It has always annoyed me: Christmas Carols. I've nothing against them as a whole. My problem lies in that we only sing them at Christmas -- the traditional ones especially (note: I'm not condoning the singing of Jingle Bells in the more verdant(GRE word!) times of the year). No, we restrict great hymns like Adeste Fidelis and O Come Let Us Adore Him to the commercialized portions of our year, namely: between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It's sad I think. Unfortunate really. These hymns are timeless. With lyrics that are just as relevant as Amazing Grace and When I Survey (all-time greatest hymn). For this reason, I despise Christmas Carols. I despise the comparmentalization of some magnificent lyrics and melodies.
One time in college during a chapel in the spring time, the music director had everyone open their hymnals to Joy to World. I've never heard so many groans and utterances of confusion: It wasn't Christmas! He quickly silenced the chapel discontent with a similar diatribe: these songs deserved to be sung at all times of the year. Are we only joyous at Christmas time?
So I don't like Christmas carols and try really hard to not sing them. Of course, it being the only time of the year that I get to hear them played, the irony could not be greater.
8 comments:
A lot of people just go through the motions at Christmas. I guess I'm one of those people. I've never been one to go nuts over holidays anyway. It's why I don't carol. Why do it if your heart's not really in it?
Bah Humbug.
Aaron,
You sure do have a flare for the dramatic. That sure seems a silly reason to "despise" Christmas Carols. I was actually just thinking about this a few weeks ago and I realized that most Christmas songs last much longer than songs on the radio (here we're talking about different genres). I think the reason most people like Christmas music (you and dcz excluded apparently) is because its not overplayed. They only get to hear it for a few weeks every year.
I'm simply talking about the christmas carol hymns -- not jingle bells. I just think the hymns are incredible, and especially in a church setting, should be sung throughout the year. I despise the "christmas carol" moniker because the carols are indicative of something more than just the christmas season. And it is completely overplayed -- especially if they play the songs "longer than most songs on the radio" as you point out.
Just wait 'til "Fergie" or Beyonce puts out a Christmas single. Talk about overplayed....
I'm with you Aaron. I would like to sing some of our "Christmas carols" more often throughout the year.
DCZ, I don't see Fergie's Christmas cd becoming a classic - though I will say I do enjoy Celine's and Christina Aguilera's. So you never know.
My favorite pop singer Christmas cd has to be James Taylor - just the sound of his voice is a holiday for me.
I agree. I could sing O Little Town every day.
JT's Christmas album is great. Sarah McLachlan's new one is great too.
Father Christmas, the best modern Christmas song by far. Silent Night the most sacred of them all. The number one Carol:
O COME O COME IMMANUEL.
It's haunting tune and lyrics of ancient hopes, 'desire of nations' inspires my faith
Aaron,
You are most certainly correct when you say that Christmas hymns are timeless, but, as for the rest of the post, I must, most respectfully, disagree. While it is the case that radio stations and department stores crank up their speakers with songs of the season in an effort to commercialize Christmas, the Church reserves these songs for Christmas in order to meditate and focus on this particular time in the life of Christ--his annunciation, the virgin birth, etc. There are other songs for the other seasons of the year which carry timeless meanings of their own and thus are more appropriately reserved for these particular seasons of the Church year. Thus, while I agree that the songs are timeless and hold true throughout the year, I do not think they should necessarily be sung throughout the year.
Excellent post by the way.
Also, I'm back online at the Bird and Baby.
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