Tag Archives: Christmas carols

Reason to Sing

What a joy this morning to get back to leading the singing at church along with the other others on the music team. And what a special time to be singing. I loved opening the service with Joy to the World, followed by O Come All You Faithful (a slight modernization of words from Ye.) Even lovelier was the elderly lady who waved and blew me a kiss as I started to sing. Later she told me how ‘thrilled’ she was ‘to see me back up the front.’ Now I don’t claim to be the world’s best singer but I … Continue reading →

Christmas Carols

I’m a sucker for Christmas carols. Three of my favorites are ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel,’ ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘What Child is This?’ Mick’s favorite, as others mentioned in the forum, is ‘Silent Night.’ But, as Janet and others said there are so many great carols to choose from. One of the reasons I particularly like ‘What Child is This?’ is because the birth and the death of Jesus are linked together which they should be. Too often it seems people want to enjoy and celebrate the Christmas story and the birth of Jesus as a baby but forget … Continue reading →

Christmas Joy

On Sunday we want to our sister church- the other church that belongs to our parish. We were greeted the door by children dressed as Mary, Joseph and shepherds and what was, with a bit of imagination,a donkey. In reality he was a huge grey shaggy Irish wolfhound, the size of pony and sporting a pair of gray donkey ears. But what a charming and well behaved donkey he made, as he walked in with the children to be part of the nativity scene up the front near the Christmas tree that with its central branch and two large branches … Continue reading →

The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas

Ten years ago I was on bedrest due to complications in my twin pregnancy. During my many hours of TV watching I kept seeing ads for The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas. I’d never bought anything off TV before, and I haven’t since, but I’m glad I got these CDs. The treasury comes with two discs and a total of forty-five Christmas songs. Even though my twins are almost ten, these Christmas CDs are still played a lot at our house. I don’t remember what I paid for it, but it was worth every penny! Some of the singers are from … Continue reading →

The Power of Christmas Music

We’ve been taught about the power of hymns to bring us closer to the Savior. As I’ve been driving around town running my errands the last few days, I’ve also found that certain Christmas music also has that power – the car is one of the only places where I’m really able to listen to music and hear the lyrics. I’d like to share with you a couple of my favorite Christmas songs and explain just why they impact me so greatly. The first is “O, Holy Night.” I have loved this hymn for as long as I can remember. … Continue reading →

Is it Already Time for Christmas Music?

My eldest daughter is a Christmas music junky. She loves all sorts of versions and doesn’t seem to mind whether it is popular music, carols, or instrumentals. This time of year rolls around and she starts singing and playing the carols. I’ve tried asking her to wait at least until the day after Thanksgiving but now that she is only months away from being a legal adult, she’s probably old enough to make her own decisions about such things. Still, I refuse to believe it is already Christmas music time of year… She pointed out last night as she was … Continue reading →

In the Chill of Midwinter

I just heard an interesting and haunting Christmas carol. It was a combination/juxtaposition of the classic “What Child is This” with a song unfamiliar to me called “Child of the Poor” (written by Scott Soper, published by OCP Publications c. 1994). The lyrics which struck me were these: “Helpless and hungry, lowly, afraid, wrapped in the chill of midwinter; comes now among us, born into poverty’s embrace, new life for the world….” You may be wondering what this has to do with adoption. These lyrics struck me because I heard them not only the week before Christmas, but on the … Continue reading →

Caroling! (A family that sings together stays together)

There is no time of year more suited for group singing that Christmastime, what with dozens of fun, seasonal and family friendly classics pouring out of our radios, it is quite impossible not to break out into song! Your family may already have everything you need to compile and learn a short 3-5 song set list. Consider the following tunes: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Deck the Halls Santa Claus is Coming to Town Jingle Bells Frosty the Snowman Silent Night Oh Come All Ye Faithful It may be best to adopt a medley format, starting with your strongest tune … Continue reading →

Christmas Crafts: Music Inspired Decoration or Gift

Your kids will be so proud of their handiwork when this beautiful sheet music craft is completed. This idea is perfect as a Christmas decoration for any room in your home and it also makes a great handmade gifts. There are a couple different variations you can try. What you will need: Picture Frame Sheet Music (from a holiday song or Christmas carol) Glue Christmas picks or other holiday themed decorative items What you will need to do: You can often find old sheet music at antique shops and second hand stores. You can also visit VirtualSheetMusic.com to print off … Continue reading →