Normally, when I can’t decide something I flip a coin. Then, right before I look at the coin I think about if want it to be heads or tails. Then I don’t have to bother looking at the coin; I already know what I want. But that doesn’t work when you have to pick a dozen things.
I have chapel in a few weeks, and we’re going to sing Christmas carols. It’s nearly a tradition at Lincoln Lutheran. It seems like I do a Christmas caroling chapel every year, but it’s really more like every other year. Anyway, one of my long term projects at school is to improve the general singingness of the student body (I had a really funny subordinate clause here, but Lauren made me take it out).
And this year either I’m finally starting to see results, or we’ve just randomly got a group that’s more willing to sing. Either way, I’m going to add some less familiar carols into the mix. Here’s the complete list. I Need some old standards and some less common carols. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to pick about a dozen. That’s about what we’ll have time to sing with me talking a little about each one.
It took me a while to recognize the notes by “Away in a Manger” as the tunes. I thought they were chords.
The first one listed is the tune called “Mueller” by Murray. It is the one most often sung in Lutheran churches in my experience. The second tune is called “Cradle Song” by Kirkpatrick. There is a third tune as well, but hardly anyone ever sings it.
For the record, I love the second tune… but I didn’t vote for it. I was thinking that if Lloyd wants to improve the overall singingness, he should focus more on familiar. Also, it occurred to me that middle schoolers would want a good dose of rousing tunes.
And to me, it seems that all the Christmas carols are less familiar to the kids. But maybe that’s just East Coast kids.
‘Ya gotta give this song a better chance of winning…hit it Jim!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnSFnbNG9c4
I couldn’t click on ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ because I was afraid I would break down into a puddle of tears.
Also, if you wind up doing “Hark the Harold Angels Sing”, I’d like you to ‘loo-loo-loo’ it like they do on Charlie Brown, please.
Lloyd, my day won’t be complete if I don’t find out the funny subordinate clause.
Nice typing on the “Harold.”
Just a friendly reminder that we are in the season of ADVENT, so I voted for both of them.
True, and I do like advent hymns, but we are at school for about 15 minutes during the actual “Season of Christmas”, so I don’t feel bad.
Gotcha.
Heh. I didn’t even notice it was wrong.
I think the overall singingness improved after my class left, we’re not singers.
I love the Angel Gabriel, but only if Sting sings it like in your sample.
Also, what about ‘Zat you, Santa Claus? or Mr Heatmeiser by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy? Or Elf’s Lament by Barenaked Ladies? Oh wait, did I miss the point of this exercise? Maybe I should reread this post…
I didn’t vote for God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. It is a good song but it is in a minor key, right? I think Christmas music should stay in a major key. Plus I don’t play it very well on the tuba. The key we play it in has 5 or 6 sharps. Are you kidding me? On a b flat instrument?