Carols

[Michał Kalina]

Since the Entrance has passed accordingly to both calendars I think it's OK to start a carol thread.

For a start my favourite carol indigenous to my father's home village (however sung in Ukrainian, not in the local Belarusian dialect and in some pseudo-pop version).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZEI_kjdRyw#t=0m10s

[Asteriktos]

Christmas carols? My favorite:

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

[JamesRottnek]

My favorite is undoubtedly O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

[theistgal]

Does it have to be a religious-themed carol?

Because my all-time favorite is an old Spike Jones piece called "I'm Gettin' Nothin' for Christmas ('Cause I Ain't Been Nothin' But Bad)".

Though if you think about it, that's just another way of saying "I'm the greatest of sinners" - right?

[crickets]

Er ... right? 

[biro]

"Angels We Have Heard on High"

Nobody plays that anymore. 

[Basil 320]

"Come all ye faithful..."  and "Joy to the World."  I sing them (among other traditional western Christmas carols) during the distribution of the antidoron following the Divine Liturgy for the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, after "Thy Birth O Christ our God..." and "The Virgin Today..."

[Iconodule]

Dobry vechir tobi...

[Michał Kalina]

Dobry vechir tobi...

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

that's a good version

[NicholasMyra]

The first Noel, the angels did say...

[Maximum Bob]

I've always been partial to "Carol of the bells". I agree on "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel". Also I would list "What child is this?" and "Silent Night". 

[LBK]

Silent Night has been rendered in various languages from the original German. Here's a superb Russian version, sung by a choir of nuns:

http://dl.biblion.realin.ru/audio/36_Russkaya_duhovnaya_muzyka._YAko_blagochestivago_korene/15_Tihaya_noch.mp3

And this truly gorgeous carol, sung by the same choir:

http://dl.biblion.realin.ru/audio/36_Russkaya_duhovnaya_muzyka._YAko_blagochestivago_korene/13_Skiniya_zlataya.mp3

[Shanghaiski]

Christmas carols? My favorite:

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Mine, too. I like the one sung by Barenaked Ladies, combined with We Three Kings.

[Alveus Lacuna]

We Three Kings

[Opus118]

my all-time favorite is an old Spike Jones piece ....

impressive

[dzheremi]

I'll throw in my vote for We Three Kings. A wonderful melody...very calming and beautiful without being drowsy or overly saccharine.

[Michał Kalina]

My favourite Ukrainian one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oju6OQmmeaM

[Dominika]

I don’t listen to Carols until the day of Christmas Eve, however I can present my favourite carols (as you can seeu, they’re generally one of my favourite songs)

Dobry vechir tobi is absolutely my favourite carols (it was also one of the first "Orthodox carols" as Ukrainian/Belarussia/Lemko carols are called in Poland - I've heard it many years ago and I fell in love).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KMg6VAjpW8 - that's my favourite recording (video is created by me) however I have a lot of them

The second my favourite carol is a Spanish one "La marimorena" (ande ande ande la marimorena que es la nochebuena)

Others from "the first ten":
Anarchos Theos (not only in Greek, but also in Macedonian, Arabic, Romanian...)
Slava sa aiba (Romanian carol)
Soubhaban kalima (Arabic version of Syriac hymn Shoub Lhaw Qolo)
Nova Radist Stala (Ukrainian)
Eta noc sviataja (Russian? Ukrainian?)
Oj badnjace (Serbian)
O radosne vesti (Serbian)
Dobro doso Hriste (Serbian)

Well, I love A LOT of carols (generally from Orthodox countries), so now maybe by the language:
Spanish: Los peces en el rio, Ya vienen los Reyes Magos, Pastores venid
Eastern-Slavian: Anheli v nebi, Noc tiha nad Palestinaj, Wstawajtie wstawajtie, Oj na mori mori, Tri slavnije carije, Nebo i zemlia (in Polish known as Dzisiaj w Betlejem)
Greek: Kalanta protochonias, kalanta pontou,
Romanian/Moldovan: La poarta la stefan voda, Inchinarea magilor, La viflem colo-njos, La Lina Fantana, Rataceam printr o gradina
Arabic: A3tini elkalam, Al-majd lika Al-Masseeh, Arsal Allah, Ya Mariam el bekr
Polish: Gdy śliczna Panna, Wśród nocnej ciszy, Bóg się rodzi,
Others: Adeste fideles, O pastiri vjerni cuvari (Croatian ), Tri mudreci (Macedonian), God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

[Ansgar]

These guys are amazing 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO7ySn-Swwc

[Monk Vasyl]

This is my favorite, pre-Christmas hymn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4cNnZgMW18

[Orest]

Since the Entrance has passed accordingly to both calendars I think it's OK to start a carol thread.

For a start my favourite carol indigenous to my father's home village (however sung in Ukrainian, not in the local Belarusian dialect and in some pseudo-pop version).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZEI_kjdRyw#t=0m10s

I like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H94Z9FASV8E

[Michał Kalina]

I like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H94Z9FASV8E

If you want it folk, do it folk, if you want it pop - do it pop, if you want to mix pod and folk - think about that because it's very difficult to make something hearable. For me it's not, sorry.

Not to mention that cheap political content in the end.

[mabsoota]

Since the Entrance has passed accordingly to both calendars I think it's OK to start a carol thread.

For a start my favourite carol indigenous to my father's home village (however sung in Ukrainian, not in the local Belarusian dialect and in some pseudo-pop version).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZEI_kjdRyw#t=0m10s

this is really lovely, thanks for cheering my evening 

i also loved dominika's Dobry vechir tobi.

i'm going to go now and listen to some of the others.

i would also love it if people posted some orthodox Christmas songs in english (or translated into english).

[Michał Kalina]

i would also love it if people posted some orthodox Christmas songs in english (or translated into english).

    Your Nativity, O Christ our God,
    Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom!
    For by it, those who worshipped the stars,
    Were taught by a Star to adore You,
    The Sun of Righteousness,
    And to know You, the Orient from on High.
    O Lord, glory to You!

    Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One,
    And the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One!
    Angels with shepherds glorify Him!
    The wise men journey with a star!
    Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a Little Child!

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Nativity

These are the only orthodox Christmas songs I know about.

[mabsoota]

that's lovely, could anyone send a link with a tune?
i may use it with some people from our church.

[genesisone]

i would also love it if people posted some orthodox Christmas songs in english (or translated into english).

    Your Nativity, O Christ our God,
    Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom!
   
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Nativity

These are the only orthodox Christmas songs I know about.

Michał Kalina, this isn't about your ESL - you copied the text faithfully from another site. I'm the one who needs help understanding the language of these two lines. They make sense only if I read them as "Your Nativity has shown to the world the Light of wisdom!" or "Your Nativity has shone on the world the Light of wisdom!" Is it one of these, or am I missing something?

I looked up Nassar's text and found "Thy Nativity hath given rise to the light of knowledge in the world." That one I understand, and it could be argued that what I understand from Nassar's text could be paraphrased either way that I suggested. I'd appreciate some help from someone who can refer to versions in other languages, especially the ancient ones.

[Kerdy]

I like almost anything from the 40s or 50s.  Bing, Frank, Dean, etc.  Love those guys!

[Dominika]

that's lovely, could anyone send a link with a tune?
i may use it with some people from our church.

Two hymns that Michal has posted are the troparion of the Nativity (the first one) and kontakion of the Nativity (the second one. They're known also in Coptic Church, especially the second one (E-parthenos). There are many melodies for them (depending on the tradition e.g Greek, Romanian, Serbian etc.), you can find easily various recordings in the Internet of them.

As we're talking about Orthodox hymn for Nativity, I would like to present my 3 favourite pieces. The first one is the troparion for the Christmas Eve:

Once Mary, pregnant with a seedless pregnancy, was registered in Bethlehem with the elder Joseph, as being of the seed of David. And while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered, but there was no room for them in the inn. But the cave showed itself to be a beauteous palace for the Queen, and Christ is born to raise up the image that fell of old!
here it is in English: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYkoXYa2aM4
and there is my video of the same hymn in Church Slavonic (I prefer this arragment as it's more traditional): www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sZFpoHSMh8&feature=g-crec-u

The other two are from the Canon of the Nativity. The irmos of the first ode:
Christ is born; glorify Him!
Christ comes from heaven; go to meet Him!
Christ is on earth; be exalted!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
And praise Him in gladness, all people, for He has been glorified!
And my video of it in different languages: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a13uGpyL8RA&feature=g-crec-u
In my video I used byzantine setting for it in English, here you have Eastern-Slavic (Russian) melody: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JBzWNOvq-U

And the irmos of the ninth ode (however, the translation does not show the depth of e.g Church Slavonic text):
O my soul, magnify Her, Who is more honorable and Who is more glorious than the Heavenly Hosts.
A mystery I behold which is strange and wondrous.
The Cave is Heaven, and the Virgin is the Throne of the Cherubim;
in the confines of the manger is laid the Infinite Christ our God,
Whom we praise and magnify.
And again, my video of it in different languages: www.youtube.com/watch?v=etw_ekHBJY0&feature=g-crec-u

[William]

I like some secular pop Christmas stuff, especially by Rat Pack type guys.

Then there's Veni Veni, Emmanuel, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, What Child is This? and the Carol of the Bells.

[JamesRottnek]

I like some secular pop Christmas stuff, especially by Rat Pack type guys.

Then there's Veni Veni, Emmanuel, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, What Child is This? and the Carol of the Bells.

What Child is This? is really great.

[mabsoota]

Two hymns that Michal has posted are the troparion of the Nativity (the first one) and kontakion of the Nativity (the second one. They're known also in Coptic Church, especially the second one (E-parthenos). There are many melodies for them (depending on the tradition e.g Greek, Romanian, Serbian etc.), you can find easily various recordings in the Internet of them.

thanks for explaining this! i thought there was just one hymn there, but it is two short hymns.
i found a link for eparthenos with the english here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmFZg_89wO4

i had not realised our hymns were so similar. i looked up those tunes on the internet, but they are mainly choral arrangements.

does anyone have any easy to sing orthodox Christmas hymns?
i don't mean 'catchy' or 'pop' music, just something that does not require a trained choir to sing it! our 'eparthenos' is not in that category either, as it is very melismatic and will take me until Pascha to learn how to sing it!
mmm, that reminds me, it's about time to learn some more of the difficult songs for the paschal season...

[Dominika]

does anyone have any easy to sing orthodox Christmas hymns?
i don't mean 'catchy' or 'pop' music, just something that does not require a trained choir to sing it! our 'eparthenos' is not in that category either, as it is very melismatic and will take me until Pascha to learn how to sing it!
mmm, that reminds me, it's about time to learn some more of the difficult songs for the paschal season...

I think the Nativity Canon chanted in the simple byzantine 1st tone is quite easy (I know there are different arrangements even of this type of chanting this hymn, but believe me, it's not so difficult to sing it) and the troparion of the Nativity chanted in the 4th tone of Russian (synodal) melody - try to find the simplest fragment. This hymn is sung by EO families before the supper on Christmas Eve and before the dinner on Christmas day, so it's not so difficult

[Michał Kalina]

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

Some Belarusian ones.

[Michał Kalina]

What version do you prefer (take into account that Animal is tolling according to the Orthodox way, not the RC one)?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQjhPZUfl6g (my godfather being the conductor  )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysIzPF3BfpQ

[qawe]

i would also love it if people posted some orthodox Christmas songs in english (or translated into english).

O Come, O Come Emmanuel is Orthodox, as it's pre-schism

[augustin717]

i would also love it if people posted some orthodox Christmas songs in english (or translated into english).

O Come, O Come Emmanuel is Orthodox, as it's pre-schism

I doubt it is pre-Chalcedon thogh

[Eastern Mind]

My favorite is undoubtedly O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

I like that one too!

[qawe]

i would also love it if people posted some orthodox Christmas songs in english (or translated into english).

O Come, O Come Emmanuel is Orthodox, as it's pre-schism

I doubt it is pre-Chalcedon thogh

It's post-Constantinople (5th council) though.

My favorite is undoubtedly O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

I like that one too!

+1

[neon_knights]

I've always loved "Good King Wenceslas".

[Maximum Bob]

Generally speaking for me most anything by Mannheim Steamroller is good.

[Michał Kalina]

For a start my favourite carol indigenous to my father's home village (however sung in Ukrainian, not in the local Belarusian dialect and in some pseudo-pop version).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZEI_kjdRyw#t=0m10s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EhZ9b-iJVU&feature=autoshare

Slightly better version.

[mabsoota]

I've always loved "Good King Wenceslas".

visited his shrine in prague a few years ago 
(sfaty vaclav- sorry for wrong spelling). i don't know if the shrine is of him or his father who bore the same name, but it was very exciting to be there.
the story of the page boy putting his feet into the step of 'king' (he was actually a duke) wenceslas / vaclav is actually true. the young man was very cold, and as he put his feet into the places where 'king' wenceslas trod, he warmed up by the power of God. 'king' / saint wenceslas was a holy and good duke who used to give gifts to the poor and rule wisely.

maybe our central european friends know even more about the story.
 

[katherineofdixie]

And now for something completely different:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_VAlVZ0F3M

Sacred Harp singing - "Hark the glad sound..."

[Michał Kalina]

Some more:
http://www.cerkiew.pl/index.php?id=1182

conducted by my godfather
http://www.cerkiew.pl/index.php?id=1183

[Alpo]

It's beginning to look a lot like fish-men!

[Monk Vasyl]

From my Polish side, I enjoy these:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H3hQk6jCyI&list=SPE68CC223FE950DB9&index=1

[Michał Kalina]

From my Polish side, I enjoy these:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H3hQk6jCyI&list=SPE68CC223FE950DB9&index=1

With some exceptions I do not like professional choral performances of carols. They originated as simple, rustic songs and they should be treated as such. Sophisticating them  by force is wrong.

[NicholasMyra]

What version do you prefer (take into account that Animal is tolling according to the Orthodox way, not the RC one)?

I prefer the 24 Days of Journeymas for my tolling.

 ♪ On the first aerial tollhouse my demon gave to me... ♪

Strangely enough, you still get a partridge in a pear tree. Must've been some pagan symbolism there after all.

[augustin717]

Quite minimal christian content, the religious themes are more archaic, more like pre-christian mythology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTr7oVLLAxg

[Dominika]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MwTiYFwzr8" >Kalin esperan - С вечером святы�

[Orest]

I like this video of carols:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyETGQDKP7c

Ukrainian Christmas carols (rec.1947) Ivan Kozlovskiy .

[Michał Kalina]

http://vimeo.com/56626224

this one

[Michał Kalina]

One of the traditional ones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4qEBN9a98g

[augustin717]

^nice

[Michał Kalina]

Nicer for me taking into account  half of the performers are people I know

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