You can’t say “Christmas carols” without immediately thinking of your favourite one. Most people will know one or two Christmas carols or Christmas songs and you can’t stop yourself from humming along to them during the holiday season.
Each Christmas song evokes a particular Christmassy theme: Santa Claus or Hana Kōkō, a Christmas tree, a snowman, the birth of Jesus, etc. Generally, Christmas music is designed with joy and happiness in mind and getting people in a good mood.
Practicing your singing during the Christmas season is perfect: you hear the same songs over and over, people generally don’t mind if you start singing a Christmas tune at random, and there are lots of opportunities to practice your singing seriously.
So, get in the spirit of the season while studying your singing with these festive tunes!
Kiwi Christmas Songs
Like much of the Western-style world, New Zealand’s most popular Christmas songs include Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You, Wham!’s Last Christmas, and Justin Beiber’s Mistletoe.
These are all fine songs, but as far as using them to learn singing, they can be overly complex, rather monotonous, or perhaps not your favourite music style. And, they don’t have that much of a connection to Aotearoa.
Here are some great New Zealand songs to practise your singing!
Christmas in New Zealand
Sung by Dennis Marsh & Friends, this catchy Christmas tune honours the experience of being in New Zealand during Christmastime; an experience Christmas songs from everywhere else in the world can’t comprehend!
For example, rather than reminisce about snuggling by a fire, Marsh sings:
There won't be any snow to make the land look white
The sun won't set down south 'til after 9 at night
You won't be needing furs or woolly hats and gloves
It's time for outdoor living in the land we love
This simple yet fun tune is great for practising your singing skills while celebrating the summer months.
Summer Wonderland
Brought to you by Air New Zealand and Ronan Keating this Winter Wonderland parody is another festive tune exclusively for New Zealanders. Enjoy a Kiwi Christmas with lyrics like:
In the arvo we can grab the wickets
And plastic cricket bat your brother found
Backyard full of all your distant rellies
So we pass the can of mozzie spray around
The magic of a song set to a classic tune is that you can easily practise it in the style of another singer who has performed Winter Wonderland, you just have to change the words!
Star of Wonder (We Three Kings Parody)
What fun is a holiday if you can’t have your own funny little tune?
We three kings of Orient are
One on a tractor, two in a car….
John Clark (as his persona Fred Dagg) sang this song in the 70s, and it remains a popular meme with the older crowd. Although not particularly long or complex, or full of the beautiful vocals we are used to hearing in Christmas songs, this is a fun, short song that can help you learn rhythm and vocal control.
Māori Christmas Songs
While there aren’t many Māori Christmas songs, they do exist!
It's wonderful to be able to celebrate both the heritage of the Māori people and Christmas traditions at the same time.
Pō Marie (Silent Night)
There are many different versions of the Māori translation to this traditional Christmas song, the two most popular are called Mārie Te Pō and this version, Pō Mārie.
Silent Night remains one of the best songs to sing around Christmastime because of its slow pace and the ease of which you, the singer, can improvise and try new arrangements of the notes.
Te Toi O Te Kirihimete (Favourite Part About Christmas)
This fun and jazzy number by Stan Walker features both Māori and English and an exciting new holiday song to practise singing with!
Maranga, Tamanui te Rā
Matika, Tāne Mahuta
Toitū ana te ora e
Nau mai, Hine Rēhia
Toitū te aroha
Inā, ko te Kirihimete
Inā, te hikuwai o te tau e
Kua kotahi te whānau e
Pop Christmas Songs
Looking to practise singing with popular Christmas tunes?
Here are some of the best songs that aren’t too complicated for learners but are still beautiful and fun!
Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande
While not yet “classic” status, you can hardly get through a Christmas season (since 2014 when it was released) without hearing this catchy, sparkly tune by Ariana Grande.
Simple yet pleasing to the ear and the vocal cords, jam out with cutesy lyrics like
I've been down this road before
Fell in love on Christmas night
But on New Year's Day, I woke up and he wasn't by my side
Now I need someone to hold
Be my fire in the cold
But it's hard to tell if this is just a fling
Or if it's true love that he thinks of
Snowman
If you use the internet, you’ve definitely heard this song by Sia making the rounds as a viral audio clip.
The swinging melody is simply irresistible!
I want you to know that I'm never leaving
'Cause I'm Mrs. Snow, 'til death we'll be freezing
Yeah, you are my home, my home for all seasons
So come on, let's go
Classic Christmas Songs
No matter where you are in the world, you’ve likely heard most of the most well-loved Christmas songs. And, even though they are targeted at the folks in the Northern Hemisphere, you can’t help but love the enthusiasm for snow and hot chocolate and fireplaces.
Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland was written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith. Many artists have performed covers of this song, including Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Michael Bublé.
It’s a winter classic (even if you don’t get any snow) because it evokes a nostalgic feeling about a fun and romantic snowy day.
With the interesting notation of the bridge, this is a fun song to practice singing in different styles.
And you can always sing the Kiwi version mentioned above if you’re not one to glorify cold and snow!
White Christmas
White Christmas was written by Irving Berlin in the 1940s and the most famous version was performed by Bing Crosby. This is a famous Christmas classic all over the world.
Many different artists have covered this song:
- Frank Sinatra
- The Drifters
- Elvis Presley
- Louis Armstrong
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Beach Boys
- Eddy Mitchell
- The Supremes
- Tony Bennett
- Céline Dion
- Michael Bublé
- Katy Perry
- Taylor Swift
- Lady Gaga
If you’re just getting started with some Christmas songs, White Christmas is the perfect place to start. With so many different versions, there’s bound to be a style you like!
Religious Christmas Songs
Of course, Christmas is a very important Christian holiday, so many of the best Christmas songs are religious. They are very beautiful hymns that anyone of any faith can enjoy and sing along to.
Silent Night
Silent Night was originally an Austrian song written in the 19th century. This is one of the most beautiful Christmas songs and also one of the most famous. This song was sung by British, Belgian, French, and German soldiers during a temporary ceasefire on Christmas day during the First World War.
While originally a hymn, it’s now recognised as a Christmas carol. When practising singing, this is a great choice because the slow tempo allows you to practice every note with care.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
This Christmas carol was written in the early 18th century in a collection Hymns and Sacred Poems. It was written by Charles Wesley and later adopted by George Whitefield, founding ministers of Methodism. The music was adapted from the piece "Vaterland, in deinen Gauen" by Felix Mendelssohn.
The current version that's commonly sung around the world is based on the version from the Oxford University Press publication Carols for Choirs from 1961:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
The great part about choir songs like this are that there is a version for any vocal range, so no matter which part of the scale your voice sits at comfortably, you can sing this song well.
Use these songs along with your personal favourites to practise singing during the holidays. You can even join a choir or caroling group to sing with others if you’re interested!
Want to perfect your rendition of “Last Christmas”? You can receive professional coaching with a singing tutor right here on Superprof! You can impress your friends and family at your holiday gathering with your incredible singing performance!
Enjoy singing during the merriest season of the year!
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