{"id":302,"date":"2007-12-26T01:01:19","date_gmt":"2007-12-26T01:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2007\/12\/favorite-christmas-carols.html"},"modified":"2007-12-26T01:01:19","modified_gmt":"2007-12-26T01:01:19","slug":"favorite-christmas-carols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/12\/favorite-christmas-carols.html","title":{"rendered":"Favorite Christmas Carols"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 2 in the series: More Christmas Carol Surprises<\/em>
\nPermalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nWhat are your favorite Christmas carols? <\/strong>
\nFrom one perspective this is an easy question. My guess is you already have some answers in mind: \u00e2??Joy to the World,\u00e2?\u009d \u00e2??O Little Town of Bethlehem,\u00e2?\u009d \u00e2??White Christmas,\u00e2?\u009d \u00e2??Jingle Bells,\u00e2?\u009d and, perhaps<\/em> the all time favorite, \u00e2??Silent Night.\u00e2?\u009d Yet from another perspective this question isn\u00e2??t quite so simple. When I refer to carols, do I mean sacred carols or holiday songs? Or am I lumping them all together? And what about songs that seem to bridge between the sacred and the popular, like \u00e2??Little Drummer Boy\u00e2?\u009d or \u00e2??Do You Hear What I Hear?\u00e2?\u009d
\nThe debate about what constitutes a Christmas carol (vs. holiday song, or Christmas hymn, or seasonal folk song, or . . .) is a complicated one. Musicologists used to describe a carol as a song with verses and a repeating chorus, usually used in dancing. Indeed, the word \u00e2??carol\u00e2?\u009d comes from the Old French word \u00e2??carole,\u00e2?\u009d that refers to a circle dance. In centuries past there were carols not only for Christmas, but also for other holidays. In those times church leaders distinguished between sacred Christmas music (hymns, chants) and secular carols, which the leaders often denigrated or even tried to outlaw altogether. But in recent times the word \u00e2??carol\u00e2?\u009d has become inescapably associated with the Christmas music and little else. If a song celebrates something associated with Christmas, or even winter cheer, it may be considered a carol. (Photo: A folk dancing group doing a circle dance.)
\nAs I think about Christmas music, I make a rough and ready distinction between religious Christmas carols and secular carols or holiday songs. \u00e2??God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen\u00e2?\u009d is a religious carol, while \u00e2??Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas\u00e2?\u009d is a holiday song. This distinction wouldn\u00e2??t stand up to close scholarly scrutiny, especially given the crossover songs, but it works fairly well in practice. It’s more about the content of the lyrics than the genre of the music, though most religious carols have a hymn-like form.
\nSo, then, let me ask two questions: First, what are your favorite religious Christmas carols? Second, what are your favorite holiday songs? Note: Tomorrow I’ll work on the second question. Today I’ll focus on the first.
\nFavorite Religious Carols<\/strong>
\nI\u00e2??ve looked in vain for some definitive survey that would tell us which religious carols Americans like most? If you find one, please let me know<\/a>. It would be especially interesting to see how preferences vary with age, religious commitment, ethnicity, and other variables. But since I haven\u00e2??t found anything systematic, you’re stuck with my own rather idiosyncratic observations.
\nIt seems to me that sacred Christmas music can be organized in a four-tier hierarchy. The top tier contains songs that are sacred classics, carols that will be sung in most churches and will even be heard in secular malls and concerts during the holiday season. One characteristic of a top tier song is that Christmas just wouldn\u00e2??t be Christmas unless you heard this song several times. Second tier carols are favorites, but they haven\u00e2??t quite made it into the top tier. They\u00e2??ll be sung just a little less frequently than the others, and are loved by somewhat fewer people, but not less passionately. Third tier carols will be heard and sung, but much less frequently. The fourth tier contains carols that are rarely sung today, even though they may be personal favorites for some individuals. I suppose I could add a fifth tier: Most Hated Carols. But somehow that wouldn\u00e2??t be in keeping with the holiday spirit.
\nHere\u00e2??s my shot at the hierarchy. Remember, this reflects my experience as an Anglo, American, Protestant. Now I\u00e2??m sure<\/em> almost every reader will want to move things around, to add or to subtract. If you want to have some fun, make your own hierarchy. This could even be a delightful Christmas afternoon game to be shared among friends and family after the presents are open. I do reserve the right to change my order, especially as I hear from you.\n<\/p>\n

\"christmas<\/p>\n

Don’t Know “What Sweeter Music”? <\/strong>
\n“What Sweeter Music” was set to music by the English musician and conductor John Rutter in 1987. The lyrics are from a Christmas poem by the seventeenth-century English poet Robert Herrick. (Herrick is perhaps most famous for the line: \u00e2??Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.\u00e2?\u009d) I\u00e2??ll print the lyrics to Herrick\u00e2??s poem below, in case you\u00e2??re interested. But without the music, the words just don\u00e2??t sing. Unfortunately I can\u00e2??t put up a recording of Rutter\u00e2??s song (copyright limitations), but this link<\/a> will take you to a link where you can hear part of the song (and buy the album<\/a>, if you wish).
\nFor several years, the choir of Irvine Presbyterian Church sang “What Sweeter Music” as the capstone of the 11:00 p.m. communion service on Christmas Eve. It was one of my favorite moments of the year. Not only did I get to hear one of my favorite Christmas songs, but also my Christmas Eve marathon, with four worship services was drawing to a close.
\nAt any rate, here are the lyrics for “What Sweeter Music”:<\/p>\n

A Christmas Carol, Sung to the King in the Presence at White-Hall<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[CHORUS] What sweeter music can we bring,
\nThan a carol, for to sing
\nThe birth of this our heavenly King?
\nAwake the voice! Awake the string!
\nHeart, ear, and eye, and everything.
\nAwake! the while the active finger
\nRuns division with the singer.
\n[VOICE 1] Dark and dull night, fly hence away,
\nAnd give the honor to this day,
\nThat sees December turned to May.
\n[2] If we may ask the reason, say
\nThe why, and wherefore, all things here
\nSeem like the springtime of the year?
\n[3] Why does the chilling Winter’s morn
\nSmile, like a field beset with corn?
\nOr smell, like to a mead new-shorn,
\nThus, on the sudden?
\n[4] Come and see
\nThe cause, why things thus fragrant be:
\n‘Tis He is born, whose quickening birth
\nGives life and luster, public mirth,
\nTo heaven, and the under-earth.
\n[CHORUS] We see Him come, and know Him ours,
\nWho, with His sunshine, and His showers,
\nTurns all the patient ground to flowers.
\n[1] The darling of the world is come,
\nAnd fit it is, we find a room
\nTo welcome Him.
\n[2] The nobler part
\nOf all the house here, is the heart,
\n[CHORUS] Which we will give Him; and bequeath
\nThis holly, and this ivy wreath,
\nTo do Him honor; who’s our King,
\nAnd Lord of all this reveling.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 2 in the series: More Christmas Carol Surprises Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series What are your favorite Christmas carols? From one perspective this is an easy question. My guess is you already have some answers in mind: \u00e2??Joy to the World,\u00e2?\u009d \u00e2??O Little Town of Bethlehem,\u00e2?\u009d \u00e2??White Christmas,\u00e2?\u009d \u00e2??Jingle Bells,\u00e2?\u009d…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christmas-carols"],"yoast_head":"\nFavorite Christmas Carols - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}