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.
Mary did you know and silent night
My favorite Christmas song is “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.”
I am right there with you on the Amy Grant Christmas. I had the cassette version too! I finally updated to a CD!!! When she came out with a new Christmas album I was so excited, but it just wasn’t the same. I will always listen to the first as part of my all time favorite Christmas music.
Hey, I’ve been lurking around for a couple of months but had to chime in on this one. My favorite Christmas song of all time is O Holy Night. I love Travis and his music. Will buy this cd if a don’t win it.
Well, I believe that this is the 800-something comment so yes, we did prove Travis quite wrong!
It’s so hard to choose a favorite Christmas song. Amy Grant’s “Breath of Heaven” always gives me goosebumps – I heard it for the first time when I was pregnant. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” ranks up there as my favorite carol. And Nicole C. Mullen’s “Christmas in Black and White” is probably my favorite Christmas CD!
I have been lurking around your blog for a little while & I LOVE it. You crack me up. I never comment, but when you bring up Christmas music, well I have to add my two cents.
I LOVE Christmas music – LOVE IT. If I had to pick a favorit song though, it would have to be Oh Holy Night. (Martina McBride actually has a pretty good version on her Christmas CD.) The song will always remind me of a dear friend who is now singing praises to Jesus face to face! He had an INCREDIBLE voice!
my favorite is “o night divine”. at least i think that’s what it’s titled?
I, too, love J Taylor’s Cd.
blessings
Travis was just OH SO WRONG! Ha!
Anything off that first Amy Grant Christmas album is a fave…
DH loves it too!
Oh, I’ve already been listening to Christmas music but shhh don’t tell my husband. He always gets after me for listening to it too soon. I love “let there be peace on earth” by Vince Gil. Of course there are many more that I love…but how I do long for peace on earth!
I love Jars of Clay’s Little Drummer Boy. I listen to it over and over!
Joy to the World, What child is this?, Mary, Did you know?, too many to pick from!
Hope I win this!!!
I love “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” We sing it at church every Christmas eve, and it gives me chills every year!
“O Holy Night”. And I think my favorite version of it is Mariah Carey’s. It is indeed DIVINE!
It has to be: Mary Did You Know.
Other than that, the Oak Ridge Boys Christmas. I am just a little embarrassed that I admitted it. :)
“Mary Did You Know” gives me chill bumps every time I hear it and is my absolute favorite Christmas song ever!
favorite ‘traditional’ song: O Come All Ye Faithful
favorite not-so-much traditional: Breath of Heaven
Little Drummer Boy
Makes me tear up every time.
Ooooo – Christmas music!!!!
Harry Connick Jr – I Pray on Christmas – my current favorite. My nostalgic fav is anything by the Ray Coniff Singers – my parents had the record and played it constantly beginning the day after Thanksgiving. Noting like a rousing medley to kick the season off right!!!
My favorite Christmas song is “Oh, Holy Night”. But when I am in the mood for fun…I sing “Let it Snow”. I live in Mississippi, so I rarely get to see the real stuff..but, it never hurts to dream!
pagan/ secular song – santa baby
amy grant song – emmanuel
hymn – adeste fidelis (sung in latin of course)
candlelight service – silent night
My favorite song is O Come, O Come Emmanuel. I am already listening to Christmas music!!
Oh, so many but….
#1 favorite is
Amy Grant
“Breath of Heaven”
I love “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Always have. And during advent, at church, we sing “In the Bleak Mid-Winter” and I love that one too.
Feliz Navidad…Jose Feliciano version
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” is by far my favorite. And, since you creamed him in the comment prediction, I think he should throw in an extra ten CDs!
Ok really… mine is “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”… seriously… how can you NOT love that song!
2nd fav… “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas”
“O Holy Night” is my favorite. Thanks for the giveaway!
O Holy Night tied with O Come all ye faithful, Oh, and Away in a manger…I can’t pick just one!!1
Oh Holy Night is the old stand-by fave, followed by Silver Bells.
Also, any of the songs off of Andrew Peterson’s Christmas cantata “Behold the Lamb”, including my very favorite, “Labor of Love.” It is so beautiful. :)
My favorite Christmas song is Mary’s Boy Child, I think that’s the name. My whole family- about 30 of us- always sang it at Christmas Eve growing up. I think it was to an Anne Murray record.
Maybe I’ll win, although I’ve been entering contests since age 8 and never won one once!
Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Because I actually know all the words. Because my two year old requests me to sing it at each nap time.
I love O Come O Come Emmanuel.
Thanks for this give away…I am looking forward to Travis’s new CD
Too many favorites but I’ll say Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant and as far as carols…O Little Town Of Bethlehem.
Hope random thingy can count up this far!
It’s a toss up…”Go tell it on the mountain” if I am in an upbeat, fun Christmas mood. “Oh Holy Night” if I am being more reflective!
I think Travis was a little off on his prediction. Forty-six, yeah right!
Thanks SO much!
Oh Holy Night is the best.
like i have a chance.
love o come o come emmanuel.
Not very original, but “O, Holy Night” is my favorite; has been since I sang it in the school play in 5th grade. Thanks to a good Christian teacher by the name of Mrs. Abbott who was not afraid to present the gospel in a public school setting. God rest her soul!
Too many to choose from…I really like Silent Night, though.
Oh Holy Night
Mary did you know?
What child is this
and every other Christmas song ever made!
White Christmas. Hands down.
Also should be noted it is my favorite Christmas movie. I have already watched it this year.
Simply because I used to have to listen to it repeatedly as a child…..so it brings back great memories from my mom and Christmas….”I’m dreaming of a White Christmas”….cheesy, I know.
I’m going with “Mary did you know?” I also love to hear
“Holy Uncreated One” by Chris Tomlin sung at Christmas.
Hi Sophie!!
Thanks for this fun treat! Win or not, I am so excited about this new CD from Travis!
My dearest favorite Christmas song is Amy Grant’s “Welcome to our World” from her Christmas to Remember CD. Pure worship…
Love you!
My favorite song is definitely O Holy Night. Breaks me down every time I hear it!
Thanks,
Shauna Okongo
O Holy Night, definitely
breath of heaven.
mary’s journey is remarkable. no words are quite as powerful as
“help me be strong…
help me be…
help me…”
ps. i listen to Christmas music all year long! (i just try to take it in doses so i don’t drive my husband crazy:) )
My favorite song is “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” love this song.
My 4 year old nieces favorite is “Heat Miser” She just asked to listen to it today.
My favorite it “Breath of Heaven.” I can’t wait for this CD! If I don’t win it I will be in Mardel’s on the 7th!
O Holy Night, Breath of Heaven, and When My Heart Finds Christmas.
Another Christmas music aficianado! Thank you for being picky; that helps me trust your opinion on this CD. It’s impossible for me to narrow my love for Christmas music to one song, so I’ll just choose one…just not at the expense of all the others I love so well too: “Joy to the World.” I LOVE thinking about the fact that Christmas is the Gospel – God’s Good News for us lost sinners!
My favorite Christmas song is Joy to the World. (pick me! pick me!)
Thanks BooMama!!
~Heidi
Hands down, O Holy Night.
Simply because I can belt that sucker in my car and I hit every note – even when it hits glass-shattering heights…or at least as far as my tone-deaf ears can tell!
C’mon, I’ll be your most awesomest humble winner ever!!
Wow, was Travis ever wrong! This is a really hard one for me….I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music. Just talking about it makes me want to go break out my CD collection. O Come, O Come Emmanuel is one of my all-time favorites. Maybe because I can sing the whole thing without going into my head voice! But, I also really love the message of I Heard the Bells on CHristmas Day. And another one that I REALLY like is Los Pesces in el Rio from one of the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums….not sure what fish in the river have to do with the Holy Season, but it’s a great tune.
My favorite Christmas Carol is “Angels We Have Heard on High”. My favorite Christmas song is Carmen’s from the Young Messiah, I’m not sure of the title.
Hmmm hard to choose just one:
Hark the Herald Angels sing!
Mary Did You Know?
Joy to the World
I always remember how excited I was about the lyrics to all Christmas songs when I first became a Christian!
: )
Carol in NC
What Child is this IS definitely the one! Thanks Sophie AND TRAVIS!
“Some Children See Him” because it is so so sweet and so true!
Well, at 854 comments thus far, I’d have to say Travis was more than a little off. I think he’s loved a little more than he realizes. If I leave two hundred comments, will they all be counted and add to my chances? ;)
Favorite Christmas song? I always love a well done version of “O Holy Night”–but it has to be REALLY well done, or else it’s just… blah. And I then I don’t like it.
I guess I am a follower, b/c O Holy Night is my fave, followed by Silent Night. And appears to be the fave for about 40% of this huge crowd (Travis, we love your humble nature!).
Never left a comment before… but could not resist this… I am a Christmas music fanatic…I have Christmas cd’s by Amy Grant, Point of Grace, Elvis, The Beach Boys, Alvin and the Chipmucks…and lots more…but … you are all going to think I am insane…I Love ” All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Vince Vance and the Valients!! I bet I am the only one that says that!
Absolutely O Holy Night. I love how it starts of soft and sweet and then builds up later on. I’m always in tears by “Fall on your knees.”
I love The Huron Carol – it’s so different in its’ minor key.
And I loved (and still do) Amy Grant’s Christmas CD too! It’s still my favourite but Josh Groban’s Christmas CD is right up there too.
Thanks for sharing the goodness – and surprise, surprise, Travis!
I love Christmas music! My favorite is O Holy Night, followed closely by Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant.
Oh please… I LOVE them ALL.
But right now as we enter another Christmas season with soldiers so far away fighting in a war, I am moved to tears when I hear, “I’ll be home for Christmas”
I try to pray for the soldiers right then when I hear it.
Silent Night is my favorite.
Little Drummer Boy is a close second.
I {heart} Christmas music!! The Carol of the Bells is just one of many of my favorite songs.
O Holy Night is the greatest of all time.
Except for “What Child is This”
and “Lully,. Lullay”
and also “Mary, Did you KNow”—that really has to be the greatest.
“Jesu Bambino” is pretty awesome.
I listen to Christmas music all year! “O Come all Ye Faithful”, and “O Holy Night” have to be my favorites!
p.s. My parents have hours of home video of me singing to Amy Grant!
Ooohh, I love me some good Christmas music!
My favorite secular song is “White Christmas” and my favorite religious song is “Oh Holy Night”.
O Holy Night for me!
“Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming”. Although I do love “Silver Bells” too, for those more secular moments.
Silent Night, and I really enjoy the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Oh Holy Night
Ooh yes ma’am, my favorite Christmas CD is also James Taylor’s. His voice is so right for the holidays. And every other day. I love all of his music, but my favorite Christmas song is absolutely In The First Light, sung by GLAD, because I haven’t heard Travis’ version. Yet.
I am a recent convert to your site, so it was my first time reading about your jeans experience. And I say, congratulations (on finding some you love), right on (on how difficult it is to find some you love), and amen (to sum up what was – and is – almost a religious experience)! Oh, and you’re so funny! But let’s get serious…
My favorite Christmas songs are “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “O Holy Night”. Because who can have just one???
O Holy Night is my all time favorite Christmas song!!
For the record, I hate when I have to list “my favorite” anything. I have waaay too many favorites, so I obsess over which one to say, and then I give up and don’t say anything.
However, I am foregoing the obsession here because I would love, love, LOVE! to win this CD.
So. My “favorite” Christmas song would have to be “O Holy Night”, (even though everybody and their sister has already mentioned it).
And if I don’t win the CD, I think it will have to be added to my birthday wish list for this year so I can still have it in time for Christmas.
Thanks for the giveaway!
My fave is, and will probably always be “O Holy Night” and I practically swoon when it’s done by Pavarotti. :)
Jingle Bells and I love Travis Cottrell. Loved seeing the praise band in San Antonio at Beth Moore. Wow.
Winter Wonderland…it reminds me of my grandmother who used to sing it to me when I was a little girl.
My favorite Christmas song would have to be “Silent Night” ~ It just takes me back to the wonder of God’s plan for each of us.
Mary, did you know or What child is this.
Hope I win… if not, I’ll be buying this CD!
I love anything on Amy Grant’s Christmas Album, it was always my mom’s favorites and we would listen to the tape non-stop from Thanksgiving on. (We just got her the cd’s a year ago) “Heirloom” is one of the best songs on there.
And a side note, I love reading your blog, I found you through Angie and you just crack me up everyday!
Silent Night. Thanks for making it easy :).
O Holy Night.
But who am I kidding? I love all Christmas music, and I could listen to it year-round. Seriously.
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) is one of my fav’s for the holidays
nickmal(at)wildblue(dot)net
Secular: The Christmas Song ( chestnuts roasting…)
Sacred: What Child is this
Too hard to pick just one!
Away In A Manger and O Little Town of Bethlehem and O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.
Thank you for the great giveaway!!
I love “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams but my all time fovorite is “O Holy Night”.
Oh Holy Night would be my very favorite!
For some reason I sing Jingle Bells all year round! My favorite song to sing and think about is O Holy Night.
I’d love to win!
O Holy Night is our family favorite. Infact, my dad wants it sung someday at his funeral – no matter what season that happens to be in.
I think my favorite is “Strange Way to Save the World” by 4Him, especially when my daddy sings it at church.
Silent Night – absolute all time favorite. Since I have late fall babies, that was one of our first rocking to sleep songs. I know all the words, all the verses, it is the only song I can sing in harmony to, and it makes me remember just how special Jesus’ love is. Thanks for making me think of it today. I needed that!
Martina McBride’s version of “O Holy Night”. Gives me goosebumps just to type that. And tell Travis you girls were SO right! I think I’m 896!
Hands down….”O Holy Night”….and it seems to be a favorite!
46……what a hoot!!!
Not That Far From Bethlehem Point of Grace
Getting close to 1000! I love Christmas music. And my favorite classic Christmas song is O Come All Ye Faithful, but my favorite newer song is Here With Us by Joy Williams. I cry when I listen to it. It is very close to being my number one all time favorite song ever, Christmas or otherwise.
I love all Christmas songs especially O Holy Night.Our preachers wife sings a song called I Believe and it is beautiful.Travis is gonna be blown away by this many comments! monk5@charter.net
Monica