Nat King Cole, a national treasure, sings Away in a Manger. This is what I call the American melody that goes with the hymn.
This was the first Christmas hymn I ever learned. When I hear it, I think of the “primary” class at Sunday school–nowadays it would be called “day care”–and this little book they gave us, one Christmas. On the front cover was a picture of the Holy Family in the manger: and how well I remember the sweet smile on the baby’s face!
I will never forget it.
The only way the devil wins is if he can stop Jesus Christ from being born–and that he couldn’t do.
Requested by Phoebe, Away in a Manger, sung by the choir at Kings College, Cambridge. (Note to Phoebe: This is what I call the British melody that goes with this hymn, The American melody is the other one we often hear.)
By now I think the baby Jesus would have been moved out of the manger, and into a cradle in a rented house, where the Wise Men found him. But the manger is such an enduring symbol of Christmas, and I want to hold on to this Christmas a little longer–because I pray for its spirit to work all year long, every day.
So here is Away in a Manger, sung by the Lutheran Warbler.
And the Christmas Carol Contest rolls on, with this request by Phoebe: Away in a Manger. I thought this John Denver rendition might be nice.
This carol never fails to move me. It’s one of my very earliest memories.
Youtube has this mislabeled as Joy to the World, which is what I expected to hear when I clicked it. But what comes out is this beautiful performance, by the kids at Fountainview Academy, of Away in a Manger.
Think about it. To a world boiling over with wickedness, suffering, sin, and death, God sends, to repair it and redeem it… a baby in a manger.
Christianity is an excitingly wild idea. The more you think on it, the wilder it gets. But as C.S. Lewis said, “He’s not a tame lion.”
This is the melody for Away in a Manger most often sung here in America: and we’ve got Nat King Cole to sing it–a national treasure.
And now we have to hit the road: back this afternoon.
Away in a Manger is one of my very favorite Christmas hymns, and I’m sure I’ll post it more than just this once.
Choices, choices! The Libera boys’ choir… or John Denver… or Nat King Cole? The British melody, or the American? Hard to choose when you love them all.
Hello, out there! Whoever you are, we’re taking Christmas hymn requests and we’d like to get yours.
I don’t know how many versions there are of Away in a Manger, but I do know there’s an American version and this British version: same lyrics, very different melodies. I love them both.
This is by the King’s College Choir at Cambridge.
Well, now I have to go to the nursing home, do a couple of last-minute errands, and rush back home to trim our tree. We will have duck for supper, and tonight it’s presents.
Even so, I remain poised to post Christmas hymns requested by any and all readers. Don’t catch yourself sometime in February muttering, “Gee, I wish I’d asked him to post such-and-such a Christmas hymn! Oh, what regret I labor under!” And so on.
And let’s get our Christmas celebration under way! With Away in a Manger, sung by John Denver–beautiful.
Thanks to our esteemed colleague, “Jessicafischerqueen,” for posting this on my chess page.
Just like last year, everybody, I’ll be taking your requests for Christmas hymns and posting them here. Make as many as you want!
This is the usual melody when Americans sing Away in a Manger. If you’re tuning in from the UK or thereabouts, you might not have heard it before.
And now I’ve got to stop blogging and get some work done. There’s piles and piles of it around here. *sigh*