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Ricochet Christmas Music Fight Club: The Amazing Third Fight!
Like the Ricochet Movie Fight Club of happy memory and the Ricochet Dueling Book Club, the Ricochet Christmas Music Fight Club is a place for fighting to the death over who has the best answer to a selected question of the week. I plan to post the RCMFC around Friday or Saturday each week until Christmas. Whoever’s answer gets the most likes wins! The winner of the first four fights selects the question for the next week.
In addition to the joys of verbal combat, let’s remember that the RCMFC is meant to be a place for sharing beautiful Christmas music. Let’s have fun!
Last week’s battle saw Clavius triumph with Tom Lehrer’s “A Christmas Carol.” This week, Clavius asks us:
What Christmas song do you most like to sing wherever you are comfortable? Shower, forest, choir, or wherever you sing!
You know what to do now: Answer the question, and fight about it!
(Reminders: Fight, but don’t be a jerk. And share some Christmas joy even if we are pretending to be fighting!)
Published in General
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
That’s the right answer there.
I grew up mostly in Zimbabwe. Here’s my favorite to sing, Number 7 in the Shona Baptist hymnal, a Zimbabwean translation/reimagining of “Who Is He?,” a classic but now rarely sung English hymn.
Holly Jolly Christmas.
Back in the day, Hildman Strings had “Ferry Merry Christmas”, where we rode the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton and back, playing Christmas carols for the riders (1 hour each way). This was one of the most fun tunes we played.
O Holy Night, because it’s my favorite Christmas song.
https://youtu.be/9iMh1LM-JCM
In a group that sings vocal parts (such as a choir), Angels We Have Heard on High when I can belt out the soaring tenor line on the refrain. Though I sometimes sneak in to join the basses on the fun-to-sing rollicking bass line.
The First Noel also has a really fun bass line, but I’m going with Angels because both the bass and tenor lines are so much fun to sing.
Orr-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-or-oorreo!
Cream-filled chocolate cookie dough!
Ok, I’ll shut up now.
I tend to sing Winter Wonderland even when it’s not Christmas time.
Been one of those years, so I need a little Chriatmas right this very minute.
When I’m playing my guitar, the most likely Christmas carol for me to start thumping out is Joy to the World. I’m pretty sure that it could be a pretty good subject for a post all on its own. I seem to be leaning toward bluegrass in my selections this year. Here is a nice version by the Petersens that fits the theme well.
I don’t know how the fight club works, but this by Andrea Bocelli just blows me away every time. I’ll post two clips, one with lyrics and one with visuals.
Glory to God in the highest!
And so much meaning to it, too.
We know the truth:
The real answer is here, and there is no doubt. But here is one of my favorite presentations of a Christmas song where the tune has been swapped out for an isometric tune of a very different sort:
This is the version I love the best:
It’s one of my favorites too. Kathleen Battle sings that wonderfully, but check this guy singing it.
Ah! One that covers more verses. I was just thinking I should look for one that had all verses.
Its a toss up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t039p6xqutU
OR
But I change the lyrics a little. I sing “Its startin to sound like tone deaf” …
I can’t say I actually have a favorite, but this comes awfully close to a favorite Christmas carol.
I have to say I have a bias to these medieval songs. Here are the lyrics.
Technically it’s not even about Christmas but the Annunciation.
Most Highly Favored Lady!
I love singing this in public and the song itself says why…
Thank you for sharing. That is beautiful!
It’s no toss up. “It’s beginning to feel like Christmas” is the clear winner for me.
Lo, How a Rose e’er Blooming
Favorite to sing in ensemble (small choir):
Beaten to it by Clavius!
And we both picked the same version from YouTube!
I’m not allowed to sing — court order.
But sometimes I do anyway. I very quietly sing along with Handel’s Messiah, and I do so any time of the year, but especially during Advent season.
The annoyingly named The Christmas Song.
Here’s one for this Sunday, third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday.
The refrain is catchy.
Here is a nice chart with the Latin and translations, both literal and more poetic.