As the carol contest winds down–where is everybody this morning?–we still have plenty of carols to play for you.
Requested by “Thewhiterabbit”: The Coventry Carol comes down to us from 16th-century England. Sung by the Columbine Chorale, this original melody was first published in 1591, although it does go back some years farther than that. The lyrics are in the form of a lullaby for the children who would be killed by Herod in Matthew Chapter 2.
Coming down the stretch in our Christmas carol contest, we have this entry by Phoebe: Mary Had a Baby (My Lord), by the Robert Shaw Chamber Singers.
Who will win the contest? Whoever posts the carol that gets the most views on the day it was requested. And the winner gets an autographed book. It was the best I could do be way of a prize, once King Tut’s golden mask was taken off the table.
Our Second Annual Christmas Carol Contest got off to a great start, but has since let all the air out and is just lying there. Ninety percent of the entries were made by 5 percent of the readers; and the leading carol emerged on the first day of the contest and is still in front today.
All I can say is, I dunno what happened.
Anyhow, we’ve got four more days and anything can happen–right?
So here, to get somebody, anybody, started–Away in a Manger, British melody, sung by the choir of Kings College, Cambridge.
Gee, no one entered this one in the carol contest! Maybe if I post it, the contest will heat up today. There’s always a slowdown after Christmas.
Without further ado: Gesu Bambino, sung by Luciano Pavarotti.
Christmas isn’t over yet–not here, at any rate–and we still have a carol contest going.
Entered by Erlene–What Began in a Manger, by Carroll Roberson.
If you haven’t entered yet–well, the contest closes Dec. 31.
Here are our own friends and esteemed colleagues, Joshua and Jeremy, with an instrumental performance of The First Noel. Hey, guys–bring your guitars to the cyber-Christmas party!
I’m surprised no one has entered this in our Christmas Carol Contest–glorious 14th century Christmas hymn, On This Day Earth Shall Ring, more properly Personent Hodie, sung here by the Mount Holyoke College Vespers. We sang this, long ago, in our middle school Christmas concert. Before they outlawed wholesomeness.
As for the contest, the leader from the first day is still the leader with 25 views on the day it was requested… and still leading on Christmas Day itself. So many of you haven’t entered!
And don’t forget to show up for our cyber-Christmas party…
This is the theme music for the 1984 movie version of A Christmas Carol, starring George C. Scott as Scrooge: God Bless Us, Everyone, by Nick Bicat. The rest of the movie’s pretty good, too!
I had only heard this carol once, years ago, but I never forgot it. Thank you, Phoebe, for entering it in our carol contest–Masters in This Hall, sung by the Robert Shaw Chorale. (I seem to have missed the one with the CC button for lyrics, but this one is too nice to get rid of.)
Ach! No entries yet today in our Christmas Carol Contest. I must provide a carol.
So here’s one to get the ball rolling: We Three Kings of Orient Are, sung by the Robert Shaw Chorale.
If you haven’t entered yet, now is as good a time as any. The contest closes Dec. 31.