When I was in college, I would break out my cassette (YES. CASSETTE. AMEN.) of Amy Grant’s A Christmas Album just as soon as Halloween was over. It was my Official Soundtrack during November and December road trips, and “Heirlooms” was always a sure-fire recipe for Tender Introspection since I was a terribly sophisticated nineteen year-old and all.
A nineteen year-old driving a Buick Regal that would sputter to a dead stop if the accelerator wasn’t pressed at all times, and yes, that includes at red lights and stop signs.
Anyway, my point is that Amy Grant’s first Christmas CD is the gold standard of Christmas albums for me. Other Christmas albums have joined her in my Christmas music hall-o-fame over the years – like Harry Connick Jr.’s and James Taylor’s, for instance – but I’m a pretty discriminating Christmas music listener. I want worship and reverence and fun wrapped up in one musical package, and I don’t want want a hint of corny in the mix. But other than that I’m not picky at ALL.
Ahem.
Last year, not too long after Melanie and I dragged Travis Cottrell into the vortex of our lives by obsessing over his wife’s jeans, he mentioned that he was about to start working on a Christmas album. He also mentioned that his producer was going to be Brown Bannister, a name I immediately knew because I’d seen it printed on the top, right-hand corner of every piece of Amy Grant sheet music I tried to play on the piano when I was a teenager. Since I knew that Brown Bannister produced Amy Grant’s Christmas albums, I figured that Travis’ Christmas CD was bound to turn out pretty well.
However, I had no idea that when I heard Travis’ Christmas CD for the first time, I would get all teary-eyed and fan my face and feel so unbelievably proud of our friend. The CD is absolutely, positively, completely, stunningly beautiful. Christmas music perfection. We’ve been listening to it in our house since Labor Day (YES. LABOR DAY.), and on at least four different occasions David and I have had in-depth conversations about how great it is. Every single day the five year-old gets in the car when I pick him up from kindergarten and asks if he can hear “Frosty.” Every single morning I have some church with my iPod when I listen to “In The First Light.” It is, plain and simple, a wonderful CD.
Ring the Bells will be released next Tuesday, October 7, and there’s no question that you’re going to want to add it to your Christmas music collection. But if you’d like to try to win one of ten autographed copies of the CD before it’s released, then here’s what you need to do:
1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas song.
2. Pause and think for a moment about how this is pretty much the EASIEST GIVEAWAY EVER.
I’ll close this giveaway next Monday and announce the winners next Tuesday.
And just FYI: Travis is so stinkin’ humble and self-deprecating about this whole Christmas CD thing that it’s sort of unbelievable. In fact, we have debated for weeks about how many comments this giveaway will generate, and I have contended that we’re gonna hit the hundreds. Travis’ official prediction is 46.
I have a feeling y’all are going to prove him oh-so-wrong.
Make it a merry one, internets.
This giveaway is now closed.
I am also an Amy Grant fan but I have the CD–my favorite song is “Emmanuel” which leads into “Little Town” which doesn’t work well in my random disk play.
My first time commenting…no chance of winning but thought I’d try!
Thanks
My favorite Christmas song is:
Strange Way to Save the World – 4HIM
and O Holy Night
~Mindy Truly
Dallas, TX
Amy Grant’s Christmas music is some of my favorite stuff too! My favorite song is O Holy Night.
A tie between “O Holy Night” and “Angels We Have Heard on High”. Can’t choose between them.
“O Holy Night” is my favorite and I happily surprised to see it listed many times.
I would love a new Christmas CD!
What Child is this? Most beautiful song ever
My favorite is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is my favorite, particularly the Nicole C. Mullen version
The Little Drummer Boy is my favorite since childhood.
O Holy Night has to be my favorite.
“O Holy Night” and “Mary, Did You Know?”
~Charlotte
“O,Holy Night” and “Mary, Did You Know?”
Please pick me. I live in Houston and Travis is here a lot for Beth Moore. This Houston grandma of 61 loves Travis’ music.
Wanda
O Holy Night is my all-time favorite!!! I definitely get goosebumps when I hear it. Also, a new one for me is “Once in Royal David’s City.” I love it because every year at our church a child sings the first verse and then we all join in. I get all teary-eyed every year.
By the way, I remember riding in your Regal listening to the Amy Grant cassette. Gold – pure gold.
Oh boy I am excited, as far as favorite Christmas songs?! Well…
Grown Up Christmas List
O come o come Immanuel
Light a Candle
I could truly go on and on and on…
Could we possibly hit the thousands for this giveaway?!!!
Lindsee
Silent Night
Thanks for the chance!
hi boo mama! first time leaving you a comment, but i’ve been reading off and on for a the last month or so. love your whit and love your questions. christmas music is my favorite too. my husband considers this “fun fact” of me rather strange. thanks for not leaving me in the shadows by myself.
my favorite christmas songs… Ave Maria (because Harry Connick Jr sings it like no other)… O Holy Night (the first christmas song i ever cried to, jr high chorus concert, beautiful duet with two very very talented singers) and Silver Bells (my grandpa’s favorite. when i hear it, very jimmy stewart angel gets his wings and i know my grandpa is a bit closer to me).
hurry christmas, don’t be late!
Ok, Christmas music is the BEST, and my all time favorite is “O Holy Night.” I, too, still listen to the Amy Grant CASSETTE, but I have also added a few to my collection since then, including Mercy Me’s Christmas album…oh so fun! (Who out there listened to the Buck Owen’s CHRISTMAS ALBUM? Yes, LP, baby!!! My husband’s family’s all time favorite song is “Christmas Time is A Comin'” Yes, God makes us all SPECIAL!!!
“O, Come All Ye Faithful” and “Joy to the World”
Favorite secular song as a child was “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.”
I think my favorite would have to be White Christmas.
Thanks for the giveaway! I’m excited to hear this CD when it comes out!
“O Holy Night”. Hands down. Without a doubt.
I hope I win. I’m sorely in need of new Christmas Album. My kids destroyed my other one. I have the Hillsong Christmas one though, still. But my Bing has been ruined, and I am lost.
What Child is This… or Mary, Did You Know…
I just love Christmas music. Sometimes I turn it on throughout the year just to make me feel happy inside. :)
And 46 comments, ha! I’m #920. :)
Love them all but my favorite Christmas song is…..
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
This was so hard b/c I love all of them–fun and serious. Don’t the all make us smile or cry or think happy thoughts. That b/c they are all about His birth. Cool!
Definitely “O Holy Night”. I can hear TC’s strong voice now hitting that note on “Fall on your knees”.
O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas song. And for all of us Southern ladies, Christmas in Dixie.
Breath of Heaven–Amy Grant
Oh Holy Night and Mary Did You Know
I could start playing Christmas music now through December 25th!
My all time favorite is
Little Drummer Boy and it was
my Mamas as well. We do have good taste!
My favorite Christmas songs are “O Holy Night” and “Mary Did You Know.” Oops, that’s two. I hope I didn’t blow my chances of winning by not following directions!
“Do you hear what I Hear?” is my favorite.
okay. I am absolutely weird. I love all Christmas Carols, songs and hymns. But my absolute favorite? “An Inconvenient Christmas” by the Oak Ridge Boys. Scout’s honor!!!
Mary, Did You Know?
(over 900!!!)
Favorite Christmas song… is it possible to single one out? I love, love, love all Christmas/holiday music, from the old classic hymns to the rockin’ ones. Tennessee Christmas is the one that keeps popping into my head right now, though, probably since you brought up the Amy Grant Christmas Album. That was my favorite cassette of all time & I’ve been dying to get my hands on a new copy. Someday soon I will!
O Holy Night. For Sure.
I can’t pick a favorite Christmas song either…too many! And I am with you on the Amy Grant thing…started blasting it in my college days and haven’t missed a Christmas Season since!
But one of my absolute favorites is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. I love to reflect that Jesus is “God with us”. How amazing.
By the way, this is my first visit to your blog! Plan to be back!
Joy to the World – only because it brings back memories of the elementary school singing Christmas tree in the grocery store parking lot. Oh the memories …
“O Come All Ye Faithful” – as sung in the Knoxville Nativity Pageant every year, while I watched dress rehearsal from an upstairs balcony. During that song, seeing all the villagers, the Roman soldiers, and finally, even the Roman centurion, walk towards the manger and kneel before it — and realizing that one day every knee truly will bow before Him…no words. Still sends the same shiver up my 40-year-old spine that it has since I was 6 years old and seeing it for the first time!
Little Drummer Boy!
Pick me Pick me!
Hark how the bells
Sweet Silver Bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away…
Christmas is here
Bringing good cheer
To young and old
Meek and the Bold
Ding dong Ding Dong
That is our song
With Joyful ring
All caroling…
(I can hear the crescendos….)
Joy to the World!
Pam
O Holy Night… Wow, comments are in the 900’s now :)
O Holy Night is my favorite!
Grandma got run over by a reindeer.
Are you even reading into the 900’s?!?
It is DEFINITELY O Holy Night…LOVE IT! I get all verklempt every time I hear it.
Which one to choose? I’ll go with Breath of Heaven.
SOOO many favorites….everything from Ms. Amy’s “Breath of Heaven” to Nicole C Mullen’s “365 Days”!
Thanks for the giveaway. You’re going to hit 1000!!!
Kelli
How can you ask us to name a favourite? lol! Traditional? Sooo many that I LOVE – O Come, O Come Emmanuel, One Small Child, O Holy Night. Contemporary? Breath of Heaven and The Cradle Prayer. Secular? Baby, It’s Cold Outside, The Christmas Song, I’ll be Home for Christmas….see! It’s impossible!
So exciting.
My chances would have been greater with only 46 comments but we all knew that wouldn’t happen. :)
(one of my)Favorite Christmas songs- Breath of Heaven (Mary’s song).
Thanks BooMama and Travis!
“blogless” Annette
Oh. My. Word. That’s a whole lot of comments for one post! :):) I better put my name in the hat, too! Based on your Christmas music standards, I am sure I would LOVE the CD.
My favorite Christmas song is…hmmm, it’s tough but I think I’ll go with Micheal W. Smith’s “Gloria” since I have a ton of great Christmas memories to go with the song!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and humor with us! BooMaMa, you are a blessing to soooo many!
Love all Christmas music!! But to pick one favorite, it would have to be O Holy Night.
Oh, favorite Christmas music… Okay, I’ll pick one of my favorites- What Child Is This?
Well, since I’m number 951 I’m pretty sure we’ve proven him wrong. And since the odds of 10 out of 951 aren’t great, I won’t get my hopes up too high (though I do LOVE me some Christmas music). Picking one favorite Christmas song is a little like picking a favorite movie or book, nearly impossible. When I’m in a reflective mood I do love Silent Night (I can feel the candle light on my face as that is the song that was always song in my church growing up when we passed the light starting with just one until everyone in the church held a lit candle). And when I’m in a feisty mood I love “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
I guess the traditional all time favorite would be O Holy Night, which I only allow myself to sing in the shower when no one is home.
Then I also love that new collaborative one that came out last year that starts out “we are the kings” and “we are the angels”(I know Point of Grace sings that part)…I can’t remember the name.
And I could go on because I cannot pick 1 favorite Christmas song… but I will spare you.
“Away In The Manger”
Hand down it has to be “Silver Bells” but if I were in church it would be “O Holy Night”
Hands down it has to be “Silver Bells” but if I were in church it would be “O Holy Night”
In church – Silent Night
For handbells (which I am nutty for and also am a ringer) it is Carol of the Bells.
Except for the fact that I swear off all Christmas music until after Thanksgiving (because that’s how much I love Thanksgiving), I could have written your entire post…Amy Grant’s Christmas albums were the anthems of all my college Christmases. And Christmas road trips. And 19-year-old introspection.
And I agree…It’s a rare album that I think even comes close to measuring up to one of Amy’s. So if you say this one’s THAT good, well, let’s just say I really hope Mr. Random Number Generator sees fit to give me the chance to see for myself.
Oh, and my favorite Christmas carol is Silent Night. In its simplicity it is so beautiful.
Sophie, it’s so cool to see that Travis was so wrong on his prediction… and it looks like your hundreds of hits is pushing 1000 — Wow!
My fav:
Mary Did You Know
I do not have a blog, but Mary did you know is my favorite!
Tennessee Sherri
Bethelehem Morning by Sandi Patti.
The Christmas song aka Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire…
Love it!
You have a ton of comments Boo! That’s awesome!
O Holy Night
by anyone with the lungs to belt it out!
Like, hmmmm, TRAVIS COTTRELL
yes yes yes praise the Lord!
O Come All Ye Faithful
just beautiful!
Oohh, I can’t choose. I LOVE Christmas music, but it probably is O Holy Night.
Joy to the World by Avalon
Oh Holy Night is by far my favorite!
I have wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too many “favorites” to choose, but I’d have to go with “We Three Kings” When I was in college I went to a Christmas Concetta at a local Baptist church and heard a beautiful, upbeat song that I believe was entitled “African Noel” it was laced with “Go Tell it on the Mountain” and “Joy to the World” I wish I had taped it when it aired on our local PBS station.
What an amazing ensemble and voice. I felt Christmas deep within my soul like never before.
O Holy Night is my favorite!
Carol of the Bells is my favorite!
O Holy Night
My current favorite is Come and Worship by Bebo Norman. I also listen to it year around.
“O Holy Night” hands down.
“Oh Holy Night” or “Silent Night” or…I could go on and on. Christmas songs just make me feel at peace and happy! Thanks for the giveaway.
Silent Night in ANY version is my favorite. One of my favorite memories every year is being at my mom’s church with my entire family (my dad is a CEO, Christmas and Easter only) and having the candlelight service. At the end, everyone has their candles and the lights go down and we slowly pass a flame while singing Silent Night. Without a doubt, always brings tears to my eyes, even when I was younger and didn’t even know I was a sap. I love it for the sound and come on, everyone looks BEAUTIFUL in candlelight.
Silent Night!!
Oh – there are so many! I read this post on day one, but really wanted to see if I could name just one… I can’t, but I’ll click submit fast before I type another! I’d start with “Mary, Did You Know”.
Mine is Carol of the Bells…My favorite christmas CD so far has been the one Avalon put out a few years back but oh how I LOVE Travis Cottrell’s voice so I know this CD will go to the top of my list now. Thanks so much!
melodius20@hotmail.com
O Come let us adore Him!
Thank you kindly for the give-a-way!
It would have to be “Christmastime” by Michael W Smith. I think I’ll go get it out right now. I’ve used SUCH restraint this year to make it to October 3rd!
My favorite.all.time.Christmas.song has to be “My Son, My Son” by Gary Morris. If you’ve never heard it, you really should…it’s a mom thing.
Got a contest going on over at my place this week to see if anyone can figure out that you and I share the same birthday! I’m giving away Chris Sligh’s CD to the winner. Happy Birthday by the way! D’s list was fabulous, and exactly what my husband would have written about me…ahem!
little drummer boy
It’s hard to list just one. So I’ll list three.
Mary Did You Know
Silver Bells
Tennessee Christmas
And I agree that Amy Grant has one of the best Christmas albums ever!
Mine:
Mary Did you Know?
Breath of Heaven
and
Christmas in Sarajevo (Transiberian Orchestra)
So hard to pick just one . . .
I love to hear “Carol of the Bells” and “O Holy Night”. I love to sing “What Child is This”.
Ashley
wow, very cool!
let’s see…this is tougher than i thought, because i LOVE Christmas music! i’m with you on Amy Grant, and i also love Alabama’s Christmas CD…oh but you said song. so i’ll go with Tender Tennessee Christmas, sung by both of the above mentioned. :)
thanks for a fun contest!
“Oh Come All Ye Faithful” is my favorite! I love Christmas music too, you’re getting me in the spirit–I think I’ll have to break some out now that the air is crisp!
I love the song “Breath of Heaven” it’s so peaceful and so pretty!
Silent Night!
My favorite Christmas song is “Do you hear what I hear”. Thanks for this opportunity. I hope I win.
Favorite Christmas song: Behold The King by Sandi Patti and Larnell Harris
Wow, with 900+ comments maybe Travis should sign a bunch and sell them on his blog! (I know a HUGE Travis fan, that if I should win, will love having a signed CD! I will purchase one for myself…but a signed one will have to go to my friend!)
He is so silly only 46 people yeah right!
I couldn’t wait I just ordered his CD but I would love to win one for my sister who I won’t be able to see durng Christmas!
My favorite Christmas son is “Breath of Heaven”
“Silent Night” ~ i can’t sing it without tearing up.
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” has my favorite lyrics but I love them all!!
Oh….I HEART proving Travis wrong with his “comment prediction”! He was at our church @ FBC Bentonville a few years ago, and man….he’s been my FAV’ singer since!!! This man can SING!!!!! :)
BTW…I had the very same fascination of Amy Grant as well. Her friend…Michael W. Smith was also my favorite for a long time. FRIENDS….is a mainstay in Christian music, huh??
Oh yeah…back on track…song!!?? Hands down…O Holy Night!! NOTHING can rattle this Southern Baptist chick like that song…unless Cotrell sings it!! :)
Blessings friend – Ang’
OOOOOHHHHH…man!!! I thought of a song that would knock O Holy Night right off the charts for me right now!! Sorry for two comments, but oh my….how ’bout: MARY DID YOU KNOW??? We’re practicing an arrangement with our church choir right now (yes…we’re working on Christmas music)…and hands down…this sugar stick Baptist can do a Pentacostal jig when the music rises to the “Praises of the Lamb”!! Oh yeah…this one is IT!! Last comment…PROMISE!! :P
Selah’s version of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”…exquisite. And I am so thankful for google reader suggesting that I discover your blog! :)
My favorite Christmas songs are anything off of Amy Grant’s or Harry Connick, Jr.’s CDs (I had the most embarassing, somewhat stalkish encounter with Mr. Connick back in my college days. sigh. enough to keep me humble!)
Thanks for the giveaway – I LOVE Travis!
~Jennifer
okay seriously. just one?? can’t…
1. oh holy night
2. away in a manger
3. hark the harald angels sing
4. carol of bells
5. mary did you know?
too too many. am so getting this if i don’t win!!! (but my hubby would rather me win it probably ;)
oops! wait, forgot to add: “so awesome that you are having this – your blog is awesome!!!”
i sing oh holy night, and away in a manger along with three other songs to my little boys every night..because the reason for the season really is all year around!! and when my little boys get older and perhaps one day when i’m not around…and they hear those songs…they will remember rocking with their mama every night before bed and how it felt to be safe in my arms loving on them and singing to their hearts about our wonderful and merciful Savior…
blessings to you! :)
I LOVE Christmas music!! I hate to see Christmas displays in the stores before Thanksgiving, but I want to start playing those Christmas CDs by Oct. 1st! My favorites include “Our God is With Us” by Steven Curtis Chapman, and “Emmanuel, God With Us” by Point of Grace. (see a theme here??) Thanks for the fun, BooMama!