Every year the Mormon Tabernacle Choir gives a Christmas concert complete with special guests, usually a famous singer and actor or television personality. While the concert is always free there is limited seating and not everyone can attend. It’s like winning the lottery if you are able to get one of their concert tickets.
Last year tenor Alfie Boe and broadcaster Tom Brokaw joined the choir for a spectacular concert celebrating home. I heard it was an event to remember for all who were lucky enough to attend. I read news articles, scanned photos, and lapped up anything I could find about the concert wishing the whole time I could have gone.
Thankfully the Mormon Tabernacle Choir records the concert and releases it the next year for all of us to enjoy. I was sent a copy to review and, wow, does it ever live up to accolades it received! The music is exquisite.
I cried during this song. So beautiful. So powerful.
Tom Brokaw told the story of The Candy Bomber, Col. Gail Halvorsen (remember the mini unit study I posted about him?). And I cried again watching children on stage act out watching bombers fly over head as they stand behind barb-wire fences looking for the special plane that will send candy their way. There is a delightful surprise as the story ends!
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings wonderful arrangements of beloved Christmas songs. Right after “Bring Him Home” they sang one of my grandmother’s favorite songs, a Catalan carol called “What Shall We Give? “My grandfather would sing it to us every Christmas in Catalan.
Deseret Book is giving away a Home for the Holidays DVD and Home for the Holidays CD – one winner for each! To enter the giveaway leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas song to listen to. Giveaway will end Friday at 5pm PST.
You can also watch the concert on your local PBS station! Check here for broadcast times. Tuesday, December 10th is the first showing.
And this post gives some Christmas Concert trivia that is fun to read.
I enjoy listening to the Messiah—and performing it, when I get the chance!
I love Silent Night! It’s my all time favorite!!!! 🙂
i can’t make it through Silent Night without the tears flowing, but my all time favorite is O Holy Night. I’ve heard some sing it so well it will make your hair stand on end! We were blessed to hear it performed on the harp in Sacrament Meeting, and oh, how beautiful that was!
I love Alfie Boe! My favorite Christmas song is “Once in Royal David’s City.” I wish the LDS hymnbook had all of the verses. It is such a beautiful song about the entire life of Christ.
I love so many Christmas carols but I think one of my very favorites has always been O Holy Night which, by the way, Alfie Boe recorded years ago with the Boston Pops! Alfie is awesome!
I love “O Holy Night.” I just never get tired of listening to it.
I also love “O Holy Night.” And “Silent Night.” Which as I look at the other comments that they are favorites.
I like Michael Macleans Forgotten Carols CD- “I was not his father. He was mine.”
Silent Night will always hold a special place in my heart!
I love Hark the Herald Angels Sing, especially the second verse.
You want us to choose?!!! I love so many Christmas carols, that I’ll tell you my favorite album is Christmas with Chanticleer featuring Dawn Upshaw. My husband and I have gone to their Christmas concert for the last eight years. It’s the best date of the year.
I like, “Mary Did You Know?” 🙂
My favorite Christmas carol is “O Little Town of Bethlehem” but I love listening to all of the classic ones.
I love so many! I love “What Child is This.” I’m super excited to sing the Sally DeFord duet version for our R.S. Christmas party this year so I’ll just mention that one.
“He Sent His Son” is a song we have sung at Christmas since our children were young. It’s not a traditional Christmas song, but because of the tender message it contains of our Savior’s birth and divine mission, it has always been one of our family favorites!
White Christmas (among about a zillion others).
I love both the first noel and silent night
I love Oh come All ye Faithful!
My husband and I were lucky enough to be able to attend this concert. It was amazing! An experience I will never forget. My new favorite Christmas carol is Steven Sharp Nelson’s arrangement of “O, Come Emmanuel” from his cd “Christmas Cello.”
My favorite Christmas song to listen to is O Holy Night.
I, too, am an O Holy Night fan. It has been my favorite since I was in the the 3rd grade…. nearly 45 years ago. 🙂
Far Far Away on Judea’s Plains
It’s hard to pick just one Christmas song. But, I’d have to go with the old classic, Silent Night.
I love I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. It is my very favorite Christmas carol.
Silent Night is my favorite Christmas carol. What a beautiful song!
Joy To The World is my favorite.
I love so many Christmas carols but my favorite is which ever song one of my kids is playing or singing at the moment. I listened to 45 minutes of 2 of my kids playing carols together tonight. Ah… now that is Heaven!
I’ll Be Home For Christmas always brings tears to my eyes.
I always love watching their performances each year!! They are all so wonderful! I have a few favorite songs. I love “Breath of Heaven” by Amy Grant because it really makes you wonder what was going through Mary’s mind during that time. My other isn’t really considered a Christmas song and isn’t well known, either, because it’s a song written and composed by my dad.
No star shown bright this night when Christ was born.
No manger bed to keep him safe and warm.
No shepherds searched to find the Lord of All.
No lullabies within a cattle stall.
But angels sang! I know I heard their song.
And heaven rejoiced because I sang along.
And Christ was born. From heaven to earth He came.
He was born in me, and my life is not the same.
I’m not putting these here because I want to win the contest. I have already won one of yours and would love someone else to have that opportunity. Just wanted to share! Merry Christmas!
I really like the Christmas song “Milk and Cookies” by Clint Black. But for a more serious song I really like “O Holy Night”.
I’ve been playing and replaying “Give this Christmas Away” by Matthew West (with Amy Grant, I think). It is really speaking to my heart right now. That the giving (time, talent, money, stewardship, friendship, love, gifts) is so much more needed.
I love “When Joseph went to Bethlehem” from the Primary song book. But choosing is so hard…”Good King Wenceslas”, “Silent Night”, “Angels we have heard on high”…. 🙂
I have too many favorites to list!! I cry every single time I hear Silent Night but I think my new favorite is Away in a Manger…the version my 4 year old twins sing with their own lyrics. “I love baby Jesus in the manger” is my favorite line!
I love O Holy Night and Picture a Christmas.