Update: Third-round voting ended on Nov. 22. On to the Semifinal!
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Voting in the Carol Countdown automatically enters you into a drawing to win a pair of tickets to see DCPA’s “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 10. Deadline to enter is Dec. 6th at 11:59 p.m. One entry per household.
Bah, humbug! Perennial favorites “Joy to the World” and “Away in a Manger” were knocked out in Round 2 of the 2021 Carol Countdown. But if your favorite carol lost, don’t be a Scrooge: We need your votes to decide some big-name matchups in Round 3!
With eight carols left, we’re now into the heavyweight matchups of the competition. There’s already a rematch of last year’s championship: “Silent Night” vs. “O Holy Night.” “Fall on your knees,” indeed — how is one to choose? We can’t sleep in heavenly peace until this one is decided.
“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” has emerged (narrowly) triumphant over “O Come All Ye Faithful”, but does it have what it takes to best “Carol of the Bells?” Though if we’re being technical about it, it might be a little early for those iconic four notes — did you know that “Shchedryk,” the original Ukrainian chant that “Carol of the Bells” is based on, was traditionally sung to celebrate the new year?
And despite the rise of so many beloved hymns, a lone modern classic remains in the running: “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” a 1960s plea for peace in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, will have to prove its mettle against “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” That glorious song of old is another ode to peace on Earth written by an American, in this case a Unitarian minister in 1849, whose original lyrics include a more socially concerned stanza that’s absent from some hymnals.
The drama begins — vote below to see if your favorite carols advance to our Festive Four! Remember, you’ll be automatically entered into the drawing for a pair of tickets to the Dec. 10 performance of “A Christmas Carol” at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. See sweepstakes rules.
Third-round voting is open through Nov. 22. We’ll announce the carols that move on and open voting for Round 4 on Nov. 23. Voting will continue until we declare a champ on Dec. 7. And don’t forget to listen to CPR Classical’s Carol Countdown on Saturday, Dec. 11 starting at 3 p.m.
Hear CPR Classical by clicking “Listen Live” at the top on this website, or download the Colorado Public Radio app. Listen on your radio to CPR Classical at 88.1 FM in Denver, at radio signals around Colorado. You can also tell your smart speaker to “Play CPR Classical."
