By Cassidy Ritter, CPR Classical Contributor
Joy to Colorado, CPR Classical’s 17th annual Carol Countdown is underway — and several classic carols are in it to win it.
The first round of voting ended on Nov. 10, but it wasn’t the end for “The First Noel,” which paraded over newcomer “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” with nearly 64 percent of the vote.
A handful of other classic tunes claimed victory over newcomers, too: “Silver Bells” and “Away in a Manger” beat out first-timers “The Skater’s Waltz” and “The Snowman: Walking in the Air.”
But one newbie came out swinging. “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” defeated “We Three Kings” with 61 percent of the vote.
The most shocking vote of all? “The Christmas Song” — you know, chestnuts roasting on an open fire — defeated often strong competitor “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” Is “The Christmas Song” back for revenge this year after being knocked out of the first round last year? Or are Coloradans still enjoying camping with an open fire given the warm fall weather? You decide.
Cast your vote for Round 2 in the interactive bracket below. When you vote, you’ll be entered to win a four-pack of tickets to see the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra’s “Holiday Cheer” concert on Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Sweepstakes rules can be found here.
Second-round voting is open until midnight on Nov. 17. We’ll tally the votes and announce the carols that move on to Round 3 on Nov. 20. Stay tuned to CPR Classical and sign up for our newsletter to keep in touch with how your favorite carols are doing. Voting will continue until we declare a winner on Dec. 9 during this year’s Carol Countdown show, starting at 7 a.m. on CPR Classical!
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."
