Rudolph in Latin--yes, really
I may as well admit I am addicted to Christmas music. I start listening to it earlier than all but Santa and his elves and am one of the last holdouts when it comes time to pulling the plug for the season. Of course one year I also kept my Christmas tree up well into February. So when I found this posted on the Mediev-l list, naturally I could not resist checking it out and then sharing it with you all. So here is Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer---in Latin. This link gives you the lyrics, but it also has a link for those of you with a burning curiosity to hear how it sounds. http://thurible.net/2013/12/12/rudolp...
Since we’re on the subject, we usually have at least one posting about Christmas songs every December. So….what are your favorite Christmas songs or carols? And do you have any that make you want to kick Santa and reach for something stronger than eggnog? For me, my favorite is What Child is This, set to the music of the hauntingly beautiful Greensleeves. I also love Silent Night, The Little Drummer Boy (my dad’s favorite) Christmas Eve—Sarajevo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I’ll be Home for Christmas (the saddest of them all, IMHO) and yes, Dominick the Christmas donkey. The one I absolutely loathe is I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, followed by Santa, Baby. I am not fond of All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, either. As you can tell, I don’t much like novelty Christmas songs—even though I do like Rudolph, the outcast reindeer (preferably not in Latin) and I confess I can’t help smiling when I hear Grandma got run over by a reindeer, for the sheer absurdity of it; it helps, too, that it is not a song played over and over ad nauseam. Okay…..what about you, dear readers?
Since we’re on the subject, we usually have at least one posting about Christmas songs every December. So….what are your favorite Christmas songs or carols? And do you have any that make you want to kick Santa and reach for something stronger than eggnog? For me, my favorite is What Child is This, set to the music of the hauntingly beautiful Greensleeves. I also love Silent Night, The Little Drummer Boy (my dad’s favorite) Christmas Eve—Sarajevo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I’ll be Home for Christmas (the saddest of them all, IMHO) and yes, Dominick the Christmas donkey. The one I absolutely loathe is I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, followed by Santa, Baby. I am not fond of All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, either. As you can tell, I don’t much like novelty Christmas songs—even though I do like Rudolph, the outcast reindeer (preferably not in Latin) and I confess I can’t help smiling when I hear Grandma got run over by a reindeer, for the sheer absurdity of it; it helps, too, that it is not a song played over and over ad nauseam. Okay…..what about you, dear readers?
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I love Good King Wenceslas, too, Iset, but when I first learned the song as a child, not being Catholic, I didn't know what the Feast of Stephen was. Since Good King Wenceslas looked out on it, I assumed it was a geological formation, like a field or a plain, or maybe a mountain range.
I never tire of hearing Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas is You. I love Sarah McLachlan's version of In A Bleak Midwinter. But my favorite thing to listen to every Christmas season is not one particular song but Handel's Messiah in its entirety. Very specifically the recording put on by the Academy of Ancient Music where Christopher Hogwood is the conductor and the choir is from Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Just wonderful.
Brought up a Roman Catholic we were trained to sing plain chant at our Convent grammar school so thank you Sharon for the link. My favourite carol is "Oh Holy Night" After that among the best for me are "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Silent Night, In the Bleak Mid Winter and The Coventry Carol. I like Christmas songs by singers such as Andy Williams, Cliff Richard, Perry Como et al but like you I am not struck on such as All I Want for Christmas are my Two Front Teeth et al.
"... For me, my favorite is What Child is This, set to the music of the hauntingly beautiful Greensleeves.."Yes; I have so many versions of "Greensleeves". "Oh Holy Night", "Little Drummer Boy", and "White Christmas" are favorites, too.
Me too! I make Christmas albums most years & on every one I include a version of Ave Maria. Another one that moves me almost to tears is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. Sometimes I make an album that is not classic Christmas songs (to play when my scroogier guests are around), like White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes, Mercy by Kelley Hunt & Wayfaring Stranger sung by Emmylou Harris. I'm always looking for foreign songs but somehow those are harder to find. I like silly ones too: Little Donkey (Patti Page), Fum Fum Fum (Country Chorale), I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Gayla Peevey), Never Do a Tango with an Eskimo (Alma Cogan). For the dark humour I enjoy Merry Christmas You Suckers (Paddy Roberts) or Toy Packaging (Sara Groves). The most popular ones have to be done just right or I get tired of them. Only Miss Piggy can sing me Santa Baby. Elvis can sing me almost any of them, especially Blue Christmas. Or Johnny Cash. &, omigawd, Mahalia Jackson! I'll listen to the whole album of Honky Tonk Christmas by Alan Jackson, makes me giggle. Other whole albums: Joan Baez's Noël, Mistletoe & Wine by Mediaeval Baebes, Holiday Songs & Lullabies by Shawn Colvin... eek, yes, I love Christmas music!
Being Catholic, I love the "Twelve Days of Christmas" and it really upsets me when people do not understand that the twelve days do not start before Christmas Eve!! I also love "O Holy Night", "I'll be Home for Christmas", "What Child is this", and just about every traditional Christmas Carol. I have to admit that I also have a hard time with Carols sung during the Advent season and not during the Christmas season. But this is just my own personal protest against the world and for the reason for the season.
I also love "What Child Is This" (oh, that melody!!) and "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Another favorite is "Mele Kalikimaka" (aka "Hawaiian Christmas"). Two albums you may even hear me playing out of season: Loreena McKennitt's "To Drive the Cold Winter Away" and Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Come Darkness Come Light". And there are two songs that appeal to my cynical side: Bobby Goldsboro's "Look Around You (It's Christmas Time)" and Simon and Garfunkel's "7 O'clock News/Silent Night".
My favorite carols are "O Holy Night", "Carol of the Bells", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and "Silent Night."
This year I'm really loving Jason Mann's 'Christmas with Friends' album featuring the cast of Supernatural.The highlight being 'The Little Drummer Boy' featuring Rob Benedict the actor who plays Chuck Shurley (who is probably God).
I am with Chrissy-I love The Little Drummer Boy and also Once in Royal Davids City....
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When I was at school I was in the choir however, with a big Christmas concert in the county capital town hall every year, so I learnt a whole host of Christmas songs that I enjoy for their musical quality if not their actual lyrics. Silent Night, The Holly and the Ivy, Once in Royal David's City, We Three Kings, The Little Drummer Boy, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, White Christmas.