Welcome to the Limited Edition Ricochet Christmas Music Fight Club!

 

Ladies and gentlemen, your kind attention, please! Thanksgiving just happened, and it’s time for Christmas music! (Unless you started the day after Halloween like I did.)

I request your assistance in a modest contribution to Ricochet camaraderie and Christmas joy: a Ricochet fight club over Christmas music!  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 will select the question for the next week.

In addition to the joys of verbal combat, the RCMFC is meant to be a place for sharing beautiful Christmas music. Let’s have fun!

Although a serious question like “What is the best Christmas hymn?” appeals to me somewhat, I propose, to start us off, a question with a higher fun/serious ratio:

What is the best version of “Carol of the Bells”?

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There are 58 comments.

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  1. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    If you need some ideas, or just want some cool “Carol of the Bells,” I highly recommend the following.

    The original Trans-Siberian Orchestra rock version.

    Another rock version.

    Piano Dreamers’ sublime piano-only tribute to the TSO version.

    Jarrod Radnich’s sublime piano-only tribute to the TSO version.

    Lindsey Stirling’s superb version.

    String Puppies’ superb version at the Alps.

    This weird, creepy version with Krampus artwork.

    • #1
  2. Clavius Thatcher
    Clavius
    @Clavius

    In the spirit of the question…

     

    • #2
  3. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    For my official answer, I suggest this nifty little Piano Guys version, with a little “G-d Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” mixed in.

    • #3
  4. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Clavius (View Comment):

    In the spirit of the question…

    Well done. I’d forgotten that one.

    • #4
  5. The Girlie Show Member
    The Girlie Show
    @CatIII

    There’s no goregrind version so I have to make do.

    • #5
  6. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    I should have read the question first.

    • #6
  7. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    The Girlie Show (View Comment):

    There’s no goregrind version so I have to make do.

    Yes!

    • #7
  8. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Percival (View Comment):

    I heard the bells on Christmas Day
    Their old, familiar carols play,
    And wild and sweet the words repeat
    Of peace on earth, good will to men!-I thought as now this day had come,
    The belfries of all Christendom
    Had rung so long the unbroken song
    Of peace on earth, good will to men!-And in despair I bowed my head;
    “There is no peace on earth,” I said;
    “For hate is strong, and mocks the song
    Of peace on earth, good will to men!”-Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
    “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    For Wrong shall fail, and Right prevail,
    With peace on earth, good will to men!” I’ll be in the parking lot.

    Amen!

    Does this count as an official answer?  I say yes.

    But if you all wanna fight about it, please do!

    • #8
  9. DrewInWisconsin, Oik Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    The original Trans-Siberian Orchestra rock version.

    Face Vomiting on Apple iOS 15.4

    • #9
  10. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    But if you all wanna fight about it, please do!

    Nah. I messed up.

    • #10
  11. Stina Inactive
    Stina
    @CM

    This is a great arrangement of Carol of the Bells featuring, well… BELLS!

     

     

    My favorite vocal version is between Barlowgirl and Pentatonix.

    • #11
  12. Stina Inactive
    Stina
    @CM

    The Girlie Show (View Comment):

    There’s no goregrind version so I have to make do.

    This is my son’s favorite version.

    • #12
  13. 9thDistrictNeighbor Member
    9thDistrictNeighbor
    @9thDistrictNeighbor

    This is a lot of fun to sing.  Anything by the Robert Shaw Chorale is wonderful.  You can understand every word.

     

     

    • #13
  14. Painter Jean Moderator
    Painter Jean
    @PainterJean

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    The original Trans-Siberian Orchestra rock version.

    Face Vomiting on Apple iOS 15.4

    Totally agree!!

    • #14
  15. Painter Jean Moderator
    Painter Jean
    @PainterJean

    I like the Celtic Woman version.

    • #15
  16. Bunsen Coolidge
    Bunsen
    @Bunsen

    Painter Jean (View Comment):

    I like the Celtic Woman version.

    Share it please, we can’t fight if we can’t hear it.

    • #16
  17. The Girlie Show Member
    The Girlie Show
    @CatIII

    Celtic Frost > Celtic Women

    • #17
  18. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

     

    • #18
  19. Painter Jean Moderator
    Painter Jean
    @PainterJean

    Ok, let’s see if this works:

    • #19
  20. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    St. George’s Chapel Choir

    St. George’s Chapel Choir sing Carol of The Bells at Windsor | Christmas 2018 – YouTube

     

    This is beautiful too. It’s in the Disney 2021 Christmas movie Home Sweet Home Alone:

    Libera – Carol of the Bells (New) – YouTube

    • #20
  21. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Official Answer: St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir

    St Paul’s Cathedral Choir, Andrew Carwood – Carol Of The Bells (Official Music Video) – YouTube

    • #21
  22. OldPhil Coolidge
    OldPhil
    @OldPhil

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    For my official answer, I suggest this nifty little Piano Guys version, with a little “G-d Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” mixed in.

    The Piano Guys always do great work.

    • #22
  23. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    Epic Imperial Carol of Bells as a piano solo:

     

    • #23
  24. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    Painter Jean (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    The original Trans-Siberian Orchestra rock version.

    Face Vomiting on Apple iOS 15.4

    Totally agree!!

    Thats a bit harsh. I have to disagree!

    While its not my favorite rendition of the carol, its not that.

    • #24
  25. MeandurΦ Member
    MeandurΦ
    @DeanMurphy

     

    • #25
  26. DonG (CAGW is a Scam) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Scam)
    @DonG

    barking dogs are a funny. 

    • #26
  27. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Painter Jean (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik (View Comment):

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    The original Trans-Siberian Orchestra rock version.

    Face Vomiting on Apple iOS 15.4

    Totally agree!!

    It’s not quite the pinnacle of human civilization.

    But it’s pretty close.

    • #27
  28. DMak Member
    DMak
    @DMak

    • #28
  29. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    DMak (View Comment):

    Ah, my childhood Christmas. Green, never white in Zimbabwe.

    • #29
  30. Andrew Miller Member
    Andrew Miller
    @AndrewMiller

    Ah, well, what have I got to lose?

    • #30
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