The Most Popular Classical Christmas Music
Contents
A look at the most popular classical Christmas music and where it comes from.
Introduction
Christmas is synonymous with classical music. Every year, radio stations across the country play holiday favorites by Bach, Handel, Tchaikovsky, and other composers. But what are the most popular classical Christmas pieces?
Here are five of the most well-known and beloved classical Christmas songs:
“Joy to the World” by George Frederick Handel
One of the most popular Christmas carols of all time, “Joy to the World” was originally composed as an anthem for Easter Sunday. The familiar lyrics were added later by Isaac Watts.
“The Nutcracker Suite” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
This beloved suite is actually a selection of eight pieces from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker.” It’s become one of the most popular pieces of classical music ever written, and is a staple of holiday radio programming.
“O Holy Night” by Adolphe Adam
Composed in 1847, “O Holy Night” is a beautiful and moving carol that has been covered by countless artists over the years. It remains one of the most popular and recognizable Christmas songs today.
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” by Felix Mendelssohn
One of the most popular hymns ever written, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” was originally titled “Christmastide.” The lyrics were added later by Charles Wesley. The song has been recorded by everyone from Bing Crosby to David Bowie.
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” by Traditional Anonymous
This traditional English carol dates back to the 18th century. It’s a cumulative song, meaning that each verse builds on the previous one. The verses get progressively longer – and more absurd – as they go along!
The Most Popular Classical Christmas Music
There are many classical pieces of music that have become synonymous with the Christmas season. Some of these pieces are hundreds of years old, while others are much more recent. Here are some of the most popular classical Christmas pieces of music.
“Angels We Have Heard on High”
“Angels We Have Heard on High” is one of the most popular classical Christmas songs of all time. The song is based on a traditional French carol, and was first published in 1855. The music was composed by James Chadwick, and the lyrics were written by Edward Shippen Barnes. The song tells the story of the angels who appeared to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth, and is full of images of light and hope. Over the years, “Angels We Have Heard on High” has been performed by many different artists, including Julie Andrews, Bing Crosby, André Rieu, Joshua Bell, and Jackie Evancho.
“Away in a Manger”
Away in a Manger is a popular Christmas carol. The text was first published in 1885 and was possibly written by James R. Murray. The melody was first published in 1895 and is attributed to William J. Kirkpatrick.
The song is about the Nativity of Jesus and is sung from the perspective of Mary, Jesus’ mother. It is a popular choice for Christmas pageants and nativity plays, as it allows even very young children to participate
“Deck the Halls”
“Deck the Halls” is a Christmas carol that dates back to the 16th century. The original Welsh lyrics (which are very different from the English lyrics we know today) were written by master carpenter and builder John Ceiriog Hughes. The English lyrics were first published in 1877, and they were likely adapted from a traditional folk song. The tune we know today was first published in 1881, and it has been a popular Christmas carol ever since.
“Jingle Bells”
One of the most popular classical Christmas songs is “Jingle Bells.” It was composed by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 and has been a holiday staple ever since. The song is about a sleigh ride on Christmas Eve and is filled with cheerful holiday imagery. “Jingle Bells” is a great song to sing along to, and its simple melody makes it perfect for beginning piano students.
“O Come, All Ye Faithful”
One of the most popular and well-known Christmas carols of all time, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” has been translated into many languages and is sung by Christians around the world. The English version of the carol was first published in 1751, and the melody is thought to be much older.
The carol tells the story of the Nativity from the perspective of the shepherds, who are called to come and worship the newborn Christ. The lyrics are full of religious imagery and reflect on the miracle of Christ’s birth.
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” has been recorded by countless artists, both classical and pop, over the years. It remains a staple of holiday music and is sure to bring a feeling of joy and wonder to any Christmas celebration.
“O Holy Night”
“O Holy Night” is a Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847. The text was originally written in French by Placide Cappeau, a wine merchant and poet from Roquemaure in southern France. It was translated into English by John Sullivan Dwight, a Unitarian minister from Boston, Massachusetts.
The carol focuses on the original Christmas story as told in the Gospel of Luke, in which the birth of Jesus brings hope and joy to the world. The carol has been translated into many languages and is now one of the most popular Christmas songs around the world. In the United States, it was ranked as the second-most performed holiday song of the 20th century by ASCAP.
“Silent Night”
“Silent Night” (German: Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. The song was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. It has been translated into 430 languages.
The melody of “Silent Night” is one of the most popular melodies in the world. In 2004, it was voted number 3 in a poll of the greatest tunes ever written – second only to “Happy Birthday”.
“The First Noel”
“The First Noel” is a traditional English Christmas carol, most likely from the medieval period. The oldest known version of the carol dates back to 15th century England. “The First Noel” was first published in 1833, in a collection of Christmas carols called “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern.” The lyrics of “The First Noel” tell the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
The carol begins with the annunciation of Jesus’ birth by the angels to the shepherds, who then go to visit Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The second verse tells of Wise Men visiting Jesus, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In the third and final verse, Herod orders all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two to be killed in an effort to stop the prophecy surrounding Christ’s birth from coming true.
Despite its dark subject matter, “The First Noel” is one of the most popular classical Christmas songs ever written. It has been performed by countless artists over the years, including Mannheim Steamroller, Susan Boyle, Carrie Underwood, and Josh Groban.
“We Three Kings”
“We Three Kings” is a popular Christmas carol that was written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. The lyrics of the song tell the story of the three Wise Men who followed a star to Bethlehem to find and worship the baby Jesus. The song is traditionally sung in a round, with each verse being sung by a different group of singers. “We Three Kings” has been recorded by many artists over the years, including Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Mariah Carey.
“What Child Is This?”
“What Child Is This?” is a popular Christmas carol that was originally written in 1865. The lyrics were written by William Chatterton Dix, and the music was composed by Greensleeves. The carol is based on the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
One of the most popular versions of the carol was recorded by Nat King Cole in 1961. Cole’s version peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “What Child Is This?” has been covered by many other artists, including Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Pentatonix.
Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed this guide to the most popular classical Christmas music. We have tried to introduce a variety of pieces that will appeal to different tastes, and we hope you will find something here that you will enjoy listening to during the festive season.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
