It took me a night and two days to remember the title of this carol, but I got it, finally, while I was having my cigar: Good Christian Men Rejoice, performed by the choir and congregation at Grace Community Church.
I love the way this sounds, when played outdoors in the snow by a street band.
I missed almost all the run-up to Christmas, and I couldn’t see my way to setting up a carol contest. But hang it all, I want my Christmas! I want the Christmas spirit to dwell here for a while.
So I’ll keep on taking and post Christmas hymn requests. Ask for your favorite carols: I’ll keep at it till New Year’s.
Here’s one of mine: I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing. Yes, I do know you can’t actually sail a ship to Bethlehem. But how badly does that matter?
Well, we couldn’t let Christmas go by without posting Silent Night, could we? Thanks, Phoebe, for requesting it.
Here we have it from the choir at Kings College, Cambridge.
It was hard to remember the name of this carol (The Sussex Carol)–and wouldn’t you know it, I brought myself to tears as soon as I found it and started to play it
Can’t help it!
Requested by SemperSoloDeoGloria, we have Joy to the World, sung by Phil Wickham and friends–with a little bit of Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee thrown in.
I have given in to the temptation not to write or post any nooze, these next two days.
No tree, no wreath, no lights–we’ve been too busy, too tired, to do any of those Christmassy things. I’m sort of a shell of myself, and Patty is worn out: for six weeks it was all on her (“Get to work, horse!”)–and now she has me to take care of.
No presents. Hard to buy presents when you’re stuck in the hospital.
And yet… dog my cats if it doesn’t feel like Christmas! Oh, the memories! And every carol stirs my soul.
We have to rest this afternoon. Have to! Perilously close to running on empty. So we’ll have a supper that can mostly cook itself, turn off the lights and love the snow, and watch a Christmas movie: George C. Scott’s Christmas Carol, I think.
And the day after Christmas is the anniversary of our first date, back in 1976.
Merry, happy, loving, remembering Christmas, everyone.
Requested by Phoebe: Away in a Manger. I think this was the first Christmas carol I learned, and it has never failed to move me.
Sung here by John Denver (couldn’t find it be Pavarotti)/
Requested by Erlene: O Holy Night, sung by Donna Roberson (I couldn’t get Carroll).
Hooray! I had my cigar, then got out of the chair and back indoors without a mishap.
Requested by SemperSoloDeoGloria, Angels We Have Heard on High, performed by For King and Country (on a hilltop that looks kind of tricky to me–don’t fall, anybody).
Requested by Phoebe, Adeste Fideles, sung by Luciano Pavarotti at the cathedral in Montreal. You’ll have a hard time topping this.