Irish country music stars share the songs they love to perform and their favourite Christmas memories

6 hours ago 4

Lee Matthews

I’ve two favourite Christmas songs.

I can’t choose between Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and the Fairytale of New York. I love hearing Fairytale of New York on the radio, although not before November, at least please! I remember a very uncool version of "Let it snow" I performed whilst in the boy band Streetwize when we did a school tour of Sweden years ago. My least favourite song is easy - Feliz Navidad.

Festive songs remind oftime rather than a particular person.

They remind me of growing up in the family home when I was really young and having everyone around. The line "So this is Christmas " pulls at the heartstrings, but I’m not one to shed a tear easily.

Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas… Is You is probably the most overplayed Christmas song.

It was my favourite growing up, but over the years I probably got sick of it.

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Lauren McCrory

There are so many Christmas classics to choose from.

If I had to limit it down to just down to one I would say that my favourite Christmas song would have to be ‘Fairytale of New York’. It is such an iconic song that always brings everyone together no matter where the setting. Each year when I hear it played for the first time, I get very excited as I know it’s officially Christmas season. It’s a song that reminds me of great times spent with family and friends and I really enjoy singing along to it wherever I may be.

Back in 2014, I performed at a country Christmas show in the Market Place Theatre, Armagh.

I was on stage alongside artists such as Brendan Shine, Philomena Begley and Louise Morrissey. I Sang Faith Hill’s version of Away In a Manger and after the gig, Brendan suggested that I should record my version and release it as a Christmas single. I went into the recording studio the following week to lay down vocals and two weeks later we had the single released and playing on all Irish radio stations. I’ve sung this song at every Christmas event for the past 10 years and will continue to perform it going forward – it was one of the first experiences I had in a recording studio and I still love it so it will always be a nostalgic little number.

When I was younger, my local community theatre would put on shows to where my parents would be involved, either preforming or backstage.

One year the song Silver Bells was being performed and the entire cast had to learn the chorus section. My dad isn’t great at remembering words, so he asked if I would help him as he was struggling to retain th,. I can remember sitting for hours singing the song over and over again with him and my mum, learning them way to remember the song. Sometimes it was fun, other times it was very frustrating but looking back, it is always a lovely memory and one that we find very sentimental.

I don’t likeDriving home for Christmas.

I don’t know what it is about the song but it is just one of those pieces that I’ve never warmed to. The radio is always changed when it comes on and even my friends know not to play it when around me. It reminds me of a song you would either hear in a waiting room or being put on hold during a phone call – both of which I am not overly a fan of, so maybe that might have something to do with the dislike.

I was introduced to the Christmas song ‘Dominick the Donkey’ by a group of young children that I taught last year.

They asked me if they could perform it at their Christmas show, but I was unfamiliar with the song, so we listened to it together as a group. Needless to say, I was certainly entertained by the lyrics and sound effects not only within the song but also from the kids watching my reaction to it – it’s one that will always make me laugh when I hear it.

This Christmas is shaping up to be rather busy for me.

I have a few different Christmas concerts lined up alongside providing music at several winter weddings. Christmas is always a very busy time of year for weddings but possibly my favourite as there is such a vast selection of songs to choose from. On the 27th of December, I will be supporting Derek Ryan in the fairways Dundalk and will be preparing for an event that I will be running in the early months of next year. I do hope however, to get a few sociable outings with family and friends to celebrate the end of a very rewarding and successful year.

Chantelle Padden

My top Christmas song is a pop song.

Meghan Trainor’s version of Last Christmas is one of my all-time favourites. I tend to skip a lot of the slower sad old school Christmas songs if they come on the radio when I'm at home or in the car.

I was always a chubby little angel in the Christmas school plays growing up in Mayo.

Celine Dion's rendition of Oh Holy Night gives me all the feels and always gets me emotional when I hear it played. Just wow!

This Christmas will be a very special one for me and my family.

I'm expecting the arrival of my Identical twin boys. My Fiancé Gavin and I are looking forward to spending the holidays enjoying the newborn cuddles in our home in Co. Mayo as a family of four for the first time.

I know most Christmas songs are overplayed to death every year .

But people have to remember that they are a big part of getting us in the Christmas Spirit, so when I get sick of certain classics,I find myself looking for new revamped renditions or remixes of the original. I also love finding newly released tracks that would be more unknown. I think Radio stations should push new original songs more, so it’s not the same 15/20 tunes being played over and over again year after year.

Colm and Caitriona Kirwan

We love Michael Buble’s entire Christmas album

But if we had to pick one song, it would be The Christmas song

We can vividly remember performing Christmas songs growing up as kids.

We loved performing Silent night every year at the Christmas carol service ahead of Christmas Day. In The Bleak Mid Winter reminds me of my mum (Colm) because she sings it every year at Christmas midnight mass back home.

We also have a least favourite one.

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas at the top of the list!

Silent Night reminds me of my Granny and loved ones who have gone before us

Fairytale of New York is a great song and I wouldn’t say it’s overplayed or overrated.

There is nothing like the sound of Shane McGowan and Kirsty MacColl’s voices echoing beautifully through the halls from the kitchen while the turkey dinner was being prepared when I was growing up.

Jake Carter

My first panto was in year six of school in England, the last year of primary school. I played the ugly sister in Cinderella. And Nathan, my brother, played the ugly sister eight years before me in the same school.

Sometimes I get emotional if I’m not home in Liverpool for Christmas, but I have gotten used to that. I’m on my 10th panto in Ireland, so I don’t get home most years. I’m in the panto in Balbriggan again this year, so I’ll be spending Christmas in Ireland, either in Dublin or Fermanagh.

I’m Mr. Christmas, I absolutely love it. There’s no festive song I don’t like. When I get home, there's always a sing song in our house. The guitar comes out and someone gets on the piano.

My favourite Christmas hymn would have to be Silent Night. I also love River, it’s an old Joni Mitchell song that Gavin James covers.

See what all your favourite country music stars are up to for Christmas in this issue of RSVP Country - on shelves now