My favourite carol is the Cantique de Noël, sung here very beautifully by Josh Groban.
A friend in fact alerted me this, with an apology for the “cheesiness” of the video. I’ve never seen The Nativity Story, from which the footage is taken, but it doesn’t strike me as cheesy at all. I love it. I’m afraid when it comes to Christmas, at least, I become something of an aesthete, after the example of Sebastian Flyte:
“I suppose they try and make you believe an awful lot of nonsense?”
“Is it nonsense? I wish it were. It sometimes sounds terribly sensible to me.”
“But, my dear Sebastian, you can’t seriously believe it all.”
“Can’t I?”
“I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and the ass.”
“Oh yes, I believe that. It’s a lovely idea.”
“But you can’t believe things because they’re a lovely idea.”
“But I do. That’s how I believe.”
Whatever of that, enjoy the clip. Merry Christmas!
H/T Maryse.
Thanks for the quote, Fr John… Sebastian Flyte is one of the most endearing characters in modern literature, even if he does belong to the “tart with a heart of gold” category and therefore a product of wishful thinking…
I’d never seen The Nativity before watching this clip. I thought Joseph was asleep when Mary “brought forth” her Son. Because she was sinless, there was no pain, either. And lovely as the lady in the video is, she looks like a South Sea Islander rather than a Hebrew maiden. Joseph, however, is convincingly Semitic.
Sorry to make criticisms, can’t help it.
Michael Crawford sings the best version of O Holy Night.
Although, Silvie Paladino at the recent Carols by Candlelight was pretty darn good as well!
That was beautiful! Thank you so much. I have seen the Nativity and it does not follow Catholic theology but it isn’t too bad! Merry Christmas!