Christmas Music

Children's Christmas Party

This interesting album is a recording of a typical American family having a Christmas Eve party. The singing certainly isn't great, but it sounds like real people.

Song titles:

• Jingle Bells
• The Night Before Christmas (recitation)
• Up On the Roof Top
• All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
• Frosty the Snowman
• Silent Night
• The Littlest Angel (recitation)
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Jingle Bell Rock
• I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus

A Child's Holiday
Various Artists

I originally discovered A Child's Holiday at our local library. I promptly bought it. Collections of original Christmas music, particularly children's music, are difficult to find, so I tend to snap them up when I do find them. One song, When Jesus Was a Kid. is worth the price of the whole disk.

Song Titles:

• A Christmas Lullaby by Bill Staines
• When Jesus Was a Kid by Peter Alsop
• P Is For Peace by Sally Rogers
• This Little Light of Mine by Tickle Tune Typhoon
• Get Me Out of Here by Bill Harley
• Blessed by Lui Collins
• Reindeer On My Roof by Tom Paxton
• It's A Holiday by Ella Jenkins
• Calling All The Children Home by John McCutcheon

A Chipmunk Christmas
Alvin, Simon & Theodore with David Saville

I don't know how we'd get through a Christmas season without this album...we're still rooting for Alvin to get his hula hoop.

Song Titles:

• The Chipmunk Song
• All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
• Jingle Bells
• Frosty the Snowman
• Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
• Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
• The Night Before Christmas
• Silver Bells
• White Christmas

A Christmas Album
Amy Grant

Since I have this one on tape, we listen to it in the car quite a bit. My favorite is Emmanuel.

Song Titles:

• Tennessee Christmas
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
• Preiset Dem Konig! (Praise The King)
• Emmanuel
• Little Town
• Christmas Hymn
• Love Has Come
• Sleigh Ride
• The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)
• Heirlooms
• A Mighty Fortress/Angels We Have Heard On High

Christmas Album
Burl Ives

I hesitate to repeat the word "classic" too many times on this page, but I don't think there is another word for Burl Ives.

Song Titles:

• It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
• Silent Night, Holy Night
• O Little Town Of Bethlehem
• O Holy Night
• Happy Birthday, Jesus (A Child's Prayer)
• Oh What A Lucky Boy Am I
• Jingle Bells
• Santa Mouse
• Ave Maria
• The Christmas Story
• Thy Rebuke
• Behold

A Christmas Album
Barbra Streisand

Barbra from way back. The kids think her version of Jingle Bells is hilarious. Of course, one should never miss the opportunity to listen to Bach/Gounod's Ave Maria...this one is spectacular.

Song Titles:

• Jingle Bells?
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
• Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
• White Christmas
• My Favorite Things
• Best Gift
• Sleep in Heavenly in Peace (Silent Night)
• Gounod's Ave Maria
• O Little Town of Bethlehem
• I Wonder as I Wander
• Lord's Prayer

The Classical Child's Christmas
Ernie Mavrides

Orchestrated and arranged to sound like an orchestra, but played on keyboards. Enjoyable.

Song Titles:

• Joy To The World
• God Rest You Merry Gentleman
• Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy
• Angels We Have Heard On High
• We Wish You A Merry Christmas
• The Christmas Concerto
• The First Noel
• The Christmas Oratorio (Aria No.19)
• Silent Night
• Hallelujah! (Chorus)
• Deck The Hall
• Ukrainian Bell Carol
• Overture To The Nutcracker
• March (From The Nutcracker)
• What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
• Christmas Anthem
• Hark The Herald Angels
• How Brightly Shines The Morning Star

December
George Winston

Gorgeous solo piano pieces. We actually listen to this one year-round, both at home and in the car.

Song Titles:

• Thanksgiving
• Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head
• Joy
• Prelude
• Carol of the Bells
• Night: Part One: Snow
• Night: Part Two: Midnight
• Night: Part Three: Minstrels
• Variations on the Kanon by Pachelbel
• The Holly and the Ivy
• Some Children See Him
• Peace

Deck the Halls
The Lettermen and Ferrante & Teicher
Well, we could live without The Lettermen side of the tape, but the Ferrante & Teicher side "makes me feel like dancing," according to my 8 year old music critic.

Song Titles:

• The Little Drummer Boy
• Silent Night, Holy Night
• What Child Is This
• I'll Be Home For Christmas
• O Holy Night
• Deck The Halls With Boughs of Holly/It Cam Upon The Midnight Clear/Good King Wenseslas/Angels We Have Heard On High
• The Twelve Days of Christmas
• O Tannenbaum/What Child Is This/ The First Noel/God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen/O Come All Ye Faithful

Frosty the Snowman
International Children's Choir

A light and sprightly Christmas album. Away In a Manger is sung by a lyrical, young soprano.

Song Titles:

• Up On The House-Top
• Angels We Have Heard On High
• Deck The Halls
• Away In A Manger
• Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
• What Child Is This
• Must Be Santa
• Winter Wonderland
• Jingle Bells
• O Little Town Of Bethlehem
• Frosty The Snowman
• O Tannenbaum
• Good Christian Men Rejoice
• Good King Wenceslas
• Silent Night

A Holiday Celebration

Selected songs from A Peter, Paul and Mary Holiday Concert.
Read my review of A Peter, Paul and Mary Holiday Concert.

Song titles:

• We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• A Soalin'
• The Friendly Beasts
• O Come, O Come Emmanuel
• I Wonder As I Wander
• The Magi (The Heart of Man's A Palace
• Children Go Where I Send Thee
• The Cherry Tree Carol
• 'Twas The Night Before Christmas
• Hayo, Haya
• Light One Candle
• Blowin' In The Wind

On Yoolis Night
Anonymous 4

In my opinion, there is very little that matches that splendor, power and beauty of medieval music. It saddens me, at times, that with the advent of so many complex musical instruments, we seem to have lost the human voice, in concert, as an instrument. The harmonies and counterpoint are astonishing.

Song titles:

• Hodie Christus Natus Est
• O Nobilis Nativitas/O Mira Dei/O Decus Virgineum/Apparuit
• Lux de Luce
• Alleluya: A Nywe Werke
• Verbum Supernum Prodiens
• Balaam de Quo Vaticinans
• Ave Maria
• Gabriel, Fram Heven-King
• Lullaby: I Saw a Swete Semly Syght
• Prolis Eterne Genitor/Psallat Mater Gracie
• Vox Clara, Ecce, Intonat
• De Supernis Sedibus
• Omnes de Saba
• Puellare Gremium/Purissima Mater
• Lullay, Lullay: Als I Lay on Yoolis Night
• Tria Sunt Munera
• Orto Sole Serene/Origo Viri/Virga Iesse
• Peperit Virgo
• Ecce Quod Natura
• Solis Ortus Cardine
• Ther Is No Rose of Swych Vertu
• Videntes Stellam
• Nowel, Owt of Your Slepe Aryse

A Renaissance Christmas Celebration With the Waverly Consort
Waverly Consort

One of the things I love most about music is that, rarely, there is a moment of sublime spiritual transcendence. O Magnum Mysterium has such a moment. Every time I hear that song I thank the gods that I am here and that I am alive and able to resonate with that harmonic in the universe.

Song titles:

• Three Spanish Villancicos
• Courante
• O Magnum Mysterium
• Philov-Volte-Philov
• In Dulci Jubilo
• Five Hymns
• Ave Maria

The Roger Whittaker Christmas Album
Roger Whittaker

Darcy the Dragon is a thoroughly delightful children's song. I can't listen to Tiny Angels without crying...funny, it never affected me before I had children.

Roger Whittaker whistles Brahm's Lullaby... he has an astonishingly pure and beautiful whistle.

Song titles:

• Hallelujah, It's Christmas
• Mighty Like a Rose
• Christmas Song
• Country Christmas
• Darcy the Dragon
• Governor's Dream
• Momma Mary
• Guten Abend, Gute Nacht (Brahms' Lullabye)
• Home for Christmas
• Time for Peace
• Christmas Is Here Again
• Tiny Angels

A Waverly Consort Christmas
Waverly Consort

The subtitle for this album is Christmas From East Anglia to Appalachia. The songs cover a period of seven centuries. There is a mix of English, Irish and American songs, motets and hymns.

Song titles:

• Gloucestershire Wassail
• Gloria in Excelsis
• Gabriel, Fram Heven-King
• Campanis Cum Cymbalis/Honoremus Dominam
• Ave Mundi Rosa
• Verbum Patris Hodie
• Bethlehem
• Exultation
• Star in the East
• Shiloh
• Ther Is No Rose of Swych Vertu
• This Endris Night I Saw a Sight
• Lully, Lulla, Throw Littel Tyne Child
• Darkest Midnight in December
• Wassail Suite