Our Family's Favorite Christmas Music

We love Christmas music. And we tend to get rid of the CDs we don't love. But there are some we look for and put on first when the season comes back around. These are the ones that always survive the purges and get replaced immediately in the event of loss:


The Birth of Jesus John Michael Talbot - The first piece on this literally opens the Christmas season for me.

Rescue Got this years ago from Timberdoodle catalog.

All I Really Want for Christmas - Steven Curtis Chapman

The Music of Christmas also by Steven. Love the haircut, Steven ;-)

The Holly and the Ivy - John Rutter. Ah, beautiful.

What Child is This? Chorus Angelicus & Gaudeamus

Veni Emmanuel A Classical Academic Press CD - love it!

Gregorian Advent & Christmas Busto Arsizio Choral Ensemble (sorry, no picture)

Music of Christmas This is all instrumental using guitar, psaltery, flute, hammer, dulcimer and cello. There are really cheap copies here if you like this sort of music.

Joy  Avalon (Love "Light a Candle" :-)

Bittersweet and Briers  This CD is from Conner Prairie. We used to live near Conner Prairie in Indiana. Such fun times we had there! We love this CD because it's simple and folksy. It feels like Grandma and Uncle Joe and the old neighbor down the street gathered around with dulcimers and fiddles to fill your home with old-fashioned Christmas music.

God With Us LOVE the opening song done by Anointed - Joy to the World! My kids have tended to outgrow this one as they've gotten older, but I still love to wiggle my tail to it. :-)

Kiernan shared a story that one year when I was out Christmas shopping, Walt and little tiny Jared (he was probably 3 or so and thrilled to be helping), and Jillian (who was grumpy about having to help) were out shoveling the ton of snow that was being dumped on us, and Kiernan put this CD on and danced gently around the living room as her little sister fell asleep in her arms.

I love the one by CeCe Winans - All Is Well Tonight. It brings tears to my eyes. "My heart is open. I'm all filled up. I can't ask for more. I have enough." I realize that all is not well for everyone right now though.

(Kiernan grew up listening to Twila Paris and I'm convinced that Twila taught her how to sing, but we really hate the song she sings on this CD - a loud, rock-styled Silent Night just doesn't get votes in this house.)

And I've always loved Windham Hill CD's  when I want some peace and quiet. It's great to wrap presents to on Christmas eve with your husband. :-)

Of course, Noel  Josh Groban

and, although we don't have the whole CD (we just bought a few of the selections on MP3 download), I have to mention these:

Mediaeval Baebes The Holly & the Ivy

In Dulce Jubilo

and The Coventry Carol  Love the breathiness.



Hayley Westenra's Winter Magic Except we deleted "River" from our iTunes. Bad choice, Hayley. :-/

(To my children - I apologize for forever ruining your enjoyment of "Christmas Morning" - it just doesn't sound like "listen to the joyful sounds of *morning*" to me!! :-) I know. I'm so crass.)


And the perfect finish: James Taylor's At Christmas  (Except "River"! Again with the "River"! What is it with that song? Let's forever drop that one, shall we?)

Oh, and this little lovely:-) The Nativity Story Love the mix of Eastern and Western sounds on this one.

There are so many memories woven into all of these songs for our family.

What music feeds your Christmas spirit each year?