What is you favourite Christmas Carol / Hymn?

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins from his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kay
Who talks all about AA
Chain smoking while the stereo plays Noel, Noel
The First Noel

Carve the turkey
Turn the ballgame on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the Quickpak store
We need some ice and an extension cord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites
A box of tampons and some Marlboro Lights
Hallelujah, everybody say Cheese
Merry Christmas from the family

Fred and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our Christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw a breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night, Oh Silent Night

Carve the turkey turn the ballgame on
Make Bloody Marys
Cause we all want one
Send somebody to the Stop 'N Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprites
A box of tampons and some Salem Lights
Hallelujah, everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the Family

Feliz Navidad

My favorite traditional one: "I Saw Three Ships"
My favorite contemporary: the original "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (which should have never been remade, IMHO)

My favourite hymn is perhaps Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent for the weird minor modal stuff. Or Even Brother David's Air. Or, if I'm in a triumphal mood, then Hail Thee Festival Day, the all-purpose procession hymn for every High Holy Day of Obligation.

On the traditional tip, "O Holy Night."

In the grave they laid him, love whom men had slain,
Thinking that never he would wake again.
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green,

Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain.
Quick from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Thy touch can call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green."

J.M.C. Crum wrote this text to be combined with the French carol melody Noël Nouvelet, sometimes referred to by the name French Carol. This tune was also used by the famous French organ composer Marcel Dupré for his Variations on a Noel.

Crum was born at Mere Old Hall, Cheshire, England on Oct. 12, 1872 and died at Farnham, Surrey, England, on Dec. 19, 1958. During his life, Crum was highly active in the Church of England. After his education at Eton and New College in Oxford, Crum became the chaplain to Francis Paget, the Bishop of Oxford; assistant curate at Windsore; vicar of Mentmore; and finally canon at Canterbury from 1929 to 1943.

While serving the church, Crum worked in a variety of theological areas. He wrote on biblical and architectural topics, as well as studying historical works and writing children's books.

http://www.reporterinteractive.org/news/041305/hy041305.htm

Favourite hymns: Jerusalem, if you can call it a hymn.* I Vow To Thee, My Country has horrible nasty nationalistic words but sounds good because when Holst was commissioned to write the tune, he couldn't be arsed and just reused the melody from Jupiter. In general, though, the best hymn-tunes are all pre-classical - 19th century ones and later are just too formulaic in their harmonies.

* it's in Hymns Ancient And Modern, in the "National" section.

It's difficult to choose just one favourite hymn - I'm very fond of "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind", "The Day Thou Gavest Lord Is Ended", "At The Name Of Jesus, Every Knee Shall Bow", and you really can't beat a stadium full of Welsh rugby fans belting out "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah".

I never knew Sibelius wrote this (the music anyway)!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZoHWVPlolI

Very unusual lyrics, though I gather the original actually was nationalistic? If only. . .

Anybody know other denominations have this in their hymnal besides the Methodist church?

(missing that)

Oh wait I didn't look at this thread very closely--where's the general hymn thread?

IN DULCI JUBILO

There's no general "your favourite hymn" thread but I've been haunted by this all week:

1. We lay our broken world
in sorrow at your feet,
haunted by hunger, war and fear,
oppressed by power and hate.

2. Here human life seems less
than profit, might and pride,
though to unite us all in you,
you lived and loved and died.

3. We bring our broken towns,
our neighbours hurt and bruised;
you show us how old pain and wounds
for new life can be used.

4. We bring our broken loves,
friends parted, families torn;
then in your life and death we see
that love must be reborn.

5. We bring our broken hopes
for lives of dignity;
workless and overworked, you love
and call us to be free.

6. We bring our broken selves,
confused and closed and tired;
then through your gift of healing grace
new purpose is inspired.

7. Come fill us, fire of God,
our life and strength renew;
find in us love, and hope, and trust,
and lift us up to you.