O Tannenbaum O Tannenbaum "" (; "O fir tree", English: "O Christmas Tree") is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree by the early 20th century and sung as a Christmas carol. The modern lyrics were written in 1824, by the Leipzig organist, teacher and composer Ernst Anschütz. A "Tannenbaum" is a fir tree. The lyrics do not actually refer to Christmas, or describe a decorated Christmas tree. Instead, they refer to the fir's evergreen quality as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness. Anschütz based his text on a 16th-century Silesian
Christmas Extraordinaire Christmas Extraordinaire Christmas Extraordinaire is Mannheim Steamroller's sixth Christmas album overall and the group's fourth Christmas studio album. The album was originally released in 2001. The song "O Tannenbaum" features a lead vocal by Johnny Mathis. Five of the album's tracks were included in the group's 2004 compilation "Christmas Celebration". On June 21, 2004, "Christmas Extraordinaire" was certified Triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of three million copies in the United States. As of November 2014, "Christmas Extraordinaire" is the fourteenth best-selling Christmas/holiday album in the U.S. in the Nielsen SoundScan era of music sales