Advent and Christmas Carols

[#1]

It's Advent Sunday this weekend 

Obviously for us Christians advent is an important thing as we look forward...

Share your advent thoughts on this thread, I'll throw a few in every now and then and we'll see how it goes!

Also, what are your favourite carols and why?

[#2]

I hate all Christmas carols, except Mariah Carey's version of O Holy Night, so by default that's my favourite. I do hate all other versions though.

As for advent, my memory is trying to remember my Catholic indoctrination but failing miserably I'm afraid. .

[#3]

@antiochean now we can put up the decorations.
Not strictly a carol but Prokofiev's Troika always makes me smile ☺

[#4]

I like O Holy Night too. I’m sorry to hear about the indoctrination stuff. I pray you will find hope in the lyrics as you hear Mariah this year😊

[#5]

Yes, a great piece of music, a shame it is so short.

[#6]

I'm not at all religious @antiochean.

I do kinda losely mash bits of Hinduism and Buddhism into my own personal philosophy but it doesn't include any of the deities.

Don't be sorry about the indoctrination either, it was kinda fun and made me curious to explore and learn about all kinds of belief systems, modern and ancient so it proved beneficial to me, just probably not in the way many of the Catholics around me would have hoped :-D

[#7]

I love O Holy Night except I like the Nat King Cole version of it. I have a Christmas CD of his and some of the songs on it are beautiful as is his voice. It's so nice with the Christmas tree up on the lights on to sit and listen to it.

[#8]

I must make a Christmas cake soon! In the bleak midwinter, its just a beautiful carol. When my Granddaughter was little she asked for the rubber bum bum song! Come they told us ............

[#9]

O holy night is one of my favourites too

Although my sons choir does  beautiful arrangements of away in a manger and in the bleak mid winter

The office is getting decorated on Monday and the advent candles will be coming out

[#10]

It seems that today's winner is a French carol by Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure: 

O Holy Night! Here it is in full...

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, 
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth. 
Long lay the world in sin and error pining. 
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth. 
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, 
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. 
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! 
O night divine, the night when Christ was born; 
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine! 
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine! 

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, 
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. 
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming, 
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land. 
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger; 
In all our trials born to be our friends. 
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger, 
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! 
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! 

Truly He taught us to love one another, 
His law is love and His gospel is peace. 
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. 
And in his name all oppression shall cease. 
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, 
With all our hearts we praise His holy name. 
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we, 
His power and glory ever more proclaim! 
His power and glory ever more proclaim!