I’ve always wanted to record my very own Christmas album.
Actually, that’s not even a little bit true for an album of any kind, unless you count taping Madonna off the radio when I was 11 and singing “Material Girl” super loud because my mother detested all that Madonna represented in the 1980’s. What can I say? I was living in a material world, and I was a material girl. It was like the anti-song for the true meaning of Christmas, and it transformed my mother into a crazy woman. When I was 11, that kind of awesome got marked straight in the Win Column of my Big Book of Driving My Mother Insane. I was on a roll!
Then my parents moved our family to Papua, Indonesia where I met malnourished children for the first time. Want to know what will cut the material tumor straight out of a kid? Yep; that kind of move will do it. And I’ll bet my mama marked it in the Win Column of her Train My Daughter Up In the Way She Should Go book. Sheesh. Those mamas are tricky creatures; you have to watch out for them. Seriously. They have skills.
Well, along with the rejection of material girl status, I apparently lost my taste in music.
Last week, I posted this on the Five Kids Facebook page:
I just admitted (in public, which we ALL know is the VERY WORST place to admit stuff) that my favorite Christmas song is Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant. There was giggling. And some chortling. And a guffaw or two. And one person who told me (in secret later) that it’s her fave, too (the chickenpants.)
Help a girl raise her coolness factor into this century, will you? I need a solid Christmas playlist. What’s YOUR favorite Christmas song?
Not only did several of you respond by coming out of the Breath of Heaven closet in public (you’re no chickenpantses!), now, thanks to modern technology and dozens of reader suggestions, I present to you…
The Five Kids Christmas Album!
(OK. Technically, it’s a YouTube playlist, but let’s pretend that it’s…)
The Five Kids Christmas Album!
‘Cause that just feels cooler.
You can play the album here:
[iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLA7A8563B8F9AB393&hl=en_US” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen]
Twelve Days of Christmas: Straight No Chaser
Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Norah Jones and Willie Nelson
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: The Bare Naked Ladies and Sarah MacLachlan
Jesus Born On This Day: Mariah Carey
O Holy Night: Josh Groban
Breath of Heaven: Amy Grant
Christmas Canon: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
A Baby Changes Everything: Faith Hill
Mary Did You Know: Mark Lowery
I’ll Be Home for Christmas: Michael Bublé
There were so many more worthy suggestions from you, but the sound quality on YouTube didn’t translate for every song. (I scoured it for a good recording of All is Well, for example, but no dice. SO SAD!) If your favorite isn’t already represented here, please do leave it in the comments so everyone can enjoy it.
Merry Christmas!
Beth
……….
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17 responses to “Now Playing: The Five Kids Christmas Album”
I love “Let There be Light” by Point of Grace
Oops, almost forgot. Roger Whittaker is a classic I came to love in adulthood thanks to a roommate. Now thanks to my husband, I can’t live without the Andy Williams christmas album. My absolute favorite cut is Jingle Bells/Sleighride with all the hip, cool, swinging orchestral arranging the 60’s could afford.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLPWI2q5H_w&w=420&h=315%5D
I love Breath of Heaven so much that I’m going to sing it at the NVFC Christmas program on Sunday. That’s assuming I can get through it without crying. Yup, I’m a sucker. Wherever songwriters or movie producers want me to go emotionally – I go. So embarrassing.
What? No Justin Bieber, or as my 5 year old calls him, Justin Beaver, on your list? Just kidding.
I love Harry Connick Jr.’s Christmas CD’s and I also love all Elvis Christmas music.
I LOVE Breath of Heaven! At my kids’ piano recital yesterday, one of the older teens played it. I got all teary eyed (that should count as a double confession!) Also, Mary Did You Know, usually reduces me to sniffles.
I can’t get through the holidays without listening to the crooners, especially Bing! As for modern music, Bunch of Believers’ “Ska-la-la-la-la” is great fun!
This is one of my favorites. This version was one of those Philly flash mobs that makes the news every so often. Wish I had been there!
http://www.philly.com/philly/video/106492678.html
Oh, and I have a Celtic Christmas CD somewhere that I adore!
Straight No Chaser is AWESOME! Better with video of course. And I’ve been hearing things about this Trans-Siberian Orchestra this fall… I’ve never heard of them before. I think I must remedy that!
Since I’m already taking over the comments section, I might as well really go for it. Right? Right.
“Do you hear what I hear”, Third Day
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, Nicole Mullin
“What Child is This”, Mercy Me
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, Jars of Clay
“Emmanuel”, Michael W. Smith (okay, now THIS is one I should be nervous to admit in public) 😉
And, Jeff’s all-time favorite, “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers”, Harry Connick Jr. (That’s one of my favorite albums, but this is Jeff’s personal best. Just ask him.)
And furthermore, Amy Grant’s “Breath of Heaven”? EVERYONE loves it. Literally everyone. Some are fearless enough to admit it, but it’s impossible to deny the majesty of that song. Even guys who claim it’s too “girlish” a song for them to dig are really, truly, secretly deep-down thankful for their sister/mom/wife/girlfriend that insists they make this song part of the holiday mix.
So don’t be embarrassed about your healthy appreciation for Christmas perfection! Embrace it. You’re one of the lucky ones who can fly her Amy flag high! (Any naysayers are just jealous.) 😉
A key Christmas song is the classic orchestral arrangement of “Sleigh Ride”– you know, the one every plays in band or orchestra growing up? (This song is best enjoyed by loudly singing the part you played in middle school/high school/college, and especially fabulous if done in tandem with other band friends singing their parts. Christmas perfection!)
I know other folk who grew up in Newberg will agree with me on this– you need just a sprinkle of “Jingle Bell Rock” to make the holiday season complete. This is not particularly important based on the merits of the song itself, but rather the dance steps taught at CVMS that EVERY Newberg kid still remembers. At least at some point every Christmas season, you’ll catch yourself doing the steps to the dance (step, touch! step, touch! step, touch! step, touch! walk, two, three, brush! walk, two, three, brush! turn, two, three, clap! turn…..) when some retail establishment plays this song. Don’t believe me? Just look around Fred Meyer the next time you hear this. Small town gold!
I love Straight No Chaser. I think I may love the Christmas Can Can even more than the 12 Days of Christmas. It’s a toss up.
Pretty much anything by TSO goes on my favorites list. Oh, and my 6 month old loves Bing Crosby, so that works out well. 🙂
1. That Michael Bublé kid (I’ll admit it) gives Bing Crosby a run for his money with “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” 2. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra piece is hitting below the emotional belt – not fair selecting your wedding processional thinly disguised as a Christmas song and then letting your tough-as-nails old man stumble on it in a play list 3. Roger Whitaker – in German no less – NOW we’re talkin’!
The GFU choir and orchestra performed a beautiful rendition of All Is Well at their concert last night. It’s a new fave for me.
You lost YOUR taste in music? I don’t want to hear about it. I was the only kid in my sixth grade class listening to Roger Whitaker.
Speaking of which, your Christmas album has some omissions: