As we get even closer to Christmas Eve, many of us have tuned in to the round-the-clock Christmas music radio stations and are playing our favorites around our homes. An informal poll of a few of our homes found O Holy Night to be the favorite Christmas song. In his book Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Ace Collins tells of the history of the song. It was written by Placide Cappeau and Adolphe Adam, an unlikely Christmas pair if there ever was one. Cappeau was a French wine merchant and amateur poet who rarely darkened the door of his local church. Adam was a Jewish songwriter, not having grown up believing the Christmas story. In 1847, Cappeau was asked by the parish priest to write the poem for Christmas. According to Collins, he wrote it while in a coach traveling to
In 1855 an American writer, John Sullivan Dwight, heard the song and bought the rights. He translated it into English and introduced it to
Celtic Women
Anonymous Classic
Paul Potts
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Celine Dion
Carrie Underwood
Josh Groban
Luciano Pavarotti
Martina McBride
David Phelps
Reba McEntire
Point of Grace
Bing Cosby
BarlowGirl
Ad Deum Dance Company
13 comments:
What's up with the Ad Deum Dance Company?
I must confess the christmas songs sung by the chipmunks always make me laugh!
Mariah Carey. Hands down. Whoo...
Is that Pastor Randy singing the "Classic" rendition?
Yeah - must've been Randy.
Of the choices, I've gotta go with Point of Grace, but how about Kevin Max, Rescue, Dr. Watson, or Third Day? When I was a kid, it was Crystal Gayle. =)
OK, Mariah Carey is talented, but her focus is on herself in the video link...compare that to David Phelps and you'll taste the anointing that happens when Christ is the focus. Both talented but different focus. Fun idea, thanks for doing the survey.
Well, after extensive research, I would have to say that it is very close. Celine Dion was soaring and precise, Mariah Carey was throaty in parts and transcendent in others. (In answer to her focus, it seemed that she was uncomfortable with the adulation given to her before the song by the crowd-shame on them for breaking the mood- but she seems less self-focused than many). Martina & Reba lacked the vocal precision needed to carry this song to the highest levels. I was surprised at the fact that Charlotte Church and Third Day were missing from the list. I could go on about all those on the list, but my final answer is that Celtic Women just edge out Celine, Mariah and Third Day, in vocal clarity, sincerity, and unity in performing.
Philippians 1:15-18 -- "Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause my distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice."
Please,this contest is not to judge the personal conviction of each of the artists, it's to have a fun church-family vote on which artist performs the song "O Holy Night" the best. She takes the most risks with the song and she, Groban, and Pavorotti have the most vocal power. The song is amazing; even Pastor Randy's version gives me goosebumps because of the words being sung.
You can't judge Carey's heart on this. You don't know that she didn't mean every word that she sang (in plain appearance, she was in a church with an incredibly excited gospel choir singing with her).
I would hope and even pray that because she is not a self-proclaiming Christian artist, that maybe the words of this song do reach her heart and those who would listen to it.
She sang amazing and with her God-given voice--why shouldn't it minister to people? Even if she isn't a Christian (I know very little about her, for all I know, she is a Christian), why can't we trust that God would work through even her--a sinner--to preach his good news...oh wait, that's me too.
Amen to the Anonymous Philippian . . . but I still think she is #2 behind Celtic Woman.
Just for the record...that is not me on the anonymous classic version. Although I'm not sure I could do better :)
I'm still moved by the Josh Groban version but was pre-disposed towards his rendition from the beginning. I also want to confess that I've not heard the Celtic Women's version so I'll make sure that I do.
Thanks for playing!
Johnny Cash! C'mon people!
Classic version is LOL though.
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