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Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Favourite Carols with Donna Alward

Seeing as it's December and everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite carols on the blog today! I'll confess - I'm a bit of a traditional girl, and my faves kind of reflect that. You really won't find any BoneyM on my list. Promise.

When it comes to church services, I have a few sentimental favourites. If I happened to sub for the organist a day, I loved playing Hark The Herald Angels Sing. I had way too much fun with the bass line - it's very majestic. And there is nothing better than the congregation singing Silent Night by candlelight on Christmas Eve.

I adore White Christmas - but my favourite must be sung by Bing Crosby and the cast of the movie:


Then there's Nat King Cole and The Christmas Song:



And finally - this is the one that my kids and I ADORE because I become very silly when it comes on. The happiness is infectious.  And thank you to the Sirius XM holiday hits channel for playing it, because we have that station on from the end of November to New Years. Here's Dominick the Donkey:


And if Christmas isn't your think and you want something a little more sunny and warm, BREATHE (my winery story) is out in Print this month-it just released yesterday. You can check it out here.

What are some of your favourite carols?

8 comments:

Laurie G said...

What Child Is This
Oh Holy Night
Silent Night

Must Be Santa and
Up On the Rooftop- Raffi

Aspen Glow- John Denver

Michele L. said...

O Holy Night
Silver Bells
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
I want a Hippotamus for Christmas
(Very Cute!)

Jennie Marsland said...

I like choral arrangements of old carols - Once in Royal David's City, The Holly and the Ivy. O Holy Night is gorgeous.

Kathy Mattea's version of 'Mary, Did You Know?' is lovely, and then, for sheer goofiness, there's always "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer."

Donna Alward said...

Laurie - our elementary school ends every concert/Christmas performance with Must Be Santa. The music teacher does fun things with it. Going to miss that next year. :-)

Michele - the original I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is my fave version!

And Jennie - I remember playing Once In Royal David's City for church in Calgary - and also doing a flute part for The Holly and The Ivy. :-) Carols are great, aren't they?

Kaelee said...

Hi Donna ~ Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Some of my favorite carols are O Holy Night, Silent Night and Joy to the World. Fun songs include Rudolph, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and Six White Boomers. I enjoy just about any Christmas song as long as the singer doesn't mess too much with the original version of the music or lyrics.

ev said...

Bing singing White Christmas. To this day I still cry at the end of the movie.

Little Drummer Boy.
Do you Hear What I Hear?
Muppets and John Denver 12 Days of Christmas.

but I'm just not feeling Christmasy this year. Yet. I will.

Mary Preston said...

OH HOLY NIGHT tops my list.

Donna E said...

Merry Christmas Donna - and to your family!

I had never heard Dominick the Donkey before; but it is a cute song for sure!

I enjoy hearing Christmas Carols -- all the 'churchy' ones -- but I have trouble singing them as they don't seem to be in my voice range, so I just enjoy listening.

Other Christmas songs I enjoy: White Christmas; I saw Mama kissing Santa Claus; Alvin & the Chipmunk's Hula-Hoop [these last 2 I pantomimed for a Christmas program when I was in elementary school in the late 1950s - lol ]; the BC Clark jingle (a jewelry store in Oklahoma - their Christmas jingle is famous); the Hippopotamus song; Do You Hear what I Hear; Little Drummer Boy; well, just too many to name.