Special Song for Christmas Eve Service?

chuckglee · 12-16-2009, 09:06 PM

So I just found out this evening that I need to pick a song for our Christmas Eve service to be done as a special. Anyone have a suggestion for something fresh or different?
Thanks!
Chuck

Jay Tea · 12-16-2009, 09:51 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW3PFC86UNI

Fresh? check
Different? check

Check out Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb of God" album. You can find most of the songs from a performance at the Ryman theater (uploaded by the artist, I believe) on Youtube. I've sung "Matthew's Begats" and "Labor of Love" as specials before.

guitarman531 · 12-16-2009, 11:40 PM

"Welcome to Our World" is the song that I'll be playing (See the MWS version--I personally like the sound/feel of his over Chris Rice's)

gtrdave · 12-17-2009, 06:29 AM

Bebo Norman's "Born to Die" is an idea.
My wife and I do "Labor of Love" every year by request of our pastors.
"Joseph's Lullaby" by Mercy Me is cool.
And if you're into country, "No Room" by Tracy Byrd has got a very haunting vibe with a powerful message mixed in.
Or try Faith Hill's "A Baby Changes Everything".

1/2-Fast Player · 12-17-2009, 06:45 AM

Sunday we did "A Strange Way To Save The World" as a special, using piano, strings, and classical guitar. It came off very well, but we have an oustanding vocalist. YMMV

Our Christmas Eve services are pretty subdued and traditional. If yours are that way, look for things that will work well as acoustic pieces. A classical guitar can sound wonderful on many Christmas songs and could make a well-known carol sound fresh, if your congregation isn't used to hearing one.

In fact, if your place is like ours, the Christmas Eve service may well be packed with people who only attend at Easter and Christmas. Doing a fresh arrangement of a familiar song, maybe with new instrumentation (know a harp player? Mandolin? Djembe?) could be an excellent approach.

A couple of Christmases ago, one of our ladies and I did a duet arrangement of "What Child Is This" with me on classical and her on flute. A very familiar carol, but our church had never heard it performed that way before. Someday I'd love to do a piece with classical guitar and handbells.

Of course, if you're looking for something a bit more radical, really different in a church setting at least, there's always "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer."

chuckglee · 12-17-2009, 07:03 AM

Hey thanks for the quick responses! Definitely some things new to me I'll be checking out.

It will be a subdued service. I'll be playing acoustic with keyboard, bass and minimal percussion and I have a couple of really good female vocalists singing.

Believe it or not, I actually stuck "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer." in the middle of the list of carols we're doing when I sent it to the people playing/singing just to see if they were paying attention and to hopefully give them a laugh.

1/2-Fast Player · 12-17-2009, 07:46 AM

LOL! So did anyone notice it?

If our leader put it in the list, nobody would question it. We'd just practice the tune and be ready to do it.

Guitarman121319 · 12-17-2009, 10:45 AM

Another good song is "He made away in a manger." I think you already have that song, but you still should check it out.

chuckglee · 12-27-2009, 06:23 PM

Hey, just wanted to say thanks again for the suggestions. There are some good ones here I doubt that I would have run across otherwise. I didn't get to use any of them this time, because I waited too late to seek them out as well as some logistical issues with the service, but I'm putting several of them in the " consider for next year" list.