With Christmas fast approaching, I’m sure a lot of us are digging through last year’s Christmas music trying to find something new for this year to add to the traditional carols. With that in mind, here are some albums and songs you might want to check out.Traditional Carols
Praisecharts.com has many excellent contemporary arrangements for churches that want to incorporate choirs and orchestral instruments. Use this link.
Hymncharts.com offers a similar service, where you can download choral and orchestral parts for many hymns.
Wordmusicnow.com offers something similar.
O, Holy Night – alt. verses by Kevin Hartnett. Kevin is a member of my church, and wrote two new verses for this hymn that expound on the reason Jesus came to earth
Wordmusicnow.com offers something similar.
O, Holy Night – alt. verses by Kevin Hartnett. Kevin is a member of my church, and wrote two new verses for this hymn that expound on the reason Jesus came to earth
Albums
Worship and Adore has a number of well-crafted new Christmas songs.
Glory in the Highest by Chris Tomlin offers contemporary versions of carols as well as a few new songs.
Savior by Sovereign Grace provides songs connecting Christ’s incarnation with his substitutionary death on the cross.
Christmas Offerings by Third Day provides contemporary arrangements of many carols.
New Irish Hymns #3 – Incarnation – songs by Keith Getty and others.
New (or fairly new) Songs (congregational and solo)
Here With Us – Joy Williams – ponders the apparent paradoxes of God becoming a baby to save us
Jesus Saves – Travis Cottrell – travels from the incarnation, to the cross, to our praise in the new heavens and earth
Adore Him – Kari Jobe – describes the adoration of the Magi, and uses the chorus of “O Come all Ye Faithful”
My Soul Magnifies the Lord – Chris Tomlin
Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy) – Chris Tomlin – celebratory version with a new chorus
On Christmas Day – Matt Osgood
On Christmas Day – Matt Osgood
Son of God – Michael W Smith
Glorious Impossible – Carl Cartee – joyful celebration of Christ’s birth, life, and substitutionary death
He Made a Way in a Manger – Vicky Beeching
He is Wonderful – Kathryn Scott
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – MercyMe
Older Songs (congregational and solo)
Labor of Love – Andrew Peterson – beautiful portrayal of Mary’s humility in birthing Jesus
From the Squalor – Stuart Townend – one of my favorite Christmas hymns that covers Jesus’ birth, life, death, and return
When Love Came Down to Earth – Stuart Townend
Magnificat – Todd Agnew – a contemporary version of Mary’s song
Here I Am to Worship – Tim Hughes
Children’s Choir
You might also want to check out Christianity Today’s round up of new Christmas albums.
Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments section. (Thanks to Ken Boer for his work on this list.)
Great list Bob! I would add Carl Cartee’s “Glorious Impossible!” Thanks for your service to the bofy!!
Jamie, you’re right. I did add it, per your counsel. Great song.
body that is……
Bob, I got SovGrace’s SAVIOR a few weeks ago and I am simply astounded. Exactly what our church needs this season.
Didn’t think I could be a bigger fan of SG, but that album has done it!
Thanks for mentioning my website Hymncharts.com! May I also add to the list two free Christmas worship songs for congregation I’ve cowritten: “I Adore You” and “Peace On Earth.” Both are free downloads at Worshipideas.com.
“Advent Songs” by Sojourn is pretty good too as well as Matthew Smith’s, “Your King Has Come”. I’m a big Fernando Ortega’s “Christmas Songs” as well.
Oh, I forgot to add, “The Magnificat” by Keith & Krystn Getty.
Great list! The Sojourn Christmas Album: Advent Songs has some very compelling arrangements of old and new Christmas songs. i especially like “Glory Be”
This music (and free chord charts!) are found at:
http://www.sojournmusic.com/albums/advent-songs/
Townend’s hymns are amazing. Love the song “From the Squalor” for Christmas… We added a penny whistle riff between the verses that worked marvelously.
Andy Park wrote a song called Immanuel which is a medium-fast contemporary Christmas recorded on a CD called A Vineyard Christmas in 1990. I absolutely love the song for this time of year. Adapt it to contemporary arrangement especially the drums! :) MP3 is found on
http://ionworship.org/ (Artist for some reason is Bobby Cruz!?!) Also “Heaven Sings” is worth a look.
chord sheet at
http://www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/added/added0708.html or
http://www.audiblefaith.com/pages/sg890002
Great list! Thank you for mentioning wordmusicnow.com! Might I add ‘Ring the Bells” by Gary Rhodes and Tim Cates from Word Music.
It is a great choir call to worship piece for Christmas!
Thank you for the song list. I would include Travis Cottrell’s version of your song “In the First Light”
It wonderfully conveys the humility and the majesty of Christ’s incarnation.
Thanks Bob. What a gift you are to our little church in OC. Just talking to our leaders about planning Christmas songs and how it’s a lot of work…but worth it.
then I found your post! so grateful for your counsel and help.
Bob, thanks for mentioning “He Made A Way In A Manger.” Hope you’re doing well!
Lee
Great list! Thanks for sharing these songs!
I also like Bebo Norman’s “Born to Die” because it talks about the purpose of Christ coming to earth.
Thanks for this list, Bob. We used Kevin Hartnett’s excellent lyrics to O Holy Night this evening at my church (St Paul’s Anglican, Chatswood, Australia). They sounded great and were well received and edifying to the saints there!
One of my all time favorite Christmas albums is still Glad’s Voices of Christmas.
Carlos (7, above) mentions the Gettys’ setting of the Magnificat. I like it, too, but I think the range is unrealistic, at least for the congregations I know. It goes as low as an A-flat and as high as a D. Well, there’s no negotiating with that. You certainly can’t transpose lower, but you can’t really go much higher, either.
I’ve spent the last week listening to ‘Christmas’ by Andy Gullahorn and Jill Phillips.
I bought the download from the Rabbit Room.
https://store.rabbitroom.com/music/christmas
A new tune for ‘Nations That Long In Darkness Walked’ and the funnest version of ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ that you’ll ever hear among other gems.