Top 10 RHS Xmas Hymns – Emi S
With the Christmas holidays nearing (and Friday’s carol service), it’s time to reflect on what the best xmas hymns at RHS are. I’ve tried to keep everyone happy – apart from those who are just objectively wrong – so without further ado, the top ten:
NB. If they’re not in the hymn book from numbers 42-65, I haven’t counted them (you might get to see some in the honourable mentions though).
10. While shepherds watched their flocks by night (65)
Nice but feels unfinished somehow? Needs more lines.
9. Silent night, holy night (59)
Iconic, but one for those dark winter nights – not ideal for encouraging Christmas spirit.
8. In the bleak midwinter (47)
Very pretty hymn based on a great poem, I just feel like the tune doesn’t match the subject matter.
7. O come, all ye faithful (53)
Good but the chorus gets a bit repetitive – I’d even go so far as to say boring…
6. Once in royal David’s city (57)
Got to be sung at least once a year. Maybe not more than that though, it’s not that special.
5. The first Nowell (63)
If you don’t recognise this one at first, it’s the one that keeps going ‘nowell, nowell.. NOWELL NOWELL’ in every chorus. Gets stuck in my head every year and is so fun to sing raucously.
4. O come, O come, Emmanuel (35)
Everyone loves this one; what’s not to like? Though it’s technically an advent hymn, so for that reason it can’t claim top 3.
3. O little town of Bethlehem (54)
I know this is a lot of people’s favourite, which is why it gets top 3. Descant is pretty sweet too.
2. God rest ye merry gentlemen (45)
Amazing hymn, and one of the only minor ones. The refrain also never gets old.
- Hark! the herald-angels sing (46)
The ultimate tune, perfect for every Christmas occasion. An absolute banger, with a 10/10 descant and an amazing fanfare intro – perfect length as well being only three verses.
Honourable mentions:
Of the father’s love begotten (55)
Underrated gem, when else do you get to sing a hymn in 5/4? with alternating lines of 4/4? and 6/4? This hymn is a bit of a strange one musically but usually not perceived as such because we just sort of go with the ‘feel’ of it. Bet you didn’t even know this was a xmas hymn though, so only gets an honourable mention.
Ding dong! merrily on high
Lots of dinging and donging. Generally just quite fun. Not a hymn though.
We three kings
Classic, not too long which is appreciated, but relatively boring range-wise and quite repetitive. Gets props for being easy to change the words (see James May’s iconic rendition).
Away in a manger (42)
Brings back primary school memories. Nice but a bit slow.
The holly and the ivy
Ruined a little for me when we had to do a ‘jazzier’ version in choir with insanely jaunty time signatures. Can’t look at it in the same way.
Hills of the north, rejoice
Great, but again, didn’t even realise this one was an xmas hymn.
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