without the religious aspect.

Oh little town of Bethlehem - we sang it at our Christmas wedding 32 years ago 😁

Oh my word.

Too many. I love them all.

Mainstream: O come O come Emmanuel, O little town of Bethlehem

Quite mainstream: Es ist ein Ros esprungen / Of the Father's heart begotten

Not mainstream: E'en so Lord Jesus quickly come, Mary's Magnificat

I mentioned the Bob Chilcott version of Midwinter earlier and I'm surprised not more people have suggested it.

Unto us is born a son