Nice Christmas music that is not pop music?

[RabitWhole]

What does everyone listen to on Christmas Day/Boxing Day? I'm looking for something a bit different this year, rather than the usual Christmas pop music (which I do enjoy but it gets done to death by the day itself!) or even the classics like Bing and Frank etc.

Any suggestions?

Classic FM

I love the Lady Antebellum Christmas album

Tracey Thorn has a great lowkey Christmas album called Tinsel & Lights.

I also like a nice classical compilation featuring stuff like Prokofiev's Troika.

Have a look on the BBC Sounds app, there's quite a few Christmas playlists from Six Music that could be what you're after.

Bach Christmas Oratorio
Handel Messiah
Hely-Hutchinson Carol Symphony
Nine Lessons and Carols from King's
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (because it's always time for Beethoven )

@mnahmnah

I love the Lady Antebellum Christmas album

Ooh! I had no idea they had a Christmas album. Not listened to them for years and love them. Off to search for it. Thank you for the info.

I third the Hely Hutchinson it's great

The Sixteen and Tenebrae both have good Christmas CDs with a mix of the more traditional carols and choral works on a Christmas theme.

I love the Sixteen

Also love Maddy Prior e.g. Carols and Capers

And have a soft spot for golden oldie popular music like Silver Bells

and of course the Carol of the Bells linked edited by MNHQ at OP's request

oh and I like Pentatonix too

@Snugglepumpkin

I love "A Tapestry of Carols" by Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band. It's streaming on Amazon but I have the CD anyway.

Also can't resist belting out Gaudete the Steeleye Span version.

Thank you for this! I love Gaudete and Maddy Prior but had never heard this album!

Any carol by Peter Warlock. There's even an album called A Peter Warlock Christmas.

I second The Pianoman At Christmas album by Jamie Cullum. I love it. Especially the songs The Pianoman At Christmas and Turn On The Lights.

Also, the Home Alone soundtrack. Makes me feel all festive.

@Willdoitlater

Any carol by Peter Warlock. There's even an album called A Peter Warlock Christmas.

I imagine there'd have been confused customers if they'd left out the "Peter" bit!

The Josh Groban album Noël is pretty easy to listen to.

We've got a collection of Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD's which are always beautiful.

Does Boney M still count as pop music?

Salva Nos by the Mediæval Bæbes. Always makes me feel Christmassy. Or an old CD I bought years ago in Australia when feeling homesick at Christmas - "Perfect Day, Christmas music of peace and tranquility" - it's easy-listening classical music!

Well, it is probably a mixture of pop and country, but I really liked Dolly Parton's new album last year

Mines the heavy metal, versions of Christmas songs, that are some good tunes

Thanks Taylor, do you recommend any particular albums?

If you like classical music then fill your boots (obviously!) - you could have anything from Christmas oratorios like Messiah or Bach or Berliotz, carols sung by a world-class choir, medieval plainchant ... :-D I play all of these things at Christmas, and have to listen to the 9 Lessons and Carols LIVE on Christmas Eve.

But there are so many non-poppy things you could listen to. We often listen to classic jazzy 'songbook' Christmas compilations - old school stuff like Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. Cheesy but so lovely. I've got a whole stash of 'vintage' Christmas pop hits, and I play those a lot. Also - throwback to the 90's - one of the Ally McBeal Christmas albums (remember how they all used to do a Christmas spot at their work party every year? and were implausibly great?? )

Then there's folky stuff. I am addicted to O'Hooley and Tidow's Winterfolk album but only allowed to play it from December 1st (or it wouldn't be special) so that's going on in the car tomorrow! Thea Gilmore's Strange Communion is wonderful and I'd urge anyone to get hold of it for midwinter.

Not an album, but the Ukrainian group from this year's Eurovision have a really lovely song with a Christmas feel. Google Translate tells me it's called 'Good health to good people.'

@ninecoronas

The soundtrack to "A Charlie Brown Christmas". It's the most Christmassy thing you'll ever hear!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, ninecoronas, from me and my DH. Neither of us can believe that we have never heard of this album before. I love most Christmas tunes/songs, and music was and is my DH first love. He loves nearly everything jazz, and I love most (of, what I call) musical jazz. Anyway, I went to Youtube to listen to it, and we both fell in love with it, so the CD is now winging our way (all in about 30 minutes of reading your recommendation!

@TheTurn0fTheScrew

Hely Hutchinson's Carol Symphony Britten - Ceremony of Carols The Nutcracker Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas

The Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown CD is our absolute favourite here.

@QueefofSheena

My Christmas music is always the Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings Christmas album and Mahalia Jackson singing Christmas songs. That voice on Sweet little Jesus Boy! I’m not religious but it’s very stirring. Also Tom Waits, but everyone else hates that.

I love Tom Waites and so does my DH, in fact he introduced me to his music. Listening to him in late night candlelight, and drinking a glass of a good red wine, is the only time I wished I smoked! I have him streaming now whilst I am writing this - cheers 🍷💋 🎹

@Grapesoda7

Try Phil Spector's Christmas album.

Yes to this!! Also “Christmas by Low” is a beautiful Christmas album.

@GlomOfNit

If you like classical music then fill your boots (obviously!) - you could have anything from Christmas oratorios like Messiah or Bach or Berliotz, carols sung by a world-class choir, medieval plainchant ... :-D I play all of these things at Christmas, and have to listen to the 9 Lessons and Carols LIVE on Christmas Eve.

But there are so many non-poppy things you could listen to. We often listen to classic jazzy 'songbook' Christmas compilations - old school stuff like Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. Cheesy but so lovely. I've got a whole stash of 'vintage' Christmas pop hits, and I play those a lot. Also - throwback to the 90's - one of the Ally McBeal Christmas albums (remember how they all used to do a Christmas spot at their work party every year? and were implausibly great?? )

Then there's folky stuff. I am addicted to O'Hooley and Tidow's Winterfolk album but only allowed to play it from December 1st (or it wouldn't be special) so that's going on in the car tomorrow! Thea Gilmore's Strange Communion is wonderful and I'd urge anyone to get hold of it for midwinter.

I think I had better bow out of this thread, it is both costing me a fortune, and making me embarrassed by how lacking my knowledge of bands in genres I adore, is 😲 (re. Thea Gilmore this time, I do know all the oldies mentioned!)