Top Catholic Songs – share, learn, promote

This crosspost from Nick Alexander's blog was originally posted at TCS on April 22, 2014.

Survey conducted by Nick Alexander

The grave now is empty! The stone is rolled away! Hallelujah!

Happy Resurrection Day!

Easter is the most joyous time of the year. It is the time that we celebrate the impossible–that death no longer has any power over us. Our Lord Jesus looked as if He was slain; but no! Jesus conquered death. And by conquering death, He has opened the way of salvation to all who believe.

Easter is not a one day celebration. (That is a misnomer). Easter is a celebration that lasts forty days on the Christian calendar. It is celebrated with Alleluia’s–those same Alleluias that were hidden for the forty days of Lent prior, they are now used to overflowing. It is the most celebratory of seasons, and we must not lose sight of the joy in our walks.

I had asked my readership as to what their favorite Easter hymns were, and you all responded in kind. These are the results.

1. Christ, The Lord Is Risen Today, Alleluia! (54.00%)
2. Jesus Christ Is Risen Today (42.00%)
3. Crown Him With Many Crowns (40.00%)
4. I Know That My Redeemer Lives (36.00%)
5. Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine! (32.00%)
6. Hallelujah Chorus (30.00%)
7. All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name, Let Angels Prostrate Fall (28.00%)
8. All Creatures Of Our God And King (26.00%)
9. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (24.00%)
10. Alleluia! Alleluia! Let the Holy Anthem Rise (22.00%)
11. Alleluia! Sing To Jesus! His The Scepter, His The Throne (18.00%)
12. King Of Love My Shepherd Is, The (18.00%)
13. My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less (18.00%)
14. Praise To The Lord! The Almighty, The King Of Creation! (18.00%)
15. Strife Is O’er, The Battle Done, The (18.00%)
16. At The Name Of Jesus Every Knee Shall Bow (16.00%)
17. I Come To The Garden Alone (16.00%)
18. O Worship The King All Glorious Above (16.00%)
19. Take My Life And Let It Be (16.00%)
20. Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring (14.00%)
21. Regina Caeli (14.00%)
22. Christ, The Lord Is Risen Today, Sons Of Men And Angels Say (12.00%)
23. Jesus Shall Reign Where’er The Sun (12.00%)
24. Rejoice, The Lord Is King! (12.00%)
25. Thine Be The Glory, Risen, Conquering Son (12.00%)
26. This Is The Day The Lord Hath Made (12.00%)
27. A Wonderful Savior Is Jesus My Lord (10.00%)
28. Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken (10.00%)
29. Low In The Grave He Lay, Jesus, My Savior (10.00%)
30. Victimae Paschali Laudes (10.00%)
31. At The Lamb’s High Feast We Sing (8.00%)
32. Christ Is Risen From the Dead (8.00%)
33. Christ Is Risen! Alleluia! (8.00%)
34. Christ The Lord Is Risen Again! Christ Has Broken Ev’ry Chain! (8.00%)
35. Christ, Whose Glory Fills The Skies (8.00%)
36. Good Christian Men, Rejoice And Sing (8.00%)
37. He Is Lord, He Is Lord (8.00%)
38. He Is Risen, He Is Risen; Tell It Out With Joyful Voice (8.00%)
39. O Sons And Daughters, Let Us Sing! (8.00%)
40. ‘Welcome, Happy Morning!’ Age To Age Shall Say (8.00%)

The majority of these hymns are easily found on sites like www.hymnary.org. If you are looking for new inspiration for music this season, I would track these songs down. Run searches on YouTube, Soundcloud, or the aforementioned hymnary.org.

Don’t be turned off if it’s in a style you’re not familiar with; this is our heritage. Entire generations have grown up on these songs. And we now have the tools to learn these songs expediently, and with full knowledge. If it’s in Latin, and you’re not into Latin, I invite you to study the translation of the song (Google Translate if you must), and listen carefully as the ages speak to you. If it’s from a religious heritage that you’re unfamiliar with, I invite you to listen in and be astonished at the wondrous variety we have in our Christian faith.

It has been a great joy to discover songs outside of my comfort zone that celebrated the most festive events of Easter. These songs, written over centuries, can awaken in us new meaning for today.

Lastly, because of your participation in this survey, I was able to craft a meaningful worship set based on Easter that you can listen to online, or download for free. The worship set is a part of my Prayer Meeting Podcast, and is a tremendous resource to discover songs that you may not be as familiar with, or re-introduce yourself to, in a different light outside of church walls. The lyrics are there to sing along with, or you can download and print those too. I hope you enjoy it.

What are your favorite Easter hymns? Please leave a comment below.

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