If I haven’t fumbled this, as I so often do, it’s now Thursday morning and I’ve gone out Christmas-shopping while you’re hearing this lovely rendition by Josh Groban of a Christmas standby, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. Thank you, Erlene, for requesting it.
I have just enough time, before I dash out for Christmas-shopping, to post this Advent hymn requested by Phoebe: On Jordan’s Bank. And if I don’t hurry, I won’t be able to find a parking space. Thank you, Phoebe.
Our friend “SlimJim” asked for Noel in some language other than English: so here it is in French, sung by the Grise sisters (there should be an accent over the “e”, but I don’t have one on my keyboard). I think The First Noel was originally a French Christmas carol anyway, so we didn’t have far to go.
Our Christmas Carol Contest has slowed way down today, so let me try to give it a jump.
On This Day Earth Shall Ring was first sung in the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer’s time, when it had Latin lyrics and was called Personent Hodie. Here we have it sung by the St. Malachy College Choir in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Turn up the volume for this one! You’ll be glad you did.
This has been a favorite for a lot of people, Bing Crosby and David Bowie together, singing The Little Drummer Boy with Peace on Earth–sort of a complicated arrangement, but these two were pros.
Requested by Marcia.
Requested by Jan–Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, sung by the choir at Manchester Cathedral, in England: traditional French melody, from Picardy (just across the Channel).
Come one, come all, to our first Christmas Carol Contest! Don’t rely on just a few readers to do all the work.
I don’t know. Maybe I should offer a cooler prize, instead of an autographed copy of one of my books.
Anyhow, the business at hand is to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ as the focal point of human history, as something that really happened, Word of God made flesh, Holiness born as one of us–and in a stable, no less! But to the King of Kings the most opulent palace in the world would fall as far short of His glory as any stable would. And it’d be a lot less cozier.
Our friend “thewhiterabbit” asked for this one–God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, sung by Keith and Krysten Getty, backed up by the Irish band, the Star of Munster. Not the usual arrangement!
The leadership in the contest now belongs to O Holy Night by Il Divo, with 25 views on the day it was posted. Can we get more than 25?
Joshua has another Christmas hymn for us–Mary, Did You Know?, sung by Mark Lowry with the Gaither Vocal Band. This is the second request for this hymn, but there’s no limit, so let everyone feel free to promote any hymn they wish to hear. It’s all part of the fun of our first annual Christmas Carol Contest!
The winner will be whoever asked for the hymn that had the most views on any single day of the contest. Meanwhile, there’s one prize for everyone–the hymns themselves.
Justin’s brother, Jeremy, enters our Christmas Carol Contest with this request: O Holy Night, by Il Divo.
So far, What Child Is This? continues to lead with 22 views on the day it was posted. I don’t know–is that a lot of views? Well, we’ll find out, I guess.
Erlene requested this, wanted to be sure we didn’t leave it out–The First Noel, sung by the Kings College Choir at Cambridge, England. “Born is the King of Israel…” And He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.