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.
My favorite is Carol of the Bells, but I love all Christmas music.
Silent Night… and I’m pondering! :)
Yeah, well, Travis….
Here’s to 601!!!!
Hmmmm…I have so many millions of favorite Christmas songs, it is almost too hard to chose just ONE!
I must say, Amy Grant is absolutely my gold standard, too….along with Steven Curtis….he has some AMAZING Christmas albums. I guess I’ll give it to him for this one….
“All I really want for Christmas” is my current FAVORITE Christmas song.
FWIW, I broke out the Christmas music this past weekend….I posted about my embarrassing “Go, Tell it on the Mountain” moment at the red light on my own blog yesterday…
Merry Christmas!
O Holy Night, without a doubt!
“O, Holy Night” is my favorite. I would love to be able to have my grandma play it on the piano for me but she is at home in Heaven. I still miss her. And…..”Beautiful Star of Bethleham” is a favorite, too. I think I love all of the Christmas songs, actually.
I’ll have my first grandchild (it’s a boy!!) to sing them to this year. I’m sooooo ready for this =)
My current fave (although it is still hot here and we have our a/c on and I have pumpkins decorating my hearth…..)is All I really want for Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman.
Pick Me, Stephanie
I LOVE Christmas carols!!! But if I had to choose a favorite, it would be “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” :)
i love andrew peterson & jill phillips’ “labor of love”. that’s a great one. as far as old classics go, i always enjoy “the christmas song”… you’re making me want to whip out my christmas playlist right now!!
My favorite song (today) is Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.
O Holy Night. Third Day does an excellent cover!
Religious–What Child is This?
Seasonal–Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
Great giveaway!!
“Welcome to Our World”
by Chris Rice
“tender brow prepared for thorn”
“tiny heart whose blood will save us” WOW – He was born to save us! This is what Christmas is all about.
You know I want it! I have listened to some of the videos on LPM Blog and his music is incredible. My favorite Christmas song – too many to even list, but I will try. I guess near the top is do you hear what I hear? I love that, plus all the carols and the Christmas church pieces. It Wasn’t His Child by Tricia Yearwood is right up there, too. Oh I can’t pick an actual favorite! I love Christmas and the music and the decorations and the worship time and being with family…
Please pick me!
Tammy
I sure wish I could’ve ridden in that Buick Regal with you. It had to have been so much fun!
It’s official. I’m going to have to buy one of these CDs if I don’t win one.
My favorite Christmas song is “Carol of the Bells,” and my favorite Christmas song involving the birth of our Savior is “Mary, Did You Know?”
Away in the Manger, hands down for very personal reasons.
Thanks for offering the giveaway!
Totally can’t decide…finally made my husband choose his. It was like pulling teeth! Even he couldn’t narrow it down to only one.
So…
Silent Night
Mary Did You Know
O’ Holy Night
It has to be “The Christmas Song” sung by Nat King Cole.
Blessings,
Cazandra
Well, since I’m comment #618 with 14 days yet to go, it appears they may number in the thousands…not just hundreds!! Love, love, love so many Christmas songs. One favorite..”What a Strange Way to Save the World”.
How can I choose a favorite? Seriously, I’ve sat here for fifteen minutes going over songs in my head and debating the merits of each. At this moment, I will say my favorite is “Silent Night,” but I’ll probably change my mind in five minutes.
Can’t pick one, so I’ll pick one for each mini category:
Favorite Christian Cmas Song: O Holy Night
Favorite Old Jazz Song: Baby Its Cold Outside (by Ella and Louie)
Favorite more recent Jazz song: Sleigh Ride (by Holly Cole) & Frosty the Snowman (by Harry Connick Jr.)
Favorite Song Sung in Church: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
I love O Holy Night…the version sung by the group ‘Harvest’ from a long time ago. I can’t for the life of me remember which album it is on…but I love their voices, especially on that song!
This sounds like a beautiful CD, can’t wait til it comes out. Amy Grant’s album is a favorite of mine, but I also love Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas is You”
O Holy Night, and my son’s rendition of Away in the Manger last Christmas.
SO sweet! Thanks!
I love “O Come, O Come Emmanual” and “O Holy Night”. Oh, and also “White Christmas”.
Probably “Away in a Manger” sung with the alternate melody–I still sing it as a lullaby to my sweet little girl—anytime of year!
I was so poor in college, but Amy Grant’s album was one I had to spring for.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is my absolute favorite. I’m not a picky Christmas song person… I really love them all.
I think we’ve surpassed 46 like by a whole bunch! And stuff :)
-Andrea
BooMama,
I love christmas music. My girls are already asking me to play the cd’s “they miss christmas”, ok here is one of my favs:
since my husband is from Ft. Payne Alabama, how about Christmas in Dixie, any good southern girl loves that one.
Sooooo many favorites…it’s very hard to choose!
“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” (“The Christmas Song”) because my dad always sings this around the house during the holiday season
And
“Mary, Did You Know?” for a more contemporary favorite.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Alesha
O Night Divine…I’m pretty sure that is the name…..love the line:
“fall on your knees. o hear the angels’ voices…”
thanks for the giveaway.
I love ” Birthday of a King “…
but love nothing better than to hear
children sing at Christmas!
Just so you know, I NEVER EVER COMMENT. And I’m only commenting now so that Travis can have a more accurate glimmer of the error of his ways. We love him WAY more than forty-sumthin’ comments, yes we do.
That said, anything that contains the word “Hallelujah” is my favorite Christmas song ever. And even if I win this CD, I’m buying copies for my two best friends.
O Holy Night… but there are SO many more that I absolutely love too!
Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley ROCKS!
Trying to do my part to see that the comments reach at least 646!
My favorite Christmas song is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. Makes me cry every time.
Oh Holy Night…that song is what Christmas is all about. I get chills thinking about it.
O Holy Night. My favorite Christmas CD? Michael Bolton or Kenny G. Michael Bolton singing Ava Maria gives me goosebumps.
“Jesus, What a Wonderful Child”, and “Mary Did You Know”….gurl, I’m thinkin’ I may go straight to the attic and get out the tree when I get offa here. I love me some Travis and if I get an autographed copy I will hang that case on my tree, do you hear me, ON.THE.TREE!
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day is my all time favorite.
My favorite album is also Amy Grant’s Christmas Album. I also like the Carpenter’s Christmas.
As far as a favorite hymn…Silent Night.
Well, if you’re talking favorite hymns, it’s O Holy Night, and the runner-up is O Come All Ye Faithful.
When it comes to just the feel-goody stuff, it’s A Tender Tennessee Christmas (the Alabama version).
I’m off to put up our Christmas lights……
O Holy Night. I really liked Sandi’s version.
“Silent Night.” Best with candles.
My brother and I (notice I didn’t say “boyfriend”) used to drive around in his Buick Regal (!) with that Amy Grant tape in the deck. We’d play this little game where when we’d stop somewhere, we’d memorize the exact spot the tape stopped at when we shut off the car. Then! When it came time to get back in, we’d test our memory skills AND our musical skills All At The Same Time by seeing if we could sing the right words at the right pitch.
American Idol? You got NUTTIN’ on me.
And? A totally different CD you should check out–that is right up my snarky alley–is Ray Stevens’ Through A Different Window. It MAKES ME LAUGH. A LOT.
http://www.amazon.com/Ray-Stevens-Christmas-Through-Different/dp/B000002Q3O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1222759630&sr=8-1
I love Amy Grant’s Breath of Heaven and also Tennessee Christmas. Although, truth be told, there are too many favorite Christmas songs to list them all. I, too, have started listening to Christmas music. But, only in private, lest all others think me looney!!
wow! that’s alot of comments! But a good give away indeed. Picking one favorite Christmas song is HARD. I think I will choose “the night before Christmas” by Amy Grant. And I’m not just trying to score Amy Grant points here. Me and my sis have always found that song particularly enjoyable to sing at the top of our lungs in the car and hope to pass that tradition on to our daughters :)
For the record, Kenny Rogers Chritmas album (the one not with Dolly. No offence Dolly) Ranks HIGH on the list…way high :)
“Mary Did You Know”, it gets me everytime!
O Holy Night-love the alto part :-)
Breath of Heaven
In The First Light-accapella by Glad (currently in my iPod year round)
p.s. My Amy Grant cassette has the printing worn right off of it…broke down and bought it on CD. I do love Tennessee Christmas cause it makes me think of my stepchildren and grandbabies that live there…
There is no way I could pick just one favorite Christmas song. We have to have a rule in our house that says “No Christmas music played over the speakers until Nov. 1.” Now, I can listen on my iPod all I want. I absolutely love Christmas music, ANY time of year. If I have to say just one song, I guess it would be “What Child is This”. Or maybe O Holy Night. Or Silent Night. Or Carol of the Bells. Or…
First – LOVE All of Amy’s Christmas albums and saw her Christmas show when Point of Grace was with her. Their first Christmas album is probably my all time favorite and my favorite Christmas song of all time is of course “O Holy Night”. But, I also love Mandisa and Matthew West’s “Christmas Makes Me Cry”. And I have heard Travis’ “Ring the Bells” with Natalie Grant and it is fabulous!! Hope I win, but even if I don’t, I will be owning this cd.
O Holy night is my all time favourite…..I love singing it in a choir and my favourite version is John Berry’s.
My very favorite Christmas song is “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Always has been, always will be. :-)
“God rest ye merry gentleman” has been my favorite for many years.
“Mary Did you Know?” as well as “O Holy Night”.
And I love, love Amy Grant!
Sophie, you win, the comments are definitely in the hundreds!
I am not original at all! I like “Mary did you know” and “What child is this”, but my all time favorite is “O Holy Night”.
I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas by Bing Crosby
My Childhood was in sunny Florida so *anything* that has to do with snow – those are faves.
So hard to pick! Scrolling through I saw a lot of people said “O Holy Night,” and I have to agree that it is absolutely beautiful. It’s probably my favorite religious Christmas song. But, I always smile when I put in John Denver and the Muppets. I don’t even really care for John Denver, but that CD is just fun. My favorite song on the CD is “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
My favorite Christmas song is “Sleigh Ride”. And I love absolutely love Christmas music. My husband tried to “enforce” a rule that there is no Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving, but he’s finally given up on that =).
Gretchen N.
gretnel@hotmail.com
It is so difficult picking just one, but I love Breath of Heaven.
Thanks for this give-away! Love Travis’ music and absolutely can’t wait until this comes out.
“O Holy Night” – hands down. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music and have been known to have me a day of it in the summer ;-)
Sorry to say the same as everyone else, but O Holy Night is the greatest song ever…I love the
“Fall on your knees” part!
We love Fry Daddy!
Kelly S. Michigan
O Holy Night is my favorite too.
I love all Christmas music, but “O Holy Night” is by far the best ever.
O Holy Night
You got into the hundreds!
I love Christmas Carols, but I also love “Gloria” by Michael W. Smith. Such a cool song.
Thanks :)
MAry, Did you Know? is my favorite Christmas song of ALL time.
Seriously, 664 comments? Oh, my. Mary Did You Know just speaks to my heart as a mother and what the true, wonderful meaning of Christmas is. O Holy Night is gorgeous too. Such a way to showcase a beautiful voice. Now Christmas carols will be in my head all day!
Away in a Manger.
°Ü°
Way past 46 Mr. Singer… way past.
O Come Emmanuel
O Holy Night, Carol of the Bells, Christmas/ Sarajevo 12/24 (Trans Siberian Orchestra), Christmas Canon (also Trans Siberian Orchestra).
Love Christmas music!
Holly
Silent Night … hands down best EVER.
Mary Did You Know is a close second.
And I also really like the Hallelujah Chorus which we always sing on Christmas Eve at my home church. Is that considered Christmas music? If so, that might top Silent Night.
Later Gater.
“Mary, Did you know?” Other than that, love all Chrismas music; Kenny G, Michael McDonald, James Taylor, Amy Grant….could go on and on, but you didn’t ask for ‘all’ of our favorites, did you? Have a wonderfully blessed day and pray Travis is blessed to see he “oh so underestimated his wonderful talents”!
Kaye
I adore all Christmas Music… O Holy Night is a song that makes my heart melt!
Has to be “Mary did you know”…..LOVE it!!!
Silent Night and O Holy Night. Beautiful!
Thanks for the chance!
My all time favorite Christmas song is Mary Did You Know? Although, I know it’s not on Travis’ new Christmas CD. On his new Christmas CD, my favorite is Oh Holy Night! It just gives me chill bumps.
Love you Travis! Can’t wait to see you!
I just love Christmas music! And I especially love Amy Grant’s Christmas album, so I guess I would like Travis’ as well.
So, my favorite Christmas song is impossible to name, so I’ll just say “go tell it on the mountain” is really high up there.
Thanks!
“O Holy Night”…the best ever. I sing it to my baby and it calms her down every time. Plus, we had it in our wedding. But speaking of great Christmas cd’s, have you listened to Jewel’s? It’s a good one too.
I love, love, love Away In a Manger. Especially when sung by a group of preschoolers.
This is such a hard question for me. I’m in a bell choir, and we start practicing Christmas music mid summer, so my favorites come and go. Silent night is always a favorite, but last year I had the amazing experience to perform with the Mormon Tabernacle choir and the King’s Singers. They sang this version of O Holy Night that was so unbelievably beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes every time I heard it. I thought, when we get to heaven, this is what it will sound like.
You’ve got to check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOkgPhpbQr8
I can’t wait for THAT CD and video to come out, and that concert will be on PBS this December.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel. I’m could listen to Christmas music year round, but out of respect to my husband, I dutifully refrain until November.
I love Away in a Manger. We had fun singing it as kids and I had forgotten that until I heard my kids sing it one day after Sunday School a couple of years ago.
There are so many favorites. I would have to say “Oh Holy Night” tops them all.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing is my favorite. I will also break out the Christmas music November 1. And when I was 19, I had a Honda Civic that we used to play the CDs in, and since this is Florida, we would turn the air conditioning all the way up so we would be cold, like real winter. Ya.
Silent Night
What Child is this….. both the words and music make me have the shivers with joy!
By the way, we are way over hundreds….we might make it to 1000!
I LOVE Mary Did You Know. We never sing that one though at church. :) Thanks for a great and awesome giveaway this morning!
Silent Night, and if the kids feel like dancing – Rocking around the Christmas tree!
O Holy Night, hands down.
If I had to choose one Christmas song it would be Silent Night. This really is the easiest giveaway! Love your blog!
I, too, whip out the CHristmas stuff right after Halloween. My favorite…that’s really hard to pick…”White Christmas” by Bing.
“What Child Is This” has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs, but Amy Grant’s “Breath of Heaven” is another favorite.
HA. Almost 700 comments. Travis was wro-ong! Totally kills my chance of winning, but hopefully lets Trav know how much we love him & cant wait for this CD!!
Without a doubt, “O Holy Night” is my absolute favorite. It brings me to tears everytime I hear it. Breath of Heaven is second, really makes you stop and think what Mary was going through.
What an easy question! Without a doubt my favorite song is “O Holy Night”.
It is hard to pick just one! Mary Did You Know would be my top pick. Can’t wait to hear his cd whether I win it or not I will have to get it.
Thanks
Pam
I think my favorite Christmas song…depends on so much. I always cry, however, when I hear “Have yourself a merry little Christmas..” so that must mean something.
Mary did you know. Oh, I love that song and I also really like Baby it’s cold outside. Strange mix of favorites, I know
O Holy Night and White Christmas
LOVE, love Christmas music! Not just one, please? Favs are O Little Town of Bethleham (Amy Grant style), Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Holy Night and Carol of the Bells.
“Grandma got run over by a Reindeer” – NOT – just kidding I love “Breath of Heaven”, Handel’s Messiah, “O Holy Night”, “There’s a New Kid in Town” by George Strait and many more
‘O Holy Night’ is my favorite classic Christmas song, if not my fave of all time.
‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlement’ by the Barenaked Ladies & Sarah Lclaughlan is one of my favorite modern songs.