Put on a pair of headphones and listen to the first ten seconds of "Jingle Bells?" from 1967. Notice the question mark in the title. It’s not a typo. It’s a warning. Barbra Streisand doesn't just sing the song; she treats it like a high-speed chase through a snowy musical theater set. It is frantic. It is jazzy. Honestly, it’s a bit unhinged.
Most holiday music is designed to be sonic wallpaper—something pleasant to play while you’re arguing over who overcooked the turkey. Streisand’s work is the opposite. She demands you listen. Whether it’s the operatic heights of "Gounod’s Ave Maria" or the hushed, almost painful intimacy of "I’ll Be Home for Christmas," her holiday catalog is a masterclass in drama.
The 1967 Gamble: A Christmas Album
Back in 1966, Barbra was in London performing Funny Girl at the Prince of Wales Theatre. She was already a force, but she wanted to do something different for her first holiday record. She didn't want the "standard" jingling bells and safe arrangements. She told producer Ettore Stratta she wanted "interpretations," not just covers.
They recorded four tracks in London that June. Think about that: singing "Silent Night" in the middle of a London summer while preparing for a nightly theater grind. The rest was finished in Hollywood a year later.
When A Christmas Album finally hit shelves in October 1967, it was a juggernaut. It spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard Christmas chart. Today, it’s certified quintuple platinum. That’s five million copies in the U.S. alone. Why? Because she took risks. She included a version of "White Christmas" that features the rarely heard opening verse about Beverly Hills and palm trees. It centers the song in a specific, lonely reality rather than a generic winter wonderland.
The Vocals: More Than Just "Pretty"
Streisand’s approach to barbra streisand christmas songs is deeply theatrical. She treats a three-minute track like a one-act play.
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Take "O Holy Night." Most singers use it to show off their lung capacity. Barbra does that, sure—the climax is legendary—but it’s the quiet moments that kill you. She starts with a whisper, a genuine sense of awe. It’s not a performance for an audience; it’s a meditation.
Then there’s the Jewish perspective. Barbra has often spoken about how, as a Jewish artist, she approaches these songs through a humanistic lens. She’s not necessarily singing about dogma. She’s singing about the feeling of home, the longing for peace, and the universal need for "The Best Gift" (a song written by Lan O'Kun that remains a cult favorite among fans).
Twenty Years Later: Christmas Memories
It took over thirty years for her to release a proper follow-up. Christmas Memories, released in 2001, feels very different. It arrived just two months after the September 11 attacks. The world was hurting.
Because of that timing, the album is heavy with nostalgia and a sort of beautiful, refined sadness. She collaborated with David Foster and William Ross to create a sound that’s lush but never "tinny."
The standout here is her cover of Stephen Sondheim’s "I Remember." Originally from a 1966 TV musical called Evening Primrose, Sondheim actually updated the lyrics specifically for Barbra’s holiday version. It’s a haunting song about someone who only knows the world through memories. It’s definitely not "Holly Jolly Christmas," and that’s why it works.
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Breaking Down the Essentials
If you’re building a playlist, you can’t just hit "shuffle." You have to understand the vibes.
The Showstoppers
- Jingle Bells?: As mentioned, it’s a wild ride. It’s barely two minutes long but feels like a marathon.
- The Lord’s Prayer: This is Barbra at her most "operatic." It’s technically demanding and stunningly executed.
The Tear-Jerkers
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas: The 2001 version is particularly poignant. The harmonica solo halfway through gives it this lonely, campfire feel.
- Grown-Up Christmas List: A David Foster classic. While many have covered it, Barbra’s version has a specific weight to it. She doesn't sound like she’s wishing; she sounds like she’s demanding a better world.
The Hidden Gems
- One God: This is from the Christmas Memories sessions. It’s a beautiful plea for religious tolerance and unity. It’s very Barbra—grand, meaningful, and perfectly phrased.
- The Best Gift: A simple song about motherhood and love. It’s one of the few "original" feeling songs on the 1967 record that doesn't feel like a standard.
The Technical Mastery
People often talk about her "range," but her real secret is her breath control and her vowels. In "Ave Maria," she holds notes that would make most professional cantors sweat. She recorded the Gounod version in Latin for the original album, but there’s actually an English-language version she cut in 1966 that stayed in the vaults for decades until a Starbucks compilation unearthed it in 2005.
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She’s a perfectionist. You can hear it in the mixing. The strings never drown her out. Even in the massive 90-piece orchestra sessions for Christmas Memories, her voice sits right at the front, intimate and clear.
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a misconception that these albums are "diva" projects—just a big voice singing big songs. But if you look at the credits, she’s an executive producer on these for a reason. She’s involved in the arrangements. She chose to put "My Favorite Things" on a Christmas album before it was a standard holiday practice. She saw the "winter" in the song before everyone else did.
Also, she doesn't over-sing. Listen to "Sleep in Heavenly Peace (Silent Night)." It’s incredibly restrained. She lets the melody do the work, which is a rare thing for a singer with that much power in reserve.
Why They Still Matter in 2026
In an era of 15-second TikTok clips, Streisand’s holiday music is an outlier. It’s long-form. It’s emotional. It’s "Barbra Streisand Christmas songs" at their most authentic—unapologetically dramatic and technically flawless.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a newcomer wondering why your parents own three different copies of the same 1967 LP, the answer is in the phrasing. She makes you feel the cold air and the warm fire.
To get the most out of your holiday listening, start with the 2024 remastered version of A Christmas Album. The clarity on the high notes in "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is much better than the original CD releases. Then, move to Christmas Memories for your late-night, quiet-house listening. Avoid the "Classic Christmas Album" compilations if you want the full experience; the original album sequencing was intentional and tells a better story from start to finish.