Dreariest carol

[Sausagenbacon]

There's so many...Once in Royal David's, o Little Town of Bethlehem, we 3 kings, Hark the Herald Angels. The list goes on.
I guess the church has to cater for people who only attend church at Xmas, but I really wish we could have more interesting ones, like Three King's from Persian Lands

I love Hark the Herald. It's glorious. If it's coming over as dreary that's not because of the carol! We will be singing it at church tomorrow, heartily!

I cannot think of any Carol that is dreary.

Those are all fabulous pieces of music. If they're dreary, you're singing them wrong!

"Three Kings" is also very wonderful, but its not a congregational piece, and its actually Epiphany rather than Christmas.

I love Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium", but no congregation is able to sing that!

It is very beautiful @FuzzyPuffling

What with church events and my choir I sing a lot of carols at this time of year and I wouldn't say any of them are dreary.

But some of them thrill me less than others (looking at you See Amid the Winter's Snow).

I agree the Three Kings from Persian Lands is fantastic, but it's not for congregational singing.

DistractMe I'm with you on "See Amid". Too many verses with choruses for me- I'm worn out by the end.

In the BMW is a favourite though. Either version.

Holst is OK, much prefer Darke

One of my outdoor carol events scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled because of the weather forecast. I'm secretly a little relieved. Next weekend is going to be mayhem though.

@Sausagenbacon hmmm I like those ones 🤷‍♀️
I suppose we all have different tastes.

My favourite Christmas piece isn’t a carol though, it’s John Tavener’s The Lamb

We've got our big sing service tomorrow. I'm resting my voice today for all those descants.

Thr only dreary carol is "O Come O Come Emmanuel"!

That depends how you do it 😎

a look at this video, 'O come emmanuel punk version' www.google.com/search?hl=en-GB&hl=en-GB&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&hs=5Be9&sca_esv=60592e8bb2cdfe2f&q=O+come+emmanuel+punk+version&docid=VjDtaloNsUtRHM&ibp=video&shndl=41&shmd=H4sIAAAAAAAA_3WQzU4CQRCEo8TLPoKnloMYg7tLFCMkxOD6ExMCERTR28xOs0zYmYGZhgVPHnwPTz6ZLyIoMWDiqQ_1VbqqvI-cd3DBBLQxlYk0Go4g34LIKCzCz4UrpZieYJrfHQ6IRq4aBKhjOx8RiiPiOvQTR4xk7MdGBVKxBN35uLZQqvWmqNzEHVeuR-3bJp82u0_PIjppXJZPe2fdcNxVL8dpb1YpGxmG0SOfXZcaD3f7rlYKD9-2_w0CfA4bofvWKChEAysdKeagY3TiigVgUyZTxlMEbbI9r2UFWljw8n6i0VVh2WdRxylmaWJTX1LgMBGj6QplBDTAzV8dMhZ_rVmW-ZwJu1LdUlzu4HlrQJ_FyI0Zfg-0Rq8zlEkitH-R2efO69Z77gusVkFwqAEAAA&shmds=v1_AdeF8KgIYvQNyphUJ_esw2b0FXHcmoASA3Pi9yTrQLUqvGOC-w&shem=bdsle,damc,phrstl,vstil,shrtsdl&source=sh/x/vid/m1/4&kgs=233b2fb5b16aa54b&utm_source=bdsle,damc,phrstl,vstil,shrtsdl,sh/x/vid/m1/4&ucbcb=1 O Come oh Come Emmanuel

But even done "proper" it's one of my favourite Advent carols, one of the oldest ones we have. The words were first written in Latin probably in the 12th Century and the tune originates from the 15th century.

First Nowell.... ugh. And it goes on and on forever. Ditto 'While Shepherds watched.'

We sang 'Of the Father's heart begotten' at Nine Lessons and Carols last night - brilliant carol.

Yikes, sorry about the bonkers link. Not sure how that happened

I love this version of O Come, O come, Emmanuel from Covenant & Controversy

An absolutely raw heartfelt cry…

That's really heartfelt @LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms

For me, sung worship isn’t just a part of the Christian life, it’s a lifeline. When we sing, we’re doing something deeply human and deeply spiritual. We’re responding to God with our whole selves. Worship lifts our eyes, steadies our hearts, and reminds us of the One who holds everything together. Scripture calls us again and again to worship God, not because He needs our songs, but because we need the re-centring that happens when we praise Him. In worship, truth becomes louder than fear, hope becomes more real than circumstance, and God’s presence becomes the place we stand. Worship shapes us. It forms us. It draws us back to the heart of God. And every time we sing, we join the great chorus of believers across time and across the world who declare that God is worthy.

You're right.
I think we are so lucky, having singing as a regular part of our lives.
But some carols ARE boring.

I've always maintained that four verses of anything is ample. Any more is just showing off!

You've just named some of my favourite carols, OP! Perhaps because those carols have been with me my entire life, nearly 70 years, they provide a continuity in worship that some of the more recent ones do not.

@Bongani you've put it beautifully.

I also love it! Had it at our wedding!

"While Shepherds watched" is much better if you do it to a different tune, but it then also takes longer.

Either do it to the "O for a thousand tongues" or the original, better known as "Ilkley Moor bar 'tat"

But most of those you mention aren't dreary. Hark the herald is lovely.