Christmas Classics

TheSound

An Englishman in New York
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Posts
2,726
Reaction score
2
Location
Manhattan, New York City, USA
Thought we could try to get some enthusiasm for a more traditional Christmas music thread, be it just favourite carols, or any of the multitude of great seasonal music composed down the centuries (not sure if L v Beethoven ever did anything Christmassy LG, we probably need to investigate!!??)

Next week I'm singing in a performance of Handel's 'Messiah'. I've sung an enthusiastic (but frequently rather approximate bass-baritone!!) in various amateur choirs and choral societies for over 20 years, and it's always enormous fun. Most choral societies around the world traditionally put on a performance of 'Messiah' just before Christmas each year, so here's the famous 'Hallelujah' chorus, which I think has a place in this thread, even if the other 2 hours+ of Messiah probably doesn't!! I think there's about 120 of us singing next week, plus an orchestra, so not quite on this grand scale, but I'm sure still most uplifting...

 

runtfan

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Posts
1,142
Reaction score
4
Hear, Hear!! The Hallelujah Chorus is one of the all-time greats ( although, yeah, the entire 2+ hours of the Messiah can be pretty ponderous). I tend to like most "christmas carols" and dislike most anything from the last 50 years or so (at least). Christmas music by pop and rock stars ( covers or originals) mostly sucks, IMO.
 

TheSound

An Englishman in New York
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Posts
2,726
Reaction score
2
Location
Manhattan, New York City, USA
Hear, Hear!! The Hallelujah Chorus is one of the all-time greats ( although, yeah, the entire 2+ hours of the Messiah can be pretty ponderous). I tend to like most "christmas carols" and dislike most anything from the last 50 years or so (at least). Christmas music by pop and rock stars ( covers or originals) mostly sucks, IMO.

Hi runt, yes, though I think there's room for both the serious and the less serious at Christmas time, as it's a time for many mixed emotions, and music at it's heart should be both heart warming and fun, I always especially think about the service men and women who are kept from their families during the holidays.

I suppose this piece represents the very best of Christmas music in the form that I personally prefer above all others at this time of year....

 

runtfan

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Posts
1,142
Reaction score
4
Yeah, I grew up around a lot of classical Christmas stuff and traditional hymns and carols. I always was in the Christmas programs at church pretty much up through high school, either singing or playing in the orchestra. And I played in the orchestra at school so I got exposed to most of the hymns and carols through that. I like the hymns and carols the most I think, although there's a lot of mid-20th century Christmas pop stuff that I like too - "White Christmas", "Christmas Song","Sleigh Ride", "There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays",etc.
I also have a strong association between The Nutcracker and Christmas...and Vince Gauraldi's Charlie Brown music.
I don't usually care for the rock stuff much at all...at Christmas, santa gets a free pass, not lame rock tunes ABOUT santa.
 

Find member

Forum statistics

Threads
30,658
Posts
1,064,869
Members
6,353
Latest member
edmerka

Members online

Top