The play-in round was a RAGING success! Don’t listen to those naysayers on Facebook. Ok, they were the only ones who said anything and they said they didn’t like the themed play-in rounds, and they don’t like this song, but I said it was a raging success and that’s all that matters. 😉
Now we are into the official bracket! Here you go:
Get your votes in by Wednesday night Dec. 11 at 7 pm PST!
First matchup: The number one seed is the heartwarming classic from the Charlie Brown Christmas special, from the Vince Guaraldi Trio, submitted by Meghan Rogers Czarnecki and Bethany Bylsma. They face Gabee Lee’s submission #16 seed Pentatonix/Kermit/MUPPETS, submitted to aggravate me and to give life and heart to Melanie Springer Mock, Jennifer Jansen Perez, and so many others.
TAKE THAT PEOPLE! If you want the Muppets to move forward you’re going to have to kick out Charlie Brown! The true meaning of Christmas! You’ll have to align yourselves with the side of commercialism to advance the Muppets. I mean you do you but…
Second matchup: #8 Claymation Christmas, submitted by Becky Thomas Ankeny (a delightful arrangement), against #9 Mariah Carey, submitted by Bethany Bylsma and victorious in the play-in round.
EDIT: For Claymation, if the link doesn’t go to the right song, advance to 22:18.
Third matchup: My suggestion of #5 It’s a Wonderful Life, versus play-in winner #12 Jewel, with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, also submitted by Bethany Bylsma.
Fourth matchup: Everyone give a collective “awwwwwww” for this entry from her first Christmas album, back in 1983. #4 Amy Grant, submitted by Phil Rodin and Sammie Eilert, is pitched against #13 Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, a winner from the play-in round (by only one vote, the closest one!) submitted by Nolan Koskela-Staples.
Fifth matchup: Yet another from my personal Christmas Favs playlist, #6 Take 6 (submitted by Natalie Koskela-Staples) faces #11 Shane and Shane (submitted by Erin Heasley Knoch.)
Sixth matchup: This one has a great find from Nolan Koskela-Staples in the #3 seed. When I first listened, only a few hundred people had ever viewed the video on YouTube, and it deserves a listen from many more: Heck Ya the Halls. They take on #14 Glad (their sublime a cappella harmonies squeaking out a play-in win), submitted by Martha Wood.
Seventh matchup: Kelly Simonsen has given me some good music for my playlist over the years in this contest. She submitted #7 Tow’rs, a unique sound and arrangement. Meghan Rogers Czarnecki submitted #10 Weezer, which all you Millennials pushed through the play-in round.
Finally, the eighth matchup: Get ready for some FEELING as you hear #2 Doe, during last year’s “Birth of a King” concert. The whole concert is worth a listen, as submitter Bethany Bylsma will tell you. She faces #15 Postmodern Jukebox, submitted by Nolan Koskela-Staples.
EDIT: For Doe, if the link doesn’t take you to the right song, advance to 1:06:08.
There we go! Vote and vote hard!
The claymationbis linking to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I don’t know if people who voted for it even listened to it.
Hey now I see. Could you put timing in for the Claymation and the Doe concert? So it would be easier to hear Hark! in among the whole concerts?