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It is insane that it is already almost time for Advent again! Time flies around here.
This past year has gone really fast. I had my third child in March, and he has filled out lives with more laughter and joy than I thought possible. My other two are getting older (sniff, sniff) and will be 3 and 2 soon. So crazy! However, this is not about me, it’s about my favorite Christmas hymns!
I have already disclosed most of my favorite Catholic hymns, but I think Christmas hymns are extra special.
Growing up in a beautiful little cathedral church in the middle of the countryside, I have always loved the Christmas Eve Mass at St. Augustine’s Parish.
Our Christmas Mass prelude comprised of some of my absolute favorite songs, some of them not even available in the normal Word & Song that gets passed out every liturgical year.
So here we go. Let me outline my favorites (we might be here a while)!
We are currently singing the O Come Emmanuel Mass Setting in our parish right now. It is a lovely setting by Kevin Weed based on the traditional hymn and includes a few options for the Mystery of Faith and Amen. This is super nice depending on the skill level of your congregation. Though, it will be pretty familiar to everyone who knows the hymn, O Come Emmanuel.
You can find more information on this Mass setting at KevinWeed.com
I love that the most current version of Word & Song includes both Spanish and German verses. Super cool if you are in a multi-lingual parish or if you want to bring a bit of culture to the Mass.
People know Silent Night so well that it would not be an imposition to sing it in a different language. As long as your singers know how to pronounce everything correctly!
For some reason, this lullaby-like song is just so beautiful to sing. I especially love singing the alto part, which gets wonderfully low and croon-like.
I remember singing this in several different arrangements during high school and college and have loved every single one of them.
Love, love, love this simple little hymn. It was always a part of our Mass prelude, and I loved singing the alto part (in fact, I was always a bit resentful if I had to sing soprano). It holds such a lyrical and poetic quality while still being simple.
I hope that any parish I am at will at least be open to singing this beautiful little hymn.
There is such a joyous quality to this hymn. No surprise that I like the alto part on this one, too.
It is our duty to tell everyone about Jesus. We should do that all year, not just Christmas, but it’s a great reminder of the Good News that has come to save us!
It is so cool to me that Kings from a far-off country would come and visit this humble King in a stable. They traveled for who knows how long? Yet, they brought their camels and made the long journey.
So so cool. And definitely a great song for the Christmas season (well, technically Epiphany season).
I don’t even know where to find sheet music for this anymore, but the version we sang was so much fun and such a nice Christmas song. The correct version is by Harry Bolbeck or Bollback. The lyrics and chords can be found here.
According to this forum, this song was a 70’s and 80’s song. How fun! It makes me like it even more!
I will have to sing the right version of it since I can’t find it anywhere else. Then you’ll see why it’s so nice. 😀
I love this song, it seems so old English and traditional. It has 5 verses, which is more than a lot of Christmas hymns. Again, nice quality to this song makes it that much more fun to sing, especially with a choir!
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Okay, not my absolute favorites, but still ones I enjoy singing!
Here is a list of them:
Other Songs I love that aren’t necessarily related to the Church:
You can access all of these songs on a playlist I made on YouTube, Beautiful Christmas Hymns! Enjoy!
Do you do a Christmas prelude with songs before Christmas Mass? Or have a special choir piece during the Mass?
I realize there are so many to choose from. It was hard to narrow it down! So many classics, some new-age ones, and others that are just beautiful and perfect for celebrating our Savior’s birth.
You can look in any of the music books that your parish currently has to find many of these traditional Christmas hymns. On the other hand, you might be looking for something different, like a CD of Catholic Christmas music or a way to create your own. I’ve got you covered.
Here are some products that you could purchase for your Christmas hymns performance. Affiliate links may be used.
From Advent to Epiphany: Traditional Catholic Devotional. It is always a good idea to have a devotional or some sort of plan for your Advent. We are preparing for the coming of Christ, it is a beautiful time of reflection and renewal for us as Christians!
Likewise, the music of Christmas should be listened to and celebrated. If you do not have a favorite Catholic hymns CD or music that you like to listen to, I found a whole list of CDs and tracks that you can purchase to listen to this Advent and Christmas season!
I hope you have a wonderful upcoming Advent and Christmas!
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Gessica,
How sweet of you to mention Mass-O Come Emmanuel. Thank you, and Merry Christmas.
You are welcome, Kevin! We really enjoy singing it, such a beautiful Mass setting for Advent! Merry Christmas to you!