My sweet girls after they finished decorating our treeFirst off, I posted a comment with the answers to yesterday's Christmas Carol Brain Teasers. So check back if you just couldn't figure out what song features a "light brown explosive." =)
I figure while I'm on the topic of Christmas Carols, I'm going to milk it for all it's worth. And what better way than to do a "top five" list! I think I'll do one list for my favorite traditional Christmas carols and then tomorrow list my top five non-traditional songs. Then I promise to change the subject!
I've been thinking about my top five traditional Christmas carols all day today. It's been harder than I thought narrowing it down to just five, but it appears that I like songs with the word "O" in it. I also considered which songs I've loved to sing since I was young as well as songs that have only recently become my favorite.
Ok, here we go!
5. O Come All Ye Faithful-- I love this song simply because it is so happy and joyful sounding. It even says so right in the song: O come all ye faithful, JOYFUL and TRIUMPHANT!
4. Angels We Have Heard on High-- My favorite part is trying to sing "Glooooooooria" in a really operatic voice. I've been doing this lately and my girls have been telling me to stop.
3. We Three Kings-- For some reason, I have loved this song since I was a little girl. I remember a conversation I had with my mom while we were riding in the car one time: "Mom, what is an 'orientare'? Mom: "It's not a thing, it's a place-- the Orient." I was still confused at the time, but eventually I figured it out. I've always loved the chorus, "Star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright! Westward leading, still proceeding...."
2. O Holy Night-- this one is just plain beautiful. Beautiful lyrics with a beautiful melody. I just wish I could get my voice to go high enough to hit some of the high notes.
And my number one favorite Christmas carol is.......
1. O Come, O Come Emmanuel-- I've always liked this one, but it was only in the last five years or so that the idea of just how much the Old Testament and New Testament are connected has really started to sink in for me. I think, like most people, I always saw the Bible as a series of stories, with Jesus being the most important story. But as I've grown in my faith, I can clearly see that the Bible is really one big story. My Bible study leader last year would always say, "The New Testament is concealed in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New." Last year I studied the life of Moses, and through reading his story, and the story of the birth of the nation of Israel, I can see how much we needed a Savior! I can almost hear the Hebrew slaves in Egypt crying out, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel!!" And even though Moses or any of those Israelites didn't live long enough to see it-- Emmanuel came! Emmanuel literally means "God with us." Oh, I'm so glad he came. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to thee, O Israel!"
What are some of your favorite carols?
2 comments:
These are some of my favorites as well - Scout always rolls his eyes when I sing Gloria - and his favorite is probably We Three Kings - my most favorite would have to be It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - but I love them all...
I remember singing Silent night, Holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round young virgin. Still funny! I didn't figure that one out until I was in my teens.
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