Christmas Carols: Search and Destroy

So, that. Actually my answer was "The First Noel" because in 9 years of learning the piano it was the only thing I actually enjoyed playing.

I also like that one that has a choir all singing differnt parts with manic lyrics and in it's a minor key. The low parts go 'ding dong ding dong.' what the hell is that song called. . .

Coventry Carol
God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen
In Dulci Jubilo
I Wonder As I Wander
Mary's Little Boy Child
Personet Hodie
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
There Is No Rose
Riu, Riu, Chiu

I feel that special mention must be made of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" because there's a totally sinister reharmonization you can put underneath it that makes it absolutely wonderful.

Ee-mar-noo-well not Emmanuelle being key.

Myrrh is mine its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing sighing failing dying
Sealed in a stone cold tomb

Just realised when it comes to carols at least I AM A GOTH!!

Is grumbling about Dan's GRYMG comma positioning a "use other tedious seasonal pedantry please" thing? Probably. And I take it you mean December 15th, too, Kate? And presumably somebody will shoot me if I mention HMHB's "Uffington Wassail" despite the fact it doesn't mention Christmas just because a) I live near Uffington and b) the lines about suffering endless Feltz? Righto.

But, yeah. I like that and I like Hark and I like Joy to the World. Oh, and my favorite quiet one is What Child is This.

Tee hee. Maybe your drummer hasn't thought about how great the wassail song would sound played in a Kim Deal-ish style. If I find time tonight, I will record a verse the way I'm imagining this, so I can show you how great it would be. Imagine the Ramones playing it really fast and Kim Deal singing it sort of slow.

This probably sounds really snotty; it isn't intended to, no insults to anyone are intended, it's just what I'd probably think. It also probably sounds very rockist, so flame away! (except be gentle because I'm feeble and hypersensitive, and don't expect any thoughtfully considered responses, obviously)

I also like In The Bleak Midwinter and Angels From The Realms Of Glory. I hate kids arriving on my doorstep, garbling their atonal way through the first line of We Wish You A Merry Christmas, and then demanding money for it. Of course, if they're collecting for charity then I'll give them money because I feel I should, and if they aren't then they get money because they're probably the kind of kids who would and could beat me up quite happily. Plus I don't actually want them to stay there any longer and sing anyway, I want them to go away and let me hide in the warm again.

I'm not very good at this communicating lark, am I? Sigh.

It practically already is a sugary girl-punk song.

I forgot that I like the Little Drummer Boy song, too.

Do the "Christmas in Jail" song by Asleep at the Wheel. It's horrendous.

I like We Three Kings too because that whole "star of wonder, star of light" bit is the best thing ever.

Actually, I still do remember most of the latin words to Adeste Fidelis... lots of venite, angelorum, dominum and stuff.

No mention of "Heat Miser" yet? Whassup with that?

Things I've been considering:

-Adeste Fideles (oh yes, more pop songs in Latin, please!) Mainly because it's an adapted Roman drinking song for Saturnalia. Heh.

-Angels We Have Heard On High (sugary girlpop could bring up some great gloooo-ooooo-ooooo-ria harmonies)

-Deck The Halls (ditto on the Fa la la la las; also traditional without being too religious)

Hrmmm, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen would be *fantastic* on a Stereolab tip, wonder if we could pull off the minor modulations, tho. Mmmm, Good Christian Men Rejoice could be bouncy and fun as well. Really looking for things with insanely catchy choruses, like Joy To The World or something.

My favourite carol, for the record, is O Holy Night, but it doesn't exactly lend itself to sugary girlpop, tho.

Oh, I can't decide...

Can I just point out that half of the things being mentioned aren't carols at all. Most are hymns. 'O Come O Come Emmanuel' isn't even for Christmas (although it would of course be fine on Dec 15th)

Is it just me who thinks Gale is making these carols sound like James Brown song titles? "Silver Bells (Silver Bells It's Christmas Time In The City) Parts 1 and 2".

Dzisiaj w Betlejem, dzisiaj w Betlejem
Wesola nowina
Ze Panna cysta, ze Panna cysta
Porodzila syna
Chrystus sie rodzi
Nas oswobodzi
Anieli graja
Kroli witaja
Pasterze spiewaja
Bidleta klekaja
Cuda cuda oglaszaja !!!!!!

Is there another, longer, more recent carols thread that I'm failing to find, or am I just imagining it?

The boar's head in hand bear I
Bedecked with bays and rosemary .
I pray you, my masters, be merry
Quot estis in convivio. - [howsoever many are at the feast]
Caput apri defero, - [I bring the boar's head]
Reddens laudes Domino. - [rendering praises to the Lord]

2.

The boar's head, as I understand,
Is the rarest dish in all the land,
Which thus bedecked with a gay garland,
Servitur cum sinapio. - [it is served with mustard]
Caput apri defero,
Reddens laudes Domino.

3.

Our steward hath provided this
In honour of the King of bliss
Which on this day to be served is
In Reginensi Atrio: - [in the Queen's hall]
Caput apri defero,
Reddens laudes Domino.

4.

The boar's head, I dare well say,
Anon after the eleventh day,
He takes his leave and goes away,
Exivit tum de patria. - [he has then left the fatherland]
Caput apri defero,
Reddens laudes Domino.

The Somerset Wassail Song

Wassail and Wassail all over the town;
The cup it is white and the ale it is brown;
The cup it is made of the good old Ashen tree;
As so is the malt of the best barley.

For it's your wassail, and it's our wassail;
And it's joy to be you, and a jolly Wassail.

O Master and Missus, are you within?
Pray open the door and let us all come in;
O Master and Missus a-sitting by the fire;
Pray think upon poor travellers, a-travelling in the mire.

For it's your wassail, and it's our wassail;
And it's joy to be you, and a jolly wassail.

O where is the maid with the silver headed pin?
To open the door and let us all come in?
O Master and Missus it's our desire;
To have a loaf and cheese and a toast by the fire.

For it's your wassail, and it's our wassail;
And it's joy to be you, and a jolly wassail.

There was an old man and he had an old cow;
And how for to keep her, he did not know how;
He built up a barn for to keep his cow warm;
And a drop or two of cider will do us no harm.

No harm boys, harm; no harm boys, no harm;
And a drop or two of cider will do us no harm.
The girt dog of Langport, he burnt his long tail;
And this is the night we go singing Wassail!

O Master and Missus, now we must be gone;
God bless all in this house, till we do come again.

For it's your wassail, and it's our wassail;
And it's joy to be you and a jolly wassail.

went to merton college christmas service last night. it was mostly cheesy carols and some creepy high church bullshit, but I was totally floored when the choir did this. very pretty and then totally noise for the last ten seconds (although you can't hear the detail of quite how much is going on in this youtube clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r259Py6Alkw

Surprised to find that this lot are still going.

aren't they from bill & ted's excellent adventure?

i am concerned that i hurt my romantic chances with someone the other day when he asked what i thought of christmas carols, and i said i find poppy ones annoying but like traditional ones (especially in latin!), and he is not really a fan of any. *sigh*

shirley collins version of the cherry tree carol <3 <3 <3

or rather

<8 <8 <8

(they are cherries, see?)

cherries. right.

I like this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z30DH-nFRm4

Vom Himmel Hoch
Vom Himmel Hoch.
Vom Himmel Hoch!!!

Do you know how many billion different versions of this carol there are?

This is gonna be like finding the ~definitive~ version of The Coventry Carol, with which I got obsessed last year (or maybe a year before; not even sure any more.)

I have a very specific request, if anyone can help me find an mp3 or YouTube or even a CD:
A 'modern' or at least non-'full choir and organ' version of any/all of the following but they must have the David Willcocks descant -
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Once in Royal David's City

A capella would be fine, anything cheesy will be considered, as will zippy and non-dirgy full choirs.
Basically I want something that will slot into my Christmas playlist without slowing it right down but I need to scratch that crazy high descant itch (the one that usually kicks in on the last verse).

Some carols just attract bombastic 'full choir and organ' arrangements like a velvet sofa attracts cat hair.

S - Type O Negative - Red Water

“Hark, The Herald Angels Sing” has always been a fave because of that insane descant moment, but this has recently usurped my #1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SixnHKwyrjI

Oh man, that carol is THE SHIT

I hadn't heard it before!