The Texas Tenors: Home for the Holidays

Davis: Coming up on "Studio 3 Live" we welcome the Texas Tenors to the stage.

♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪
♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪
♪ So put out some cookies ♪
♪ And leave on the lights ♪
♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪

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(Cheers and applause)

♪♪♪

[Mickey Davis] Welcome to a special episode of Studio 3 LIVE Home for the Holidays. Featuring a mix of holiday originals and classics performed by America's favorite tenors. Please welcome to the stage The Texas Tenors.

(Cheers and applause)

♪♪♪

♪ Oh, come all ye faithful ♪
♪ Joyful and triumphant ♪
♪ Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem ♪
♪ Come and behold him ♪
♪ Born the king of angels ♪

♪ Oh, come let us adore him ♪
♪ Oh, come, let us adore him ♪
♪ Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord ♪

♪ Sing choirs of angels ♪
♪ Sing in exultation ♪
♪ Sing all ye citizens of heaven above ♪
♪ Glory to God in the highest ♪

♪ Oh, come, let us adore him ♪
♪ Oh, come, let usadore him ♪
♪ Oh, come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord ♪
♪ The Lo-o-o-o-o-ord ♪

(Cheers and applause)

[Marcus Collins] Thank you. Thank you so much. We are so honored to be here at Iowa PBS and celebrate "Home for the Holidays" with y'all. 

[JC Fisher] Absolutely. We're excited to get you into the Christmas spirit by presenting some of our favorite Christmas songs and melodies.

("Believe" plays)

♪♪♪

♪ Children are sleeping ♪
♪ Snow is softly falling ♪
♪ Dreams are calling ♪
♪ Like bells in the distance ♪
♪ We were dreamers ♪
♪ Not so long ago ♪
♪ But one by one ♪
♪ We all had to grow up ♪

♪ When it seems the magic slipped away ♪
♪ We find it all again on Christmas Day ♪

♪ Believe in what your heart is saying ♪
♪ Hear the melody that's playing ♪
♪ There's no time to waste ♪
♪ There's so much to celebrate ♪
♪ Believe in what you feel inside ♪
♪ Give your dreams the wings to fly ♪
♪ You have everything you need ♪
♪ If you just belie-e-e-e-eve ♪

♪ Trains move quickly ♪
♪ To their journey's end ♪
♪ Destinations ♪
♪ Are where we begin again ♪
♪ Ships go sailing ♪
♪ Far across the sea ♪
♪ Trusting starlight ♪
♪ To get them where need to be ♪

♪ When it seems that we have lost our way ♪
♪ We find ourselves again on Christmas Da-a-a-a-a-a-ay ♪

♪ Believe in what your heart is saying ♪
♪ Hear the melody that's playing ♪
♪ There's no time to waste ♪
♪ There's so much to celebrate ♪
♪ Believe in what you feel inside ♪
♪ Give your dreams the wings to fly-y-y-y-y ♪
♪ You have everything you need ♪
♪ If you just belie-e-e-e-eve ♪

♪ If you just belie-e-e-e-e-eve ♪
♪ If you just belie-e-e-e-e-eve ♪
♪ If you just believe ♪
♪ Just believe ♪
♪ Just believe ♪

♪♪♪

(Cheers and applause)

Thank you. Thank you so much. And we should take a quick moment to introduce ourselves to y'all individually. My name is Marcus Collins. I'm a contemporary tenor.

(Cheers and applause)

My name is JC Fisher. When we started our group 15 years ago, my kids were really small and I was known as the romantic tenor. But that was 15 years ago. Now I'm just the broke, tired tenor.

(Laughter and applause)

And my name is John Hagen. It's before 7:00 p.m. and I am still the tenor.

(Cheers and applause)

[Marcus] You know, I was looking down here and I just — I saw this gal here, and she looks so nice in white down here.

[John] Absolutely. 

[Marcus] All beautiful in white. And you are...?

Cindy Wise.

[Marcus] Oh, you know what? Actually, the lighting is better up here, so let's just come up here real quick, Cindy, if you don't mind. Just take a little step up there and sit on this stool. Doesn't she look lovely, everyone?

(Applause)

That's so nice. There we go.

♪♪♪

♪ I'll be home for Christmas ♪
♪ You can plan on me ♪
♪ Please have snow and mistletoe ♪
♪ And presents under the tree ♪

♪ Christmas Eve will find me ♪
♪ Where the love light gleams ♪
♪ I'll be home for Christmas ♪
♪ But only in my dreams ♪

♪ Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ♪
♪ Jack Frost nipping at your nose ♪

(Laughter)

♪ Yuletide carols being sung by a choir ♪
♪ And folks dressed up like Eskimos ♪

♪ Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe ♪
♪ Help to make the season bright ♪
♪ Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow ♪
♪ Will find it hard to sleep tonight ♪

♪ Christmas Eve will find me ♪
♪ Where the love light gleams ♪
♪ I'll be home for Christmas ♪
♪ If only in my dreams ♪

(Cheers and applause)

[Marcus] Let's hear it for Cindy, everyone!

(Cheers and applause)

Oh, that was a nice bow, Cindy.

[Mickey] Thank you all so much for being here for this holiday episode of "Studio 3 LIVE." Tell me a little bit about how the group came together.

[JC] Yeah, we started years ago. Marcus and I met over 25 years ago, and we were entertainers together. And then John and I met a few years later, and we were all best friends. And my wife and I would watch "America's Got Talent," and there was a lot of groups on there, but none of the groups that were on "America's Got Talent" did country and classical and pop like we had the potential to do. So we had this idea to just get together, and we got together and sang a few songs and sent in a tape to "America's Got Talent," and they called us and said, "We'd love you to come and sing for us."

[Marcus] And that was in 2009, and then, we came in fourth on that show, and then we were invited back for their "All Stars" edition in 2019. And so it's been 15 years now that we've been together.

[Mickey] Did you imagine at that time that you'd continue to be doing this group 15 years later?

[John] I don't think we could've imagined. We had, when we were competing on the show, we really had the attitude of, "Hey, what have we got to lose? Let's go do our best." And we really tried not to get nervous or uptight about it because it's like, what do you have to lose? Nothing. So... But I don't think we could've imagined what it would become.

[JC] Now we should ask, by a round of applause, who's seen the Texas Tenors live in concert before?

(Cheers and applause)

[Marcus] Who's seeing us for the very first time? Very first time?

(Cheers and applause)

[John] Check this one out. Who in here does not live in Iowa?

(Scattered applause)

[Marcus] Oh, wow. Yeah. See? That's cool.

[JC] That's incredible.

[Marcus] And how many of you just kind of wandered in? You have no idea who we are.

(Laughter)

You just thought ..."Free cake. Free cake."

[JC] What a wonderful audience we have on this day. We've got some friends and family out there. This next song, folks, is an original Christmas song. We started doing our Christmas show right after we formed our group, and for the last 15 years, we've been doing all these beautiful Christmas melodies that you all recognize, but this next one is the one that we came up with because we were comparing notes about our childhoods, and we realized that Christmas was our favorite time of year.

I mean, I loved everything as a little kid about Christmas. The tree, Santa, opening presents. And I tell my kids before they get too excited about that, "Kids..." since they were little bitty — "...it's not always about Santa and opening presents. The true meaning of Christmas is about the birth of Christ."

This is my favorite time of year.

(Cheers and applause)

("Favorite Time of Year" plays)

♪♪♪

♪ The snow brings back a childhood memory ♪
♪ My dad came home from work one day ♪
♪ With the perfect Christmas tree ♪

♪ My sister put the star up high that night ♪
♪ And I recall the splendor of how it shone so bright ♪

♪ This is my favorite time of year ♪
♪ When loved ones come together to embrace what they hold dear ♪
♪ This is my favorite time of year ♪
♪ To share our joy and laughter ♪

♪ Christmastime is here ♪

♪♪♪

♪ I'm grateful every year December comes ♪
♪ To share that sacred story with my daughter and my son ♪

♪ How the Wisemen came to see the newborn king ♪
♪ The reason for the season ♪
♪ So lift your voice and sing ♪

♪ This is my favorite time of year ♪
♪ When loved ones come together to embrace what they hold dear ♪
♪ This is my favorite time of year ♪
♪ We share our joy and laughter ♪

♪ Christmastime is here ♪

♪ It's Christmastime ♪
♪ Let's lift our voices ♪
♪ It's Christmastime ♪
♪ All the world rejoices ♪

♪♪♪

♪ This is my favorite time of year ♪
♪ Christmas is finally here ♪
♪ And soon it will be a new year ♪
♪ To celebrate with family ♪

♪ Christmastime is here ♪
♪ Christmastime is here ♪
♪ This is my favorite time of year ♪
♪ Christmastime is here ♪

♪ Celebrate this moment ♪
♪ Christmastime is here ♪

♪♪♪

(Cheers and applause)

[Mickey] You all have Midwest ties, two of you specifically to Iowa. Could you talk a little bit about that Iowa connection and kind of where you grew up?

[John] Sure. I grew up in Waverly, Iowa, and spent my entire youth there and went to University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls and ended up teaching at Wartburg College for a time. And my parents were longtime music teachers in the Cedar Valley there. And I have two sisters that also grew up there and went to college there, and one ended up at University of Iowa and in Iowa Public Radio Broadcasting. So a lot of ties to Iowa and to the public broadcasting.

[Marcus] Yeah, I was born in Washington, Iowa, and moved away for a while. Then we moved back to my dad's hometown, which was Mystic, Iowa, down in Southern Iowa. And then I graduated from Seymour, Iowa, went to Drake University here in Des Moines, and also did shows of the Ingersoll Dinner Theater. So, yeah, I just loved growing up here in Iowa. My family's still here, and love coming back as often as we can, but yeah, it's just — it's a beautiful, beautiful state with amazing people.

[JC] It's so funny, because when we got together, of course, the Texas connection. We'd all lived in Texas as adults, but we've all Midwest ties. And Marcus and I, we connected with that in the very beginning. So in the show, we talk about some of those things. And them being from Iowa, and I've been to Iowa many times and I really like it. That's the joke.

[Marcus] It's fitting that this is called "Home for the Holidays," because we really are home here, and it's wonderful to see just so many familiar faces in the audience. And we know they're watching at home, and we're just so excited to present this music to them.

[John] Well, this next song came to us — Actually, it was a CD of my father's, and it was — I wanted to hear some Christmas music, and I was rifling through all his CDs up there and pulled this out. And it was a recording of Placido Domingo, the great Spanish tenor. And I'd never heard this song before, but it's a wonderful song called "Joyful Children."

♪♪♪

♪ Oh, joyful children bring white winter roses ♪
♪ With bright-burning candles to welcome the Lord ♪
♪ Oh, joyful children bring rings of bright berries ♪
♪ And white winter roses and green holly boughs ♪

♪ Our hearts were sleeping ♪
♪ The cold winter storm is gone ♪
♪ The night is done ♪
♪ The world is dressed in silver light ♪

♪ Candles are burning ♪
♪ Bracelets of fire in the snow ♪
♪ The world aglow ♪
♪ Warming the circles of flowers and leaves ♪
♪ Morning has come ♪

♪ Oh joyful children bring white winter roses ♪
♪ With bright-burning candles to welcome the Lord ♪
♪ Oh, joyful children bring flowers around Him ♪
♪ The spring is a-coming ♪

♪ The sun is arising ♪
♪ The earth is a-singing ♪
♪ It's Christmas morn ♪
♪ Christ is born ♪

♪♪♪

(Applause)

♪ Mary, did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Would one day walk on water? ♪
♪ Mary, did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Would save our sons and daughters? ♪

♪ Did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Has come to make you new? ♪
♪ And this child that you who delivered ♪
♪ Will soon deliver you? ♪

♪ Mary, did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Would give sight to a blind man? ♪
♪ Mary, did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Would calm a storm with his hand? ♪

♪ Did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Has walked where angels trod? ♪
♪ When you kiss your little baby ♪
♪ You've kissed the face of God ♪

♪ Oh, Mary, did you know? ♪
♪ Oh, Mary, did you know? ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ The blind will see ♪
♪ The deaf will hear ♪
♪ The dead will live again ♪
♪ The lame will eat ♪
♪ The dumb will speak ♪
♪ The praises of the lamb ♪

♪ Mary, did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Is Lord of all creation? ♪
♪ Mary, did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Would one day rule the nation? ♪

♪ Did you know that your baby boy ♪
♪ Is heaven's perfect lamb? ♪
♪ This sleeping child you're holding ♪
♪ Is the great "I am" ♪

♪ Oh, Mary, did you know? ♪
♪ Whoa, oh, oh ♪
♪ Oh, Mary, did you know? ♪

(Cheers and applause)

[Mickey] What are some of your kind of fondest holiday memories of your time in Iowa?

[John] Well, growing up with parents who are music teachers, it was, you know, holiday concerts all the time. So we were always involved in some — between the church and school, it was just concert, concert, concert, concert. And we didn't really relax until Christmas Day, because it was church services and, you know, so, but those are great memories.

[Marcus] We always had such a great time. It really is centered around church, preparing for the Christmas cantata. And my dad was in the church choir. I was in the church choir also. And we all have these unique stories, you know, about our family and our upbringing, but we have that — the one thing we have in common is that we all grew up in rural communities. You know, John and myself, and JC grew up on a farm in Missouri. And I think that that foundation — country roots, classical sound — is sort of our tagline.

[John] That was our first CD.

[Marcus] Yes, yes. And I think that that really gives us that foundation and it gives us that sense of family and church and home. And I think it really connects us all.

[John] And you remember the other thing we discovered was we don't have brothers. We all have sisters.

[Marcus] Yeah.

[John] So this is the brotherhood.

[Marcus] So we gained our brothers.

♪♪♪

♪ What child is this who laid to rest ♪
♪ On Mary's lap, is sleeping? ♪
♪ Whom angels greet with anthems sweet ♪
♪ While shepherds watch are keeping ♪

♪ This, this is Christ, the king ♪
♪ Who shepherds guard and angels sang ♪
♪ Haste, haste to bring him laud ♪
♪ The babe, the son of Mary ♪

♪ Why lie in such sweet estate ♪
♪ Where ox and ass are sleeping ♪
♪ Good shepherds here, for sinners fear ♪
♪ The silent word is keeping ♪

♪ Nails, spear shall pierce him through ♪
♪ The cross He bore for me, for you ♪
♪ Hail, Hail, his work made flesh ♪
♪ The son, the babe of Mary ♪

♪♪♪

♪ So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh ♪
♪ Come peasant, king to own him ♪
♪ The king of kings salvation brings ♪
♪ Let loving hearts enthrone him ♪

♪ Raise, raise a song on high ♪
♪ The virgin sings her lullabies ♪
♪ Joy, joy, for Christ is born ♪
♪ The babe, the son of Mary ♪

♪ The babe, the son of Mary ♪

(Cheers and applause)

[Mickey] You talk about, you know, whether it's church or kind of in a rural town, the thing that connects, I think everything you're saying, is music, right? Whether it's music at church or music as community, you know, whether you're in a rural community, an urban community, music is a thing that brings people together. And it's so fascinating to hear you talk about those core memories being wrapped up in bringing people together, because that's what you're still doing, you know, so many years later. From all of that time performing holiday music from childhood to what you're doing now with this show, I'd like to hear from each of you, what is your favorite Christmas song?

[Tenors] Ooh.

[Mickey] Let me let me preface that. Your favorite Christmas song to perform.

[Tenors] Oh.

[JC] This was always my favorite time of year. The Christmas presents, the stories of Santa Claus, the birth of Jesus — all of it together in one thing was a joyous time at our house. So we wrote a song called "Favorite Time of Year" that we all sing together. So that's my favorite Christmas song, I guess. 

[Marcus] I mean, I love it when we sing "O Holy Night," "Ave Maria, dolce Maria," but I love "Last Christmas," I have to say. Big fan of the pop, '80s pop music. And so being able to sing "Last Christmas" in the show, and I sing it in the audience and sometimes dance with someone and we'll take selfies and take pictures and it's a lot of fun. So I guess "Last Christmas," I suppose.

Oh, my goodness. Alright, so, I have a question for you.

Oh.

(Cheers and applause)

Oh, my goodness. I have a question for you.

I love to sing songs from the '80s. Do we have any '80s fans out there? Do we all remember the '80s?

(Laughter)

Let me just take a quick scan here. Yeah, I think most of us remember the '80s. Maybe not Summer right here. You don't remember. She wasn't even born in the '80s yet. When were you born, Summer?

[Summer] 2005.

[Marcus] 2005.

(Laughter)

I think these jeans are older than 2005. Wow. Well, anyway, this is one of my favorite Christmas songs from the '80s. If you know it, sing along with me. Here we go.

♪♪♪

Maybe we can get a little sway going, a little sway.

♪ Whoa, oh, oh ♪
♪ Whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah ♪
♪ Ooh, whoa, oh ♪

♪ Now, last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪
♪ But the very next day, you gave it away ♪
♪ Now, this year, to save me from tears ♪
♪ I'll give it to someone special ♪

♪ Once bitten and twice shy ♪
♪ You kept your distance, but you still caught my eye ♪
♪ Tell me, baby, would you recognize me? ♪
♪ Well, it's been a year, it wouldn't surprise me ♪

Merry Christmas.

♪ I wrapped it up and sent it with a note saying ♪
"I love you," I meant it ♪
♪ Whoa, whoa, now I've found a real love ♪
♪ Ooh, you'll never fool me, fool me again ♪

♪ Now, last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪
♪ But the very next day, you gave it away ♪
♪ Now, this year, to save me from tears ♪
♪ I'll give it to someone special ♪

♪ Whoa, yeah ♪
♪ Whoa, oh, yeah ♪

Oh, that's nice.

♪ Whoa, oh-oh-oh, now ♪
♪ Whoa, oh ♪

♪ Now, last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪
♪ But the very next day, you gave it away ♪
♪ Now, this year, to save me from tears ♪
♪ I'll give it to someone special ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪
♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh, now ♪
♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh, yeah ♪
♪ Whoa, ohhh ♪

♪ Ohhh ♪
♪ Oh, now ♪
♪ Last Christmas ♪
♪ I gave you my heart ♪

♪ But then, that very next day ♪

Like, the next day.

♪ You gave it away ♪
♪ Now, this year ♪
♪ To save me from all my tears ♪

♪ I'm weeping and crying and bawling, cryin' ♪
♪ I'll give it to someone so very spe... ♪

Is this just not the most depressing Christmas song you've ever...?

(Laughter)

This is so sad. These are just the most depressing lyrics I've ever heard in a Christmas song. Don't you think?

I bet I know another Christmas song. That's even more depressing than that one. Where are all my grandma's at? Raise your hands up high, grandmas. Look at all the grandmas out there.

You know the song I'm talking about, right? You know the song.

I mean, all you wanted to do was come home from her house. I don't know who in the world made you walk anyway.

(Laughter)

[Man] Grandpa!

(Laughter)

But not this year. This year, we're going to save grandma. Who's with me?

(Cheers and applause)

Who's with me? Come on, now.

♪ Because grandma didn't get run over by those reindeer ♪

Mnh-mnh.

♪ She took a flight to Cancun Christmas Eve ♪
♪ Now she's on the beach drinking margaritas ♪
♪ And dancing with her waiter named Steve ♪

(Cheers and applause)

This is our 3 Bottle Band.

[John] Well, I echo some of what Marcus said. You know, I always enjoy singing "O Holy Night," any of the "Ave Marias."

[Marcus] You know a song I enjoy that you do. And we don't do it in every single show. But we're going to do it in our — this "Home for the Holiday" show. Is "The Christmas Waltz."

[John] Oh, "Christmas Waltz." Yeah. That's a good one, too.

[Marcus] Yeah. I really enjoy that.

[John] And it's actually -- "The Christmas Waltz" is my favorite when these guys pick a lady out of the audience and they waltz with her onstage.

[Marcus] Yes, but we won't do that.

[JC] Because we're actually dancing professionals when we're not singing, so...

[Marcus] You know "Dancing with the Stars"?

[Mickey] Yeah, yeah.

[Marcus] We haven't done it.

[Mickey] Yeah. (Laughs)

♪♪♪

♪ It's that time of year when the world falls in love ♪
♪ Every song you hear seems to say ♪
♪ Santa's on his way ♪
♪ He's filled his sleigh with things ♪
♪ Things for you and for me ♪

♪ It's that time of year when the world falls in love ♪
♪ Every song you hear seems to say ♪
♪ Merry Christmas ♪
♪ May your New Year's dreams come true ♪

♪ And this song of mine in three quarter time ♪
♪ Wishes you and yours the same thing, too ♪

♪♪♪

♪ It's that time of year when the world falls in love ♪
♪ Every song you hear seems to say ♪
♪ Merry Christmas, may your New Year dreams come true ♪

♪ And this song of mine in three quarter time ♪
♪ Wishes you and yours the same thing, too ♪

Merry Christmas.

(Cheers and applause)

♪♪♪

Here we go, now.

♪♪♪

♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪
♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪
♪ So put out some cookies and leave on the lights ♪
♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪

♪ All year, I've been good as I can ♪
♪ I've done everything mama said ♪
♪ I can't wait to see what's waiting under the tree ♪
♪ They deserve everything that they get ♪

Oh, yeah.

♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪
♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪
♪ So put out some cookies and leave on the lights ♪
♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪

Take it away!

♪♪♪

Alright.

♪ I ain't gonna sleep in my bed ♪

No.

♪ 'Cause I'm waiting up for Santa instead ♪
♪ Make sure he won't miss anything on my list ♪
♪ Please, Santa, don't skip us again ♪

Don't skip us, Santa.

♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪

Whoo-hoo!

♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪
♪ So put out some cookies and leave on the lights ♪
♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪

♪ So put out some cookies and try to sleep tight ♪
♪ Santa Claus is coming tonight ♪

(Cheers and applause)

Ho ho ho!
Merry Christmas!

(Cheers and applause)

♪♪♪

♪ Ave Maria ♪
♪ Dolce Maria ♪
♪ Nelle tue mani prendi il cuore mio ♪

♪ Ave Maria ♪
♪ Dolce Maria ♪
♪ Nelle tue mani prendi il cuore mio ♪

♪ Ave Maria ♪
♪ Dolce Maria ♪
♪ Nelle tue mani hai portato Dio ♪

♪ Donna bellissima ♪
♪ Prega per me ♪
♪ Donna bellissima ♪
♪ Prega per me ♪

♪ Il figlio tuo ♪
♪ Il figlio tuo ♪
♪ Il figlio tuo ♪

♪ Prega per me ♪

(Cheers and applause)

[John] That was "Ave Maria, dolce Maria," and I'm sure most of us are familiar with some form or arrangement of "Ave Maria," but perhaps you haven't heard that one. It's not as well known, but I think just as beautiful. And it was actually arranged and put together by someone that the three of us admired when we were growing up and learning to sing. That was done by the late, great operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

(Applause)

[JC] I thought that was Pavarotti when John hit that high note. Well, folks, this next Christmas song is one of the most iconic Christmas melodies of all time. When you hear the first three notes, you'll know exactly which song this is. But when I hear this, it takes me back to my childhood, on Christmas morning, when I was just a little kid. We had a couple of traditions at our house, like many families do. The one I remember most is we'd come into the living room and gather around the Christmas tree, my older sisters, Kathy, Carla, and Karen, and myself. We'd be all excited to open those presents from Santa. But we knew one thing happened before we could open those presents. My dad would only allow us to use my grandmother's record player in the corner of our living room one morning a year, and that was on Christmas morning. 

I remember hearing the great Christmas albums of all times, but the one I remember most vividly in my mind was "A Johnny Mathis Christmas.You all remember "Johnny Mathis Christmas? But Johnny Mathis had a beautiful voice. But when this melody would start playing, I would stop whatever I was doing as a little kid and just listen, because there was something different about this song. It was magical. I didn't know anything about the lyrics or the real meaning of this song, but I knew it was special. This song began in the mid 1800s in a small town outside of Paris, France, and it was a poem with these three simple words -- Cantique de Noel.

("O Holy Night" playing)

♪♪♪

♪ O holy night ♪
♪ The stars are brightly shining ♪
♪ It is the night ♪
♪ Of our dear Savior's birth ♪
♪ Long lay the world ♪
♪ In sin and error pining ♪
♪ Till He appeared ♪
♪ And the soul felt its worth ♪
♪ A thrill of hope ♪
♪ The weary world rejoices ♪
♪ For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn ♪
♪ Fall on your knees ♪
♪ O hear the angel voices ♪
♪ O night divine ♪
♪ O night ♪
♪ When Christ was born ♪
♪ O night ♪
♪ Divine ♪
♪ O night ♪
♪ O night divine ♪

♪♪♪

♪ Truly He taught us ♪
♪ To love one another ♪
♪ His law, His love ♪
♪ And His gospel is peace ♪
♪ Chains shall He break ♪
♪ For the slave is our brother ♪
♪ And in His name ♪
♪ All oppression shall cease ♪
♪ Sweet hymns of joy ♪
♪ In grateful chorus praise we ♪
♪ Within our hearts ♪
♪ Let grateful chorus raise ♪
♪ Christ is the Lord ♪
♪ Oh, praise His name forever ♪
♪ His power and glory ♪
♪ Evermore proclaim ♪
♪ Noel ♪
♪ Noel ♪
♪ Noel ♪
♪ O night divine ♪

♪♪♪

♪ O holy night ♪

(Cheers and applause)

[Mickey] Well, I want to thank the three of you for being here at Studio 3 LIVE. Thank you so much for sharing these great songs of the holidays and performing on our stage.

[JC and John] Thanks for having us.

[Marcus] Oh, it's our pleasure. We loved being here. Absolutely.

[Marcus] Well, thank you so much for coming tonight. And thank you so much for allowing us to share this music with you. And it was really wonderful being home for the holidays with you. It really was.

[John] God bless you. Take care of one another and have a great Christmas.

[Marcus] Merry Christmas, everyone. Please sing with us,  "Joy to the World."

Here we go.

♪ Joy to the world ♪
♪ The Lord is come ♪
♪ Let earth receive her King ♪
♪ Let every heart prepare Him room ♪
♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪
♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪
♪ And heaven and heaven and nature sing ♪

♪♪♪

♪ Joy to the world ♪
♪ The Savior reigns ♪
♪ Let men their songs employ ♪
♪ While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains ♪
♪ Repeat the sounding joy ♪
♪ Repeat the sounding joy ♪
♪ Repeat, repeat the sounding joy ♪

♪♪♪

♪ He rules the world ♪
♪ With truth and grace ♪
♪ And makes the nations prove ♪
♪ The glories of His righteousness ♪
♪ And wonders of His love ♪
♪ And wonders of His love ♪
♪ And wonders, wonders of His love ♪
♪ Sing joy, sing joy ♪

(Cheers and applause)

Thank you.

♪♪♪

[Mickey] Studio 3 LIVE is also available as a podcast. Get it wherever you get your podcasts.

(Cheers and applause)

[Woman 1] Musco Lighting is honored to support Iowa PBS. We're an Iowa company that lights local schools, community fields and stadiums, arenas and venues in more than 125 countries. While our reach is global, our commitment is local.

[Woman 2] The Pella Rolscreen Foundation is a proud supporter of Iowa PBS. Pella Windows & Doors strives to better our communities and build a better tomorrow.

[Announcer] Funding for this program was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, as well as generations of families and friends who feel passionate about the programs they watch on Iowa PBS.