What is your favourite Carol?

[antelopevalley]

I love Hark the Herald Angels sing. Very rousing and uplifting.
You?

Kirkwood

Little Drummer Boy. It has always been my favourite

Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar
(nb: this is not the same as We Three Kings)
It's beautiful but rarely heard of these days.

O Come All Ye Faithful. I've been practicing the descant part much to DP's consternation.

Shepherd's Farewell. Beautiful harmonies

Holy Night, I love the Patti Smith one and make dh listen every Christmas. She just sounds so sincere.

The rising of the sunnnnnnnnnnnn and the running of the deeeeeeeeeeeer. Very pagan.

(The Holly and the Ivy, I mean). Also like We Three Kings.

vorderman

I agree

O little town of Bethlehem

See amid the winter's snow
Lo how a rose upspringing
God rest ye merry gentlemen

Oh holy night!

In the bleak midwinter

Ding dong merrily on high!

O holy night

It was on a starry night

absolutely love this it brings tears to my eyes when my two ex sang this at there Xmas choir service

I agree with you OP, Hark The Herald is my favourite if I had to chose one 😊

(with Oh Holy Night as a very close second).

To hear a choir sing - Carol of the Bells
To sing myself - It came upon a midnight clear

Joy to the World
Angels from the Realms of Glory

vorderman

Another here for O Holy Night.

O holy night

At the moment I love Gaudete, the Holly and the Ivy and Joy to the World.

I don't like O Little Town of Bethlehem as we used to sing it really slowly at school.

O Holy Night is beautiful but only if sung well which rules me out!

In the Bleak Midwinter or Sussex Carol.

I'd find it impossible to choose. I love so many of them! As already listed by everyone above.

I'm from a non-Christian country, so I didn't know any but the most famous handful of carols until I moved to the UK. I love going to carol services. Usually we attend two each year - one at DDs' school chapel and the one at our local church. There's something uplifting and magical about everyone united in song.

One that I think isn't as famous, but utterly beautiful and brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it, is Rutter's Candlelight Carol.

(And I'm an atheist!).

The Angel Gabriel.