The greatest Christmas song ever
I am often told by my children that the greatest Xmas song of all time is the Pogues 'Fairytale of New York'. Quite a nice song but ... The greatest ever - I don't think so.
My argument is that one of the tests is the test of time. Although upon hearing a song for the first time you often know it is a great song; but the question is will it stand the test of time?
Will it still be sung or performed in one or two hundred years time. If it is still as popular in 100 years time then it may be one of the greatest.
I think some songs and artists will last - Elvis, Lois Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Caruso, The Beatles and so on. Some songs like O Sole Mio in all its various incarnations will go on forever.
Although not a religious person, many great songs that have stood that test of time are religious - How great thou art; Away in a manger; Amazing Grace; O come all ye faithful.
But for Xmas; for me the greatest is Silent Night. (German - Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht)
The original lyrics were by an Austrian, Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber with the carol being first performed in the Nikolaus-Kirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberendorf Austria on December 24, 1818. Mohr had composed the words two years earlier, in 1816, but on that Christmas Eve asked Gruber to compose a melody for the church service.
And so was born what I consider the greatest of them all.
There a literally hundreds of versions and I don't usually put any songs here that are not, it seems, a hundred or so years old.
And although the song is in that category todays version is a recent one; from a magnificent 2006 album by Billy Idol. If you have any spare cash available go out now and purchase his Happy Holiday album. It is simply wonderful. From that great piece of work here is Silent Night by Billy Idol.
