We had our Carol Service at Christ Church today, which means I am feeling thoroughly descanted, always a pleasing feeling, and in a mellow sort of mood. And also as though Christmas really is close, which is definitely where this music fits…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ktvmY6lTI&w=420&h=315]I had no idea Enya had recorded this piece. I’m slightly bemused by it – it does sound so very Enya, and not at all what I thought I was looking for when I went hunting for a good version of O Come, O Come Emmanual. I was looking for something a lot more plain-chanty, I think. Or like that gorgeous version by the King’s Singers, which I feel I can’t use after having one of theirs last weekend, but which is still utterly amazing.
But I do like this one. It has a stillness and contemplative feel that are absolutely right for this song, and Enya does preserve the feel of plainchant. Though I do find it strange to recognise very Enya-ish chords and instrumentation below it, and the sudden chorus does make me giggle.
And speaking of giggling, as I looked at the Enya recording, another one caught my eye. “Boys II Men did a version of O Come O Come Emmanuel,” I told Andrew, who was sitting next to me, minding his own business.
“No,” said Andrew, very firmly.
I contemplated the recording a little further.
“NO,” said Andrew, with even more conviction.
I pointed out that I had no idea what it would sound like, and now I really had to know.
I got a Look.
I don’t think Andrew likes Boys II Men. To be fair, the recording didn’t do much for me, either. But it would have been wrong to reject it without a fair trial…
I am rather interested to hear the King’s Singers version, but you’ve linked to the Enya one again instead. Do I get a fixed link if I’m good?
That really depends how good you have been…
(fixed now, thanks for the heads-up!)
Ooh, it’s yummy.
To be precise, it’s “Boyz II Men” singing “Oh come oh come Emanuel”. AND CONTINUING TO GET THE WORDS WRONG, both the spelling and the actual words. It sounds like they heard the song once, wrote down the words from memory, and then sang it when they were still waking up from a hangover. I lasted about thirty seconds.
It does rather have that look, yes…
[…] with Gaudete! for Gaudete Sunday (also known by us as Pink Sunday, because of the funky vestments), O Come, O Come Emmanual on Monday, and the Coventry Carol on Tuesday. Wednesday was the Australian Carol of the Birds, and […]