French Chrismas carols

[luckyluc]

It most be the snow falling outside, I feel the Holidays season is already here Music is a big part of the festivities for me, is it for you.

Do you have a favorite Carol?

Mine is "Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle" which is a old French provencal carol from the XVI century, that cross along to Nouvelle-France and that we still are singing 400 years after.

[Happygoin]

And, if you'll remember, Luc...I know all the words to that one! If I sing them loud enough, maybe you'll hear me all the way to Canada (and you can correct my pronunciation)

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Since I was a child, my favorite has been the one known in English as "Oh Holy Night" (which actually is French, although I don't know the French title).

[luckyluc]

Becky that would be "Minuit Chrétien" which is sung at the midnight mass. There was always a contest in our parish to be the tenor who would sing that one!

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Merci, LL! Is that traditional for midnight mass? I'm hoping that by next Christmas we can be in Aubeterre, and it would be perfect if mass at the church up the street included my favorite carol.

[luvparee]

I think "O Holy Night" is also my favorite -- just so beautiful! Wish I were in Paris to hear it! I start listening to Christmas music on December 1st and end the morning of December 26th. Frankly, by that time, I'm ready to wait another year! Love Mannheim Steamroller and their take on various Christmas carols.

[Truffaut]

Tu sais déjà que c'est "Jeanette" pour moi, mon cher jumeau.

[willow]

On Christmas Eve, after our dinner, we clean up the dishes and then sit around the Christmas tree. We have to sing all the carols in our prayer books before we are allowed to open presents! As a kid this was torture, but now I really enjoy it. It is alot of fun to sit as a family and just sing in our odd combination of out of tune voices. With such a large family, we make quite a choir!

Luvparee, I love Mannheim Steamroller too! They are fun to listen to, as is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

But I think Silent Night is my favorite, in any language!

And I do enjoy alot of the music from the Nutcracker which really has no language!

[luvparee]

Yes - I also have perhaps 1 CD's of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I have collected some really great Christmas music over the years -- for awhile I would buy perhaps 4 or 5 every Christmas!! But now I love what I have and really, how many versions of each standard carol can you listen to???

[Penny]

I've been mostly lurking the last couple of weeks while dealing with car, doctor, computer, etc. stuff.

However tonight at 8:30 CST I will be parked in front of the TV.

PBS
Trans-Siberian Orchestra-Ghosts of Christmas Eve.
The caretaker (Ossie Davis) of an abandoned theater magically brings the place to life for a young runaway, who falls asleep there on Christmas Eve. Performers include Michael Crawford ("O Holy Night") and Jewel ("Hark! The Herald Angels Sing").

Go to PBS.org insert zip code then go to A-Z, then down to T, click on Trans-Siberian (does't look like a link) will give you local times (if showing in your area).

[Shoesy]

Penny - I'm crazy about Michael Crawford, whom I'll always associate with as playing the title role in my favorite musical "Phantom of the Opera".

As for Christmas carols, "Oh Holy Night" is probably the one I like best.

[Anne]

Luc, I had never heard about this song, had to look for it on youtube .

We have a very old tape of all the traditional songs : Mon beau sapin, Petit papa Noël, Vive le vent (= Jingle bells), Les anges dans nos campagnes, Il est né le divin enfant, Belle nuit sainte nuit ... I put this tape on every year while the kids decorate the Xmas tree . This makes hubby and daughters wince, but son and I love that (which is surprising as far as my son is concerned, because this isn't exactly what he usually considers as "cool" ) .

Then on Xmas Eve at my mom's, she also plays a record of Xmas songs and music as a background .

[Happygoin]

I especially love Perry Como singing O Holy Night. It evokes my childhood. He had a splendid voice (for a barber!). Josh Groban has a Christmas CD out now that is very popular. I could happily listen to him sing Christmas music all year round.

[Truffaut]

Anne,
And you call yourself a proper Frenchwoman? How could you not have heard Un flambeau, Jeanette Isabelle? I'm shocked! It's not very popular here (at least, not as popular as "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer), but I first learned it in elementary school. For many years, I've sung it in church on Christmas Eve during the Communion processional. The choir sings without music, and when the organist begins playing the piece, there's no singing because nobody knows the words!

[Happygoin]

Truffaut, that's funny, I learned Jeannette Isabel in the 4th grade, my first year of French. I've remembered it all these years, but I'm sure I mangle a few words.

Would it be a lot of trouble for you or Luc to write the words to just the first verse here?

[Anne]

Happy, I found the song on google :

www.geocities.com/cigneto/thctxt/fr/unflambea1.html

And no Truffaut, I didn't even know the title ... Maybe it is still sung in Provence, but really, it is not a popular song here .

[Becky (Berkeleytravelers)]

Anne, that's so funny - I don't know it in French, but the English version is fairly well known in the US ("Bring a torch, Jeannette Isabella" - I think the second name is changed a bit so that the meter works better when sung).

[Jody]

That's funny! I only ever knew it in French! It was one of the first carols we learned in our 7th grade French class