Show me a link to your favorite, male, solo (as in, no groups) rendition of "O Holy Night".
December 18, 2012 4:26 PM Subscribe
Show me a link to your favorite, male, solo (as in, no groups) rendition of "O Holy Night". Acapella is good too.
I am singing, yet again, on Christmas Eve. I do this song the same way every time. I am a reluctant tenor if that helps. I want to see how others do this.
I am singing, yet again, on Christmas Eve. I do this song the same way every time. I am a reluctant tenor if that helps. I want to see how others do this.
Best answer: Rufus Wainwright
This is one of his go to numbers, so there are a lot of different versions of it.
posted by The Whelk at 5:08 PM on December 18, 2012
This is one of his go to numbers, so there are a lot of different versions of it.
posted by The Whelk at 5:08 PM on December 18, 2012
This version is my personal favorite.
posted by phunniemee at 5:11 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by phunniemee at 5:11 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Better version of Rufus on Jimmy Fallon, singing it in French.
posted by The Whelk at 5:14 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 5:14 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
I grew up listening to Mario Lanza's version.
posted by cabingirl at 5:16 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by cabingirl at 5:16 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
I am unsatisfied by most of the links above. So I'll just tell you what I like in this song...
A straight forward melody. (That tune is gorgeous, don't try to embellish it.)
A leisurely pace, but not so slow and draggy as most people sing it. And go a little up tempo and hit the rhythm just a little harder when you get to the part that goes
'A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn!' Then the long drawn out 'Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!'
sounds amazing (with the very slightest of emphasis on Fall and Hear.
Here is a bad recording of King's College Choir with the pacing I like. Sorry, I couldn't find a solo piece that tempts me at all.
posted by SLC Mom at 6:35 PM on December 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
A straight forward melody. (That tune is gorgeous, don't try to embellish it.)
A leisurely pace, but not so slow and draggy as most people sing it. And go a little up tempo and hit the rhythm just a little harder when you get to the part that goes
'A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn!' Then the long drawn out 'Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!'
sounds amazing (with the very slightest of emphasis on Fall and Hear.
Here is a bad recording of King's College Choir with the pacing I like. Sorry, I couldn't find a solo piece that tempts me at all.
posted by SLC Mom at 6:35 PM on December 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
I love Andy Williams' version. I believe this is the recording we have on LP that we listen to every year on an ancient tube hifi.
posted by ApathyGirl at 6:53 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by ApathyGirl at 6:53 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
O Holy Night is my absolute favorite Christmas song, and in general I agree with you on the important elements (a driving tempo, energy with emphasis at the same points you cite). However I think we differ on some other aspects. So, with that caution I will suggest Faith Hill's version from her Joy to the World album (clean but female and not acapella), and NSync (male, acapella but probably too cutesy for you...but my favorite) and a version by Lou Christie & University of Pittsburgh Glee Club (just a simple piano accompaniment). For what it's worth.
posted by forthright at 8:01 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by forthright at 8:01 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks (to most of you, anyway). Rufus Wainwright? Never heard of him but WOW. What a voice!
posted by brownrd at 9:51 PM on December 18, 2012
posted by brownrd at 9:51 PM on December 18, 2012
It's not really a solo, as it's a duet with Sandra Crouch, but I really love Jon Anderson (ex-lead singer of Yes) doing this song on his 3 Ships album.
(It's one of my favorite Christmas albums ever, and I listen to it year round -- it's THAT GOOD.)
posted by hippybear at 10:27 PM on December 18, 2012
(It's one of my favorite Christmas albums ever, and I listen to it year round -- it's THAT GOOD.)
posted by hippybear at 10:27 PM on December 18, 2012
I think this is the definitive version for me, probably because it was the one I always heard as a kid.
posted by fshgrl at 11:03 PM on December 18, 2012
posted by fshgrl at 11:03 PM on December 18, 2012
David Archuleta
don't discount it just because he is a young american idol contestant ... this is a really nice arrangement...
posted by tomjoadsghost at 11:39 PM on December 18, 2012
don't discount it just because he is a young american idol contestant ... this is a really nice arrangement...
posted by tomjoadsghost at 11:39 PM on December 18, 2012
Can't find the full thing online, but Amazon has a clip of Lou Rawls' version.
There's also the Hall (& some Oates, but mostly Hall) version.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 12:19 AM on December 19, 2012
There's also the Hall (& some Oates, but mostly Hall) version.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 12:19 AM on December 19, 2012
I'm partial to the version from MeFi's own cortex, myself.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:32 AM on December 19, 2012
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:32 AM on December 19, 2012
Sorry, I'm not sure if this follows the requirements as there are backing vocals, but my favourite rendition is Sufjan Stevens's (starts at 3:00 for mobile users).
posted by t-rex at 4:51 AM on December 19, 2012
posted by t-rex at 4:51 AM on December 19, 2012
Matt Andersen performing live during the Vinyl Cafe Christmas. The link doesn't do him justice. Made all the hair on the back of my neck stand up when I saw him live.
posted by aclevername at 12:41 PM on December 19, 2012
posted by aclevername at 12:41 PM on December 19, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mkb at 4:51 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]