Topic: looking for some good orthodox christmas hymns an Carols

[jewish voice]

Pretty much what the subject says. I know lots of celtic german an some latin ones so give me a list of Eastern ones that you love so I can look them up an an listen to them even some O.O. ones would be nice 2

[bogdan]

You might be interested in Richard Toensing's "Kontakion on the Nativity of Christ" CD. It includes 12 modern Orthodox carols that are based on liturgical hymns.

http://www.amazon.com/Toensing-Kontakion-Nativity-Orthodox-Christmas/dp/B001KQIRVW/

There are more here, as sheet music: http://www.richardtoensing.com/orthodox.htm.

But if we're talking about the theology of the lyrics, most traditional Western Christmas carols are quite Orthodox.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

[Ionnis]

IMHO, it isn't Christmas without King's College Choir, but if you want to listen to "Eastern" (Orthodox?) music for Christmas, this is ok:
http://www.holycross-hermitage.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=CD0101
:-)

[dzheremi]

Youtube is fun for this kind of thing...

Malankara (Syriac) Orthodox hymn from Vespers on the Feast of the Nativity (in Malayalam)

Three Coptic Orthodox hymns sung on Christmas Eve (forgive the rough sound here; it's one of the only clips that isn't from the annual liturgy at the cathedral in Cairo, which are generally converted really poorly with lots of glitches, missing parts, etc.) This includes my personal favorite, "Eparthenos", which you can hear in a different version with instruments courtesy of Ensemble David, with a long introductory explanation of the meaning and approach to the hymn, in this video)

One of my favorite EOTC nativity hymns, "The Savior of the world is born today"

Mar Sewerios Malki Mourad singing Christmas prayers in Syriac

From the Byzantines, "Miladouka" is one of my favorites, but not this version (just couldn't find my favorite, from the departed Metropolitan of Tripoli, Lebanon, Elias Qurban), so enjoy this hymn, and this one.

I'm having a hard time finding individual Christmas hymns from the Armenian tradition (probably because I don't really know much about it, and don't speak the language), but I thought this video was very beautiful and well done. I'm sure any of the board's Armenians can find tons of wonderful things for this thread.

[NicholasMyra]

Orthodox Troparion:

Thy Nativity, O Christ, our God,
Has shown to the world the light of wisdom.
For by it those who worshiped the stars,
Were taught by a star
To adore Thee, the Sun of Righteousness;
And to know Thee, the Orient from on high.
O Lord, glory to Thee.

O Come Emmanuel and O Holy Night are two of my favorite Western ones.

For my fellow history nerds, here is a British Christmas song in [late middle?] English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j64BxbktO1M

[Alpo]

Julistaa viestin tähtönen

This is a Finnish version of a Ukrainian kolyadka (Christmas carol) "Nova radist' stala", recorded by the Orthodox Chamber Choir (Finland).  Their new CD "The Message of the Star" contains 17 East Slavic kolyadkas in the Finnish language.

[mike]

Julistaa viestin tähtönen

This is a Finnish version of a Ukrainian kolyadka (Christmas carol) "Nova radist' stala", recorded by the Orthodox Chamber Choir (Finland).  Their new CD "The Message of the Star" contains 17 East Slavic kolyadkas in the Finnish language.

I don't like carols performed by professional choirs.

My types: http://www.cerkiew.pl/index.php?id=1072

[Iconodule]

Julistaa viestin tähtönen

This is a Finnish version of a Ukrainian kolyadka (Christmas carol) "Nova radist' stala", recorded by the Orthodox Chamber Choir (Finland).  Their new CD "The Message of the Star" contains 17 East Slavic kolyadkas in the Finnish language.

I don't like carols performed by professional choirs.

My types: http://www.cerkiew.pl/index.php?id=1072

These are great. Is there a place where one can download/ purchase the full albums?

[Alpo]

Julistaa viestin tähtönen

This is a Finnish version of a Ukrainian kolyadka (Christmas carol) "Nova radist' stala", recorded by the Orthodox Chamber Choir (Finland).  Their new CD "The Message of the Star" contains 17 East Slavic kolyadkas in the Finnish language.

I don't like carols performed by professional choirs.

My types: http://www.cerkiew.pl/index.php?id=1072

I believe the aim is that these translated songs would spread for use of the regular folks. Many traditional Finnish Christmas carols tend to be less about dogmatics and less about Christ and Mother of God and more about elfs and Santa Claus and overall sentimentalism. Even many non-Orthodox would love to have more Christian carols these translations answer the need. Maybe some day families and parishes sing these carols without professional choirs.

[mike]

These are great. Is there a place where one can download/ purchase the full albums?

First one: http://www.folk.pl/folk/Zespoly/Szczegoly1.php?GosciezNizin1
Second one: http://forum.funkysouls.com/dump/f46t167736.html (second post from the top)
Third one: http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1189293 or http://prastora.by/muzyka/guda-archajicnyja-abradavyja-spievy
Fourth one: http://pampounia.livejournal.com/1796.html

I don't know which of this places share things legally and which do not.

[Orest]

Julistaa viestin tähtönen

This is a Finnish version of a Ukrainian kolyadka (Christmas carol) "Nova radist' stala", recorded by the Orthodox Chamber Choir (Finland).  Their new CD "The Message of the Star" contains 17 East Slavic kolyadkas in the Finnish language.

Thanks for posting this.  I like the Finns but this choir is singing this Ukrainian carol way too fast.  It sounds like they are marching off down the street.  All they need is a brass band.
here are some other choices of choirs and one solist singing the same traditional Ukrainian Orthodox carol:


I like this version from 2008 where the whole audience stands up and joins in the singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVwYAuJ8IFQ&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pf1rtAfB3I&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn4J9KuQzPY&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM49tLUtIak&feature=related

American version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQCjP_m3OdQ&feature=related

[augustin717]

From Transylvania:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivxEyLg5Qog&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLf4IwVhcbU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqqPVX1WVd0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJIaKFbU5gg&feature=related

[biro]

In my parish, last year, they sang "Silent Night" and some other carols in Greek.  I'm sorry, I don't have a video of that.

[mike]

Thanks for posting this.  I like the Finns but this choir is singing this Ukrainian carol way too fast.  It sounds like they are marching off down the street.  All they need is a brass band.

They sing it well (when it comes to the tempo). These are not funeral hymns.

I like this version from 2008 where the whole audience stands up and joins in the singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVwYAuJ8IFQ&feature=related

Why did the audience stand up?

[podkarpatska]

Thanks for posting this.  I like the Finns but this choir is singing this Ukrainian carol way too fast.  It sounds like they are marching off down the street.  All they need is a brass band.

They sing it well (when it comes to the tempo). These are not funeral hymns.

I like this version from 2008 where the whole audience stands up and joins in the singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVwYAuJ8IFQ&feature=related

Why did the audience stand up?

I love it - your line about not being funeral hymns was one of my late father's frequent criticisms of cantors and priests who belonged to the 'slower, and I mean REALLY slower, is holier' school of thought! Thanks for the memory!

Here the melody of Nova Radost is adapted to the Cherubic Hymn, and sung rather slowly I might add!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFswLtgG2zQ

[mike]

Church Slavonic with American accent sounds funny.

[Iconodule]

These are great. Is there a place where one can download/ purchase the full albums?

First one: http://www.folk.pl/folk/Zespoly/Szczegoly1.php?GosciezNizin1
Second one: http://forum.funkysouls.com/dump/f46t167736.html (second post from the top)
Third one: http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1189293 or http://prastora.by/muzyka/guda-archajicnyja-abradavyja-spievy
Fourth one: http://pampounia.livejournal.com/1796.html

I don't know which of this places share things legally and which do not.

I'm leaning heavily on Google translate to download these things, but it's worth the effort. Thanks Michal!

[podkarpatska]

Church Slavonic with American accent sounds funny.

I think that the accent is not so much 'American' as one from old Austro-Hungary and what is now eastern Slovakia and western Ukraine. It is distinct from the accented Slavonic which would be the norm to the Belarus, Polish and, of course, the Russian Orthodox ear.

[mike]

Carpatho-Russians don't speak "r" properly?

[jewish voice]

I'm really enjoying theses so far keep them coming hear is one that I really like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57l6dSbVppM  The Holly and the Ivy

[podkarpatska]

Carpatho-Russians don't speak "r" properly?

Could you give me an example so I could respond. Thanks! 

[Orthodox11]

We were singing this one after Liturgy today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDp62vmIi0I

[mike]

Carpatho-Russians don't speak "r" properly?

Could you give me an example so I could respond. Thanks! 

Don't you hear the difference betwen "r" pronounced by Slavs and Americans?

[Alpo]

Thanks for posting this.  I like the Finns but this choir is singing this Ukrainian carol way too fast.  It sounds like they are marching off down the street.  All they need is a brass band.

They sing it well (when it comes to the tempo). These are not funeral hymns.

I like this version from 2008 where the whole audience stands up and joins in the singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVwYAuJ8IFQ&feature=related

Why did the audience stand up?

I love it - your line about not being funeral hymns was one of my late father's frequent criticisms of cantors and priests who belonged to the 'slower, and I mean REALLY slower, is holier' school of thought! Thanks for the memory!

Here the melody of Nova Radost is adapted to the Cherubic Hymn, and sung rather slowly I might add!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFswLtgG2zQ

LOL. I thought that singing every religious hymn like a funeral hymn was a Finnish specialty. Here is one example of a Protestant Christmas carol (of Danish origin, btw).

I rather like all these traditional Christmas carols with slow tempo but having a Chrismas carol that actually sounds like a festal hymn is a nice change.

[Orest]

Carpatho-Russians don't speak "r" properly?

I know what you mean but I don't know how to explain the difference.  For example, I am third generation and learned Ukrainian as my first language in the home etc and it was not until I went to University that my professor pointed out the difference to me and the proper way to pronounce a hard "r".  My sisters who did not go to university and their children who are 4th generation pronounce a Ukrainian "r" somewhere between an English soft "r" and a Ukrainian "r".  I am from a rural background and I have noticed that children of my generation who were born & brought up in the city have a better pronounciation propbably because of better teachers available in the chity or also better choir directors.

 Then of course when I took French in public school I had to learn an asphirated "r", which to this day i never mastered.

[Ansgar]

Julistaa viestin tähtönen

This is a Finnish version of a Ukrainian kolyadka (Christmas carol) "Nova radist' stala", recorded by the Orthodox Chamber Choir (Finland).  Their new CD "The Message of the Star" contains 17 East Slavic kolyadkas in the Finnish language.

I love it.

[Ansgar]

Thanks for posting this.  I like the Finns but this choir is singing this Ukrainian carol way too fast.  It sounds like they are marching off down the street.  All they need is a brass band.

They sing it well (when it comes to the tempo). These are not funeral hymns.

I like this version from 2008 where the whole audience stands up and joins in the singing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVwYAuJ8IFQ&feature=related

Why did the audience stand up?

I love it - your line about not being funeral hymns was one of my late father's frequent criticisms of cantors and priests who belonged to the 'slower, and I mean REALLY slower, is holier' school of thought! Thanks for the memory!

Here the melody of Nova Radost is adapted to the Cherubic Hymn, and sung rather slowly I might add!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFswLtgG2zQ

LOL. I thought that singing every religious hymn like a funeral hymn was a Finnish specialty. Here is one example of a Protestant Christmas carol (of Danish origin, btw).

I rather like all these traditional Christmas carols with slow tempo but having a Chrismas carol that actually sounds like a festal hymn is a nice change.

WOW! 
Orthodox christian finns singing a danish christmas carol. And here I was walking around thinking that I had seen it all. It is beautiful.

Here is our version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW3gte8kvo4&feature=related

[Alpo]

Orthodox christian finns singing a danish christmas carol. And here I was walking around thinking that I had seen it all. It is beautiful.

Actually the choir in question is not an Orthodox choir. There might always be some members who are Orthodox Christians but at least it's website doesn't specify it being an Orthodox choir. It just happens to have Christmas concerts in an Orthodox cathedral. I believe though that they sing about nativity of Christ and not about Santa Claus and elves in those concerts.

Here is our version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW3gte8kvo4&feature=related

Beatiful! It's nice to hear that song in original language.

[Orthodox11]

Here is our version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW3gte8kvo4&feature=related

In Norwegian too, just to complete the picture. I remember singing this in school when I was little.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKOgdhv7FJA

[Servos]

Serbian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-KmceEwkZc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHQsbI-P4ok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAO4bNYAX8U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ8wo8hde0c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBHIYZqe8U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qm5e8oXNaU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUEQagbFpDQ