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“Ding Dong Merrily on High” by Blackmore’s Night.

Mel Torme, “The Christmas Song” A number-one forever.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Melody - French Processional, 15th Century

Latin hymn, 12th century, tr. John Neale 1818-1866
O come, O come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Chorus:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

2. Oh, come, oh, come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In Ancient times once gave the law
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Chorus:

3. Oh, come, strong branch of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satans tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
Chorus:

4. Oh, come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home:
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery.
Chorus:

5. O Come Thou Dayspring, from on high
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Chorus:

6. O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things, far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And cause us in her ways to go.
Chorus:

7. O come desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Chorus:
Veni, veni Emmanuel,
Captivum solve Israel,
Qui gemit in exilio
Privatus Dei Filio.
Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.

Veni, o Jesse Virgula;
Ex hostis tuos ungula,
De specu tuos tartari
Deduc et antro barathri.
Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.

Veni, veni, o Oriens
Solare nos adveniens;
Noctis depele nebulas
Dirasque noctis tenebras.
Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.

Veni clavis Davidica;
Regna reclude caelica;
Fac iter tutum superum,
Et claude vias inferum.
Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.

Veni, veni Adonai,
Qui populo in Sinai
Legem dedisti vertice,
In majestate gloriae.
Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel
nascetur pro te, Israel.

Based on seven antiphons sung in medieval monasteries beginning a week before Christmas, these twelfth-century Latin verses were translated and reduced to five by the nineteenth-century English carol writer John M. Neale, who also wrote “Good King Wenceslas.” The tune sung today was adapted from a number of twelfth-century plainsongs which were chanted according to the natural rhythms of the words.

My favorite Christimas song is an obscure version of the song “The Little Drummer Boy” by a darkwave band called Sorrow. It is unlike anything I have ever heard, certainly as concerns holiday music: Odd, melancholy, somewhat disturbing, yet undeniably beautiful and moving.

Mel Torme-The Christmas Song

Also, Kenny Loggins-Celebrate Me Home