Skip to main content

Top 5 Lesser-Known Christmas Songs

I LOVE music, and Kevin calls it my medicine. Listening to some good jams while cleaning the house or cooking dinner always puts me in a better mood.

However, overplayed music has a tendency to diminish the quality of a song and its joy-inducing effects, no matter how carefully crafted its melodies and lyrics. In an effort to continue to love classic Christmas tunes but not listen to them to the point of annoyance, I've explored some lesser-known Christmas albums over the years. I wanted to share my top-five favorite lesser-known Christmas songs:


#5: Winter Moon, by Mindy Gledhill

I'm a sucker for a good love story, especially one during the magic of Christmastime. Christmas Season 2014 is when Kevin and I first started talking about marriage, for we were in the thick of our courtship. Christmastime always gives me the lovey head-over-heels feelies, and this song goes right along with that. 

#4: Christmas Eve, by Celine Dion


This album was my first introduction to Celine Dion's voice, I heard it during my keyboarding class in 8th grade. I've loved it ever since. I love the sound of her voice, but more than that, the beautiful way she talks about how time with her sweetheart is all she wants for Christmas.


#3: I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (this version is sung by Charleene Clossey) 



Before you read any other book, you should get a copy of the story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in this gorgeously written and illustrated book detailing his life and why he wrote the lyrics. Your local library should have it, but if they don't, I have a copy (and if you know me you can totally borrow it). This song expresses to me the true miracle of Christmas--the atonement of Jesus Christ. Even when tragedies befall us and horrific events like wars and disasters overwhelm society, God is not dead nor doth he sleep. Christ can consecrate our pain to become strength. Good always, always, always trumps evil. We will never be stronger if we give up our faith. Trusting in God, following his commandments, loving other people with all we've got (and as Christ loves them!), that's what yields true happiness.



#2: The First Christmas Story, by The Strike

I love this song, because it tells about Christmas from the experience of a childhood Jesus and his young mother, Mary. I wonder about Jesus and his experience growing up, what it must have been like for him to be reminded of his divine nature and sacred calling as our Redeemer as he listened to his mother's story of his birthday. Some families (such as the lead singer of this song) have a tradition of sharing the birth story of the child celebrating a birthday. This song is written in light of this tradition. 

 #1: Jesus Christ The Apple Tree, by Elizabeth Poston


Words can't share adequately what I feel for this song. I love the lyrics because I love Christ, and I love nature. The analogy of Christ as a Tree, as portrayed in this tune, I feel reflects the analogy also given of Christ in the Book of Mormon, in 1 Nephi 8. He is the tree of life, the source of peace and redemption and true joy. I know that as I follow Him and his teachings, not only this Christmas season but always, I find true spiritual renewal and strength to continue, despite my worldly toils. I know this because I've already seen and tasted and known of the goodness of Jesus in my life experiences.

I hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do! If you have a much-loved lesser-known Christmas song, please include a link below!

<3 Sending Christmas Cheer your way!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Problem with Chick Flicks.

I really, really, really enjoy a select few movies that I willingly watch over and over again. Pride and Prejudice is one of them. You see, Elizabeth's defense of her family, her sense of self respect, her ability to admit that she was wrong and to appreciate Darcy despite all his quirks, and quizzical brow-ness... it's marvelous. My husband doesn't share the sentiment, could you tell? ... and that's okay. There's rare a chick flick I enjoy near as much as I enjoy Pride and Prejudice or A Walk To Remember , and I wanted to explain why. You see, there's more than just a few problems with (many, not all) chick flicks:  (and if you have a chick flick that escapes many of these pitfalls then please oh please leave it's title in the comment section!) The heroine (or suitor) is less than honorable. I have a hard time rooting for a girl to get a gentleman when she's spending her time being scandalously loose with other men ( #thenotebook) . An...
10 comments
Read more

#StudentForLife

I'm kind of becoming my own professor...or at least an academic advisor..for a class I'm making up as I go, for a student body of size one (sometimes two, if Kevin comes along). You see, while my main title and full time position is as a stay at home mom, I'm also a part-time professional (I substitute teach a few days a month) ... but you might not know that I'm also a part time student. But the student part is purely by my own choosing, guys. There will be no final exam, no summer break, no midterm cramming. And, admittedly, no diploma. But I tell you what, it's been a blast, and learning is SO tremendously fun. The subjects I'm studying: The construction of fruit preserves 101. Last month Jeni Pittard with Taste of Home and Stacey with Southern Bite  were my mentors as Kevin and I peeled, diced, pectin-ed, and poured. The results were nothing short of jelly-tastic peach and pear goodness. And we may have quoted National Treasure multiple times d...
2 comments
Read more

What you hear vs. what you say

Have you ever misheard somebody? For the longest time my old seminary teacher thought that the primary song said “shalminnow” instead of “by this shall men know ye are my disciples...” He was convinced that The song was referring to the Jesus fish some people plaster to their bumpers. My brother Austin used to sing “I almost want to be with my own family” instead of “always...” And I had a long debate with my old roommate about Michael Buble’s hit song “Met you yet.” She was convinced he said “I guess it’s half time-in, and the other half luck.” Like time-out time-in in a football game. Do any of those mistaken lyrics make any logical sense to anyone but the mistaken? Of course not. But that’s what makes them hilarious!! I’m particularly guilty of mis-hearing and mis-reading people. Just because  I  speak English with other English speakers doesn’t always mean that we communicate effectively. From this I’ve gathered a few things about talking with people: 1) ask ...
2 comments
Read more