After a brainstorm in the car 8 years ago, I started an Advent tradition of asking you all to help me discover the best version of a particular Christmas song. Little did I know that: A) it would start massive yelling fits in ALL CAPS; B) you people actually hardly ever vote on the BEST version of a particular Christmas song; and C) Bethany Bylsma is either the greatest organizer of all time, or the greatest perpetrator of voter fraud, depending on your perspective.
Here’s how it works: I choose a Christmas song (this year, two), and you send me your favorite version of that song (please try to find it on YouTube, so I can link it so all can listen). Then I set up a bracket like March Madness, and we all vote. The winners advance, and we vote again, and again, and again, until we get down to the best version of each song.
So find your favorite versions of “Carol of the Bells” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, and post those versions (with links) as comments here, or on my Facebook page, or send by email.
We will start with Carol of the Bells. Send me your favorite version of the song by 5:00 pm PST on Friday, December 3. I’ll work on the bracket over the weekend, and get the brackets out and we’ll do our voting the week of December 6.
“O Little Town of Bethlehem” submissions are due by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, December 15. We’ll vote between December 18 and 24.
Check out previous winners here! Let’s go!
Carol of the Bells – Future of Forestry
https://youtu.be/sgEBZ4p_tyY
O Little Town of Bethlehem – Ella Fitzgerald
https://youtu.be/4S4VvnE5M4g
If you ever thought Carol of the bells needed more cowbell. Carol of the Cowbells -Terry Esau and Rob Barret Jr.
https://youtu.be/ZbDdONJiv0Y
(I prefer this 2 song medley over the cowbells. In the past medleys have not been accepted, but I still would like to at the least share) Carol of the Bells of Notre Dame by Voctave https://youtu.be/dYtlzWE1YUU
O Little Town of Bethlehem by Gaither Vocal Band https://youtu.be/CwfkGj51S2c
Gotta go with Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Carol of the Bells. Saw them perform it in person and It. Was. Awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6FhOb7-1dg
David Foster’s version is always a favorite. https://youtu.be/pvHAkxm0Su4
Carol of the Bells (although I guess the best part is visual… and probably not what you are going for?)
https://youtu.be/3SOvfher8Dg
For Carol of the Bells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCf3lvUpWL4 (so fun to play on the piano!)
For O Little Town of Bethlehem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpr7w5N3hvA
Carol of the bells, https://youtu.be/zQXpSDE6T0E