Who doesn’t love Christmas time and
the music that goes with it? How many
times does a few bars from your favorite song transport you back to childhood
memories of waiting for Christmas morning, and that perennial joy that warms
the heart?
Christmas has to be my favorite time
of the year when it comes to music. But
did you know some of the songs we sing were first sung in Europe thousands of
years ago as pagan songs to celebrate the Winter Solstice? The word carol means to dance or a song of
praise and joy.
Some songs, had unusual beginnings
such as I Saw Three Ships was written by wandering minstrels as they travelled
through the English countryside and has several versions. The three ships often referred to biblical
characters, such as the three wise men, or Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus, but it
changed constantly.
Good King Wenceslas was written in
Victorian Britain by John Mason Neale to a traditional folk tune. The story in the carol was about a king who
help feed and shelter peasants. However,
the real story of King Wenceslas was quite gruesome. Apparently after a disagreement with his
brother, King Wenceslas was stabbed to death by three of his brother’s
followers.
The words to Silent Night were
written as a poem by Joseph Mohr and the music was added several years later by
his school teacher friend Franz Xavier Gruber.
By the time the carol was famous no one believed Gruber had written it,
instead they assumed it was Mozart of Beethoven.
Did you know the total number of
gifts in the song The 12 days of Christmas totals 364?
Did you know Jingle Bells was not
intended to be a Christmas song at all? It had been written by James Pierpont
who loved to live fast and race hard.
And The Christmas Song, immortalized
by Nat King Cole was written in the heat of summer to try and “cool off”?
Your turn: What is your favorite Christmas carol?
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