Best Loved Christmas Carols

Behind the Christmas songs we love to sing lie fascinating stories that will enrich your holiday celebration. Taking you inside the nativity of over thirty favorite songs and carols, Ace Collins introduces you to people you’ve never met, stories you’ve never heard, and meanings you’d never have imagined. The next time you and your family sing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," you’ll have a new understanding of its message and popular roots. You’ll discover how "Angels from the Realms of Glory," with its sublime lyrics and profound theology, helped usher in a quiet revolution in worship. You’ll learn the strange history of the haunting and powerful "O Holy Night," including the song’s surprising place in the history of modern communications. And you’ll step inside the life of Mark Lowry and find out how he came to pen the words to the contemporary classic "Mary, Did You Know?"Still other songs such as "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" trace back to mysterious origins--to ninth-century monks, nameless clergy, and unknown commoners of ages past. Joining hands with such modern favorites as "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song," they are part of the legacy of inspiration, faith, tears, love, and spiritual joy that is Christmas. From the rollicking appeal of "Jingle Bells" to the tranquil beauty of "Silent Night," the great songs of Christmas contain messages of peace, hope, and truth. Each in its own way expresses a facet of God’s heart and celebrates the birth of his greatest gift to the world--Jesus, the most wonderful Christmas Song of all.

Ace Collins has dug deep to uncover the true stories behind your favorite Christmas songs. Explore how these songs came into being, and discover a deeper appreciation for these melodic messages of peace, hope, and joy that celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Includes sound disc "Best-loved Christmas carols."

(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook). This collection features over 20 popular modern Christmas songs by today's top artists arranged for piano and voice with guitar chord frames. Includes: Christmas Lights (Coldplay) * Christmas Saves the Year (Twenty One Pilots) * Christmas Tree Farm (Taylor Swift) * Cozy Little Christmas (Katy Perry) * Everyday Is Christmas (Sia) * Glittery (Kacey Musgraves) * Hallelujah (Carrie Underwood & John Legend) * He Shall Reign Forevermore (Chris Tomlin) * I Need You Christmas (Jonas Brothers) * Light of the World (Lauren Daigle) * Mistletoe (Justin Bieber) * Santa Tell Me (Ariana Grande) * Underneath the Tree (Kelly Clarkson) * and more.

A collection of favourite Christmas carols, poetry and readings – a perfect Christmas gift.

From Andrew Gant, Oxford professor and renowned British composer, The Carols of Christmas is a joyous account of the history behind our favorite carols--from Advent through Epiphany. Everyone loves a carol--in the end, even Ebenezer Scrooge had a soft spot for them! They have the power to evoke a special type of mid-winter joy, like the aroma of gingerbread or the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a kind of magic. But how did they get that magic? Gant--a choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writer--tells the story of twenty carols, each accompanied by lyrics and music, unraveling a captivating, and often surprising, tale of great musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherds and choirboys. Along the way, Gant answers some of the biggest questions he's received about these beloved carols over the years, including: How did the most beloved carols come to be? Why do we sing the versions of carols that we do? How did these carols stand the test of time? Readers get to delve into the history of favorites like "Good King Wenceslas," "Away in a Manger," and "O, Tannenbaum," discovering along the way how "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" came to replace "Hark, how all the welkin' ring" and how Ralph Vaughan Williams applied the tune of an English folk song about a dead ox to a poem by a nineteenth-century American pilgrim to make "O Little Town of Bethlehem." A charming book that brims with anecdote, expert knowledge, and Christmas spirit, The Carols of Christmas is a fittingly joyous account of one of the best-loved musical traditions.

30 Sing-Along Favorites for the Christmas Season includes Songbook and CD Christmas carols bring the joy of the season, especially when shared with others. The Classic Christmas Caroling Pack , which includes a CD and songbook of 30 of the season s most popular songs from the Christian Life Hymnal, is the perfect addition to any Christmas gathering. The songbook contains sheet music and lyrics, and the CD features split-track recording (instruments-only on the left track, voices-only on the right), which makes it ideal for Christmas caroling. Whether you re gathered around the piano or out singing on the streets, the Classic Christmas Caroling Pack is a seasonal must-have. These 30 carols were selected for their richness of message and timeless appeal: Angels, from the Realms of Glory Angels We Have Heard on High Away in a Manger (Cradle Song) Away in a Manger (Second Tune) Come Thou Long Expected Jesus Ding Dong Merrily on High Go, Tell It on the Mountain God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen Good Christian Friends, Rejoice Good King Wenceslas Hark The Herald Angels Sing In the Bleak Midwinter It Came Upon a Midnight Clear Joy to the World Lo, How a Rose E er Blooming Love Came Down at Christmas O Come, All Ye Faithful O Come, Little Children O Come, O Come, Emmanuel O Holy Night O Little Town of Bethlehem (St. Louis) O Little Town of Bethlehem (Forest Green) Once in Royal David s City Silent Night, Holy Night The First Noel Unto Us a Child Is Born We Three Kings of Orient Are We Wish You a Merry Christmas What Child Is This? While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night "