Dionne Welch takes the reins of the church choir and announces “This Christmas” with soaring faith and awe. She begins: 700 years of our hearts crying out You sent your words through the prophets–and looks like prophecies of the Jayby’s birth rang out centuries before the first Christmas. If you’re counting (Matthew is).

A thousand is like a lot. More than you could hold, puppy-wise. So get ready for the hyperbole section of the countdown (like millions wasn’t too much… though, Romans use M for 1000 and called it mille, ‘cuz a thousand thousands was like inconceivable). Christmas, after all, can be THAT much.

“Silent Night” by Klip! Klap! from ‘Carol in a Box: A Christmas Musical for Children Young and Old’ is NOT the song you are expecting. Sure it’s pretty, but that’s because of the thousand lights ever twinkling. Percussive kidsong.

While we’re into the luminescence, Alan Jackson associates the Xmas city with where a thousand lights glow. (The country just gots the mistletoe, duh-huh. “Let It be Christmas” is gentle pop with a twinge of country.

Let’s go to God. The Carolleers sail through the hymnal “Now Light One Thousand Christmas Lights” to make the dark skies bright, which will signal the season, but–hey–let the fire Marshall know, ‘kay?

Celebratory in nature, “Christmas Day 1666” assails the rafters with coordinated hymn-ing. But the Chicago a Cappella seem to want wine as well as heaven in this modern day church paean. Is it the six-six-six part?

A million names for God?

Minister Felix prays to God for “A Million Christmas Days.” Quiet country folk, so sentimental as all get out.

Taking the elevator music approach to gospel, Sandi Patty belts and suspenders out “Light of a Million Mornings.” This celebration of JC soars a little, so just relax and let it wash over you. (P.S. That’s 2738 years, so He’s still got some breakfasts to go before we get there.)

Praise God, it’s Christmas! Right? Well, that’s hallelujah. As exhortations go, that’s right up there. So let’s get serious. (Many songs hail the hell out of God, but we’re narrowing our play to Xmas tie-ins.)

Offering up a gratuitous hallelujah, We Grow Up offer the alt-rock “Office Christmas Party.” Pretty song, pretty odd song, so we’ll take this walk here.

Just as millennial, House Bat hollers out “Holiday Hallelujah.” It’s inclusive (see the Hanukkah reference at its end).

Leonard Cohen’s ubiquitous number gets the Xmas facelift with Cloverton’s “Christmas Hallelujah!” Likes it.

Doug Welborn means well, but “Hallelujah Christmas” comes off a bit clumsy. Could be country, could be blues….

.38 Special pops with an odd “Hallelujah It’s Christmas.” It is childlike in its reverence and guitar licks.

Folky bluegrass consumes The New Christy Minstrels with “Sing Hosanna, Hallelujah.” That first exclamation, btw, is a pious cry for help. Peppy!

Look Out, here come’s Dolly! “Hallelujah Holiday” is the slick corn pone you’d expect from the first lady of the big top.

“Hallelujah, It’s Christmas” gets around, but Roger Whitaker’s laid back awe and reverence is what excites me.

Leona Lewis raises from orchestral to gospel in “Your Hallelujah.” This is all about the Lord, but i’m reading boyfriend subtext here. Is that just me?

Is there another holiday that recurs?

“Another Year, Another Chanukah” is Koa B’seder’s earnest attempt to restate the spirit of the celebration, with some harmonica (to rhyme???).

“Not Just Another Hanukkah Song” is sadly just that. The Elm City Girls’ Choir acquit themselves handsomely–but i didn’t laugh. Hymnal quality.

The return of Christmas is reminding me of something i read in a book one time. Let them tell you.

“Let’s Have a Merry Christmas” is Mark Hand’s way of saying through somewhat dreary pop music to AGAIN give a hand to the King. Of Kings. It gets real repetitive.

Kiana Valenciano recounts the whole Jesus significance with “Once Again It’s Christmas.” this Childs version of easy listening is hard to sit still for. So kneel.

I’ll barely squeeze in the off-putting easy listening gospel annoyance of Brenda Russel and Howard Hewett with “Christmas Will Return.” They ring the rafters with song, but my ears are smartin’.

Then in should also let in Travis Cottrell’s grandparent-friendly smarmy pop “Once More.” Christianity is all about the guilt.

Jeff Stevenson and Ray Shell get all surfer pop to led you to the Lord in “It’s Almost Christmas Again.” Cowa-buon-natale!

Aaron Lindsey gets more animated with his gospelly “Christmas Time is Here Again.” Lots of instrumentation, but the R+B goes all disco–prepare ye.