Top 5 Christmas Carol CD's, Top 5 Instruments and Top 5 Suggestions for 2008

Below is a link to a site that explains Christmas Carols really well and is at the top of the search 'Christmas Carols' on Google (19/11/08).

http://www.carols.org.uk/

Here is a list of some popular Christmas carols.

http://www.christmas-carols.net/

Below is a list of some of my favourite Christmas songs.

I wish it could be Christmas everyday - Wizzard

Happy Christmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon

Mistletoe and Wine - Cliff Richard

Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin Stevens

Merry Christmas/ All I want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey

Below is a list of some of my favourite instruments used to reinforce the audio effect of Christmas carols.

Church Organ
Trumpet
Harp
Violin
Triangle

Now here are my five known allbum recommendations in no particular order.

Mariah Carey Merry Christmas CD

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6974967/a/Merry+Christmas.htm

This album is great Mariah Carey has a very angelic voice and many of her songs have been remixed and revamped for popular release for the more disconcerted listener. She fabulously delivers the classics such as Silent night as an opener and Hark The Herald Angel sing towards the end. She also goes for the more contemporary pursuits of Rock music in Santa Claus is coming to town, then the rest of the album is her own tunes which by now I hope have become instilled into society as untraditional classic carols for Christmas. This compilation is as good spread of sounds and has some great lyrics, however for something more traditional, then, next is a review you may come to subscribe to.

Christmas Carols From Wells & Salisbury / Crossland, Seal CD

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=6785725&style=classica

A fitting setting for your stereotypical christian Christmas carol with songs I'm sure you know such as 'Once in Royal David's City', 'The Holy and the Ivy', 'Good King Wenceslas' and many more some of these originating from as far back as the renaissance period and the romantic era. all songs on this CD are sang by the Salisbury Choir. Towards the end of the CD they sing an American Carol 'I wonder as I wander' this compilation is a very traditional CD worthy of any Christmas lovers rack. Which leads me on to my next Christmas suggestion as we go deeper into the catharsis of December.

Dena and Joanna Marini - Christmas Carols on the harp

http://www.oldchristianmusic.com/mproductpages/dena-and-joanna-marini--christmas-carols-on-the-harp.html

This is purist harp music at it's best, with titles that include 'Ding Dong Merrily on High', 'Silent Night' and 'The First Noel'. There are 31 tracks that lasts for over 55 minutes of pure atmospheric changes. This album is a must for the more background sound for that subliminal suggestion of this exciting time of year. The two Marini sisters are a testament to why the Harp is listed as one of my favourite instruments for Christmas music.

Next the violin and how the Celts rule this genre.

A Celtic Fiddle Christmas Published - Mel Bay Publications

http://www.encoremusic.com/violin/1450294.html

If you want to here the fiddle I suggest you go down to your local Irish Pub you'll usually find some of the greatest purest musicians on the planet whom practise ALL year round. This compilation contains Christmas hits such as 'Deck the Halls', 'While Shepherds wash there socks', 'Here We Come Awassailing in" and 'We Wish you a merry Christmas' amongst many others, twenty two tracks to be exact. If you want to distil joy at Christmas then this album recorded in 2003 is a must buy CD.

50 Most loved Christmas Carols.

http://www.amazon.com/50-Most-Loved-Christmas-Carols/

50 Christmas carols that pleasingly deliver the idealist effect you expect from a Christmas carol song, that you''l want to sing-a-long-to. Ironically it comes with a bonus CD with 15 more tracks on CD three that you can continue the memento of Christmas. THe album has important Carols such as 'Deck the Halls' ,'Away in a Manger', 'Jingle Bells', Away in a Manger' etc er, etc er. Some of these tunes are composed by famous composers and others are just lucky attempts by local British Christmas choirs.

And last but by no means least the newer album's recorded for 2008 for you to get really excited about:

Enya is back with her album and Winter came:

http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Came-Enya

Another sexy singer is purist Sarah Brightman with her album A Winter Symphony:

http://www.amazon.com/A-Winter-Symphony/

The boys 'IL DIVO' are back; the Italian tenor stallions armed with bagpipes in there album 'The Promise':

http://www.amazon.com/The-Promise/

If none of these tickle your fancy then why not try something more popular within the realms are what is commonly known as music with the album from Dido called Safe Trip Home:

http://www.amazon.com/Safe-Trip-Home-Dido/