God Rest Ye Merry—Round 1

Thanks to all who submitted! There were more than I could include, so several people who made multiple submissions did not have all their entries chosen for the bracket. But we have quite a widely varying field!

One of the earliest versions of one of the later verses of this carol is what draws me during this challenging time:

Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
Like we true loving brethren
Each other to embrace
For the merry time of Christmas
Is coming on apace

As printed in The Beauties of the Magazines, 1775

May we find ways to treat each other as siblings, with love.

So as I’ve done each year, I seed this thing based on how I like the songs. Get mad if you want (and you all usually do), but it’s my contest and I like what I like. (Except, ahem, in those instances where I troll you people by moving popular ones down and crazy ones up…)

The first round always takes the longest, because everyone has to listen to 16 versions of the carol. The rounds after can go more quickly, since we are more familiar. You have until Sunday noon PST to vote!

Here’s the bracket:

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Listen to Annie Moses Band here.

Listen to Adam Neely 15/16 here.

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There we have it! Share this page far and wide, scream at me about my stupid seeding, recruit your voters, and we’ll weed it down to 8 by Sunday at noon PST!