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Post by digby on Dec 7, 2006 11:38:20 GMT
Hi everyone,
My cynicism of all things Christmas is not entirely unknown on the Forums but I do love a good Christmas Carol.
I would like to resurrect a few of the older, more obscure carols like the sans day (now the holly bears a berry) Personent Hodie (which no one sings because its in Latin) over the Christmas in church, even if its just for my own satisfaction during the communion, and would appreciate some suggestions.
Which Christmas Carols have completely fallen off the church service radar that you love.
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Post by petite joueuse on Dec 7, 2006 16:05:52 GMT
One that I sang at nursery school had a line in it..."Joseph, leave the door ajar". I could never work out why the door wanted a jar for Christmas? My favourite is O come, O come Immanuel - gorgeous harmonies, and fortunately it does still get an airing occasionally. My school choir are singing Do you hear what I hear? - not very well-known, but they seem to be enjoying it more and more (Year 11 drummer joined in today!)
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Post by chocolatedog on Dec 7, 2006 16:59:05 GMT
The Road to Bethlehem - music by Michael Head. Gorgeous......and also any of the John Rutter ones, especially the Star Carol, Shepherd's Pipe Carol and Christmas Night..... mmmm Oh and Donkey Carol - not the usual one but the one in 5/8 time, plus Britten's Festival of Carols(?) Hodie and This Little Babe, and There is no rose of such vertue - can't remember who wrote it - actually there are 2 with the same name - both good....
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Post by YetAnotherKlavierist on Dec 7, 2006 17:00:03 GMT
Wachet Auf - the Bach arrangement is wonderful .
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Post by princessmoose on Dec 7, 2006 17:03:57 GMT
A few year 8's at my school want to sing at the concert so as per usual my head of music wants to do "Do you know how Christmas trees are grown?" from James Bonds' On her majesty's secret service, I hate it. It is SO cheesy and he does it every blooming year, and oh guess who has to sing with the microphone this year, on lead?? YES ME GRRRRRRRRRR.
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Post by chocolatedog on Dec 7, 2006 17:04:40 GMT
Loosely translated as "wakey wakey rise and shine - Someone's calling us......"
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Post by Dulciana on Dec 7, 2006 23:39:12 GMT
Personent Hodie is one of my favourites, and was one of the first things I played in public woth the organ pedals. (Three of the four verses went swimmingly... ) There is no Rose has already been mentioned - it would be a good one to play during communion - simple but effective.
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Post by fauxbourdons on Dec 8, 2006 9:41:24 GMT
See amid the winter's snow hardly ever gets done down my way and that's a shame. When I was a lad we sang a rather rumba-style "Rocky rocky road, a-rocky road-um" ... I'd like to resurrect that one year...
I loathe: Silent Night and While Shepherd's Watched..
I love: It came upon a midnight clear and especially God rest you, merry gentlemen..
Oh and the words to "Good King Wenceslas" were written up the road and the geezer is buried in the Parish Churchyard.
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Post by digby on Dec 8, 2006 16:18:57 GMT
Oh Thank you so much everyone - this has raised a great smile - My kids said that they wouldn't want a jar for Christmas either! I love O come Emmanuel and I think we did Rocky Rocky road at school as well. I think I must pull out the Festival of Carols again as well.
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Post by anacrusis on Dec 8, 2006 21:15:19 GMT
I grew up hearing German ones, so "Es ist ein Ros" - already mentioned, I know - and several others come to mind. Or for a French one - "Whence is that goodly fragrance" - I can't say I'm over-fond of the words for many carols, but the melodies I do like.
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Post by Dulciana on Dec 9, 2006 11:21:45 GMT
Do others do "Of the Father's Heart Begotten"? I like that one!
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Post by YetAnotherKlavierist on Dec 9, 2006 12:07:06 GMT
The nice thing about having poor German skills is that we can listen to carols in German with no idea what the words mean and can concentrate on the tunes .
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Post by petite joueuse on Dec 9, 2006 16:35:03 GMT
Or for a French one - "Whence is that goodly fragrance" - Yes, we sang that one at school - Quelle est cette odeur agreable? (which we translated as "what is that agreeable pong?"
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Post by hoxie on Dec 10, 2006 15:38:49 GMT
My school choir are singing Do you hear what I hear? - not very well-known, but they seem to be enjoying it more and more I love that one! Our then 'senior choir' sang it years ago in school...if only I'd been old enough to join in! I have recently heard John Rutter's Candlelight Carol which is gorgeous, sadly not in time to get the music and do it for a concert Maybe we will sing it in the summer just for fun! ;D I love God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman - we are doing a version of it at a school concert on Tuesday which will be fun I don't like Away in a Manger. I quite like O Little Town of Bethlehem, but I think that's just me being a weirdo... We have also just done Gaudete which was quite nice And a Bob Chilcot one called Midwinter which we did a few years back, and a Pachelbel's Canon/First Noel mix which we did last year.
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Post by anacrusis on Dec 10, 2006 19:12:29 GMT
I don't like Away in a Manger. This needs to be sung with hands folded, tummy sticking out a bit, just a little flat, and everyone breathing at different places. Then it is perfect ;D.
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