Sing it loud for all to hear!

As Buddy the elf says,

The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear!

Well, since I'm not doing a Christmas show this season, I'm simply enjoying the carols cycling through the radio stations, and blaring at every store I step into! Sure, the very first Christmas-themed song I heard was the obnoxiously-manipulative "The Christmas Shoes" (listen at your own risk), but on the positive side, it was nice to get it over with, and so many of the other songs are so wonderful! I love the hope and joy and excitement in the music set aside for this time of year, whether playful or inspirational.

One of my favorite things about Christmas carols, though, is how casually and naturally the spiritual and fun songs are played together. Maybe the season has become increasingly commercial, but how can anyone misunderstand the true reason of the season when so many artists have their own version of "O Holy Night?" I heard two different versions back-to-back on the radio this morning!

This video of The Piano Guys' "Carol of the Bells" has become a new favorite -- how wonderful all-instrumental music can be, and I appreciate their using a melancholy-sounding instrument for such an exciting song. It works!

This performance of "Ding-dong Merrily on High" made me cry the first time I saw 5 Carols/Jingle Jacks at CenterPoint Legacy Theater earlier this month. So darn cool! I had to go back and see the show again... especially because the reprise is seriously, insanely funny (everything goes wrong -- I can't even describe it!) The first time, I laughed so hard I cried, and the second time, I laughed so hard my face went numb. Oh, man. I wish I had a free night to go again. If you have a chance to see it, DO! It's terrific! (We all know I don't often plug shows that I'm not in, so please take my word for it!):
(The song starts at 5:20)

Love! Love! Love!!

And then there are horrible versions, like a calypso version of "Feliz Navidad" I heard once... possibly the second-worst track ever recorded, next to "The Christmas Shoes" (I really do hate that song), and just so darn fascinating.

Oh, and it's fun to find variations of "Rudolph", like "Randolph the Bowl-Legged Cowboy", which I can't find on YouTube... maybe I'll create my own video ;)

Meanwhile, I definitely have my favorites, and it's fun to hear new renditions that pop up each year. Jimmy Fallon and The Roots' cover of "All I Want for Christmas is You" has become my go-to video whenever I need an infusion of Christmas spirit:


Happy Christmastime, everyone! What are your favorite versions of your favorite carols?