Christmas is Coming...The Earliest Recorded Version of "Silent Night"

Everyone knows the story of "Silent Night": the priest who wrote some verses after heading home from a call on a sick parishioner and seeing the beauty of the night, the organ wasn't working because mice chewed on the bellows; priest asks the sexton to set the verses to music—and voila, in 1818 "Silent Night" is born.

Well, that's the legend, anyway, but more convoluted is how the song got from the small Austrian town of Obendorf to the world: most tales credit it to an internationally-known singing group, the Rainiers, who carried the song out of Europe.

This is the earliest recorded version of "Silent Night," by the Haydn Quartet, I believe recorded by the Edison company. You will notice the lyrics are appreciably different from what we sing today, and I wonder if these are closer to the lyrics are closer to what was written by Gruber. It's also interesting to notice the difference in song performance techniques in that era.

"Christmas Eve is Here," an Old French Carol

Christmas Eve is here—see, the moon is waking!
Christmas Eve is here, clear and cold the night.
Trudging thro' the snow, go the quiet people;
Trudging thro' the snow, go the quiet people.
Christmas Eve is here, clear and cold the night.

People on the road carry lighted lanterns;
See their bobbing lights lead the way to church.
There they will keep watch 'til the hour of midnight;
There they will keep watch 'til the hour of midnight,
When the bells will ring joyous melodies.

Hear the ringing bells swinging far their music,
Hear the ringing bells playing merry chimes!
Christmas Day is here, day of joy and gladness;
Christmas Day is here, day of joy and gladness,
Bringing peace on earth, and goodwill to men.

Traditionally, the French people singing this song would then be joyfully going home to celebrate La Réveillon, a post-Mass feast featuring a beef roast wrapped in pastry, escargot, oysters, pate de foie gras, chestnuts, truffles, and of course a fine wine. Dessert will be a cake that resembles a Yule Log, the Bûche de Noël (usually chocolate, but can be any flavor).

Working to Carols

And that's what I did today, did my work to Christmas carols. And ended up traveling in time.

A lot of my Christmas music is still on cassette, having been collected one by one, most of them not in print anymore and not on CD, from places that no longer exist: MediaPlay and Oxford Books. James has had, for many years, a dual tape deck which we have used to play cassettes in the living room. Several years ago the uptake spoke on the left-hand side quit working so since then I have been playing Christmas tapes on the right-hand deck. This morning the uptake spoke on the right deck quit working as well.

I could have played the tapes on the deck in my craft room, but instead I pulled out the Panasonic tape recorder I bought back in 1980 to copy off the episodes of Star Blazers that I was audio recording off WSBK TV-38 every morning (yeah, I really do like the series that much). I haven't played poor "Calvin"—it has lots of red buttons on the front; I thought immediately of Calvin O'Keefe in A Wrinkle in Time—in ages. I have to wiggle the volume button to get the sound to play properly, but it still runs pretty well. Just a bit of old-fashioned hiss in the background. Very nostalgic indeed.

Decorating, Ho!

The first day of Christmas decorating always goes by slowly because before Christmas goes up, Thanksgiving has to come down. I guess I should have started earlier, but I really felt guilty starting before Advent.

Ticked because my alarm did not sound this morning. My timer app has quit working after working perfectly last week. And I really wanted to wake up, because I was having a horrible dream about the reorganization at work.

So, what I got done today:
     •• The ceppo is up (drat, doesn't fit on the new shelving, so don't know what I'm going to do with the little feather tree);
     •• Santas are up, so the new shelving is decorated;
     •• Kitchen is decorated;
     •• Console leading into the dining room is done;
     •• Mantel is cleared off;
     •• Decoration on landing is done;
     •• Porch is finished;
     •• Lights are in the windows downstairs.

All Thanksgiving is put away.

And the Christmas cards are written out. I just have to put together the newsletter.

[Later: Okay, I put up the prims on the pass-through and decorated the feather tree. I'd do the table but I need to pull out the iron to press the table runner. I'm not doing that at 8:30 at night!]

Listened to First Sunday of Advent choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3 today, from St. John's Chapel in Cambridge. So lovely!

 
Ruth & Skitch Henderson's Christmas in the Country, Judith Blahnick
I don't usually buy Christmas books with so many recipes in them, but this volume was picked up used and I couldn't resist the beautiful photos of the Hendersons' Hunt Hill Farm, which still exists as a trust. I remembered Henderson as Johnny Carson's bandleader; he worked with many Broadway stars and singers, a few of who are shown in photographs. But the best thing about this book are the glorious color photographs, some of the Hendersons' feasts, but most of the snowy farm in Connecticut where they founded a cooking school. There are commentaries for each Sunday of Advent and St. Nicholas Day, and even of the German customs that Ruth Henderson brought from her family, all the way through Epiphany. For the cooks in the crowd, a great variety of recipes, some from other countries, but mostly all-American treats. Most appealing to lovers of the country, cooking aficionados, and nostalgia freaks who remember The Tonight Show's orchestra leader.

Postponed Joy

Well, snellfrocky. Today is usually the morning I go to the Apple Annie Craft Show, but I had our extra phone batteries/chargers scheduled to come today by FedEx and a signature was necessary. I knew FedEx Guy would not be early!

First thing I did was sleep in...until 8:40! What a luxury! I'd woken up cold last night and so snuggling was so very cozy. Then I got up and had breakfast and put Christmas carols on the television. I finished my book reviews for November (surreptitiously sneaking into the bathroom to finish up Quirky QWERTY, which I started last night—it wasn't a long book). Cleaned off the front of my desk. Went downstairs and shelved all the books that have been piling up down there since before September. Have filled a box with books. James and I figure that perhaps we can just keep the books—donating them is giving us no especially bargains at tax time—and then every so often take a ride up to McKay's to trade them in. God knows there were more books I could have bought yesterday.

Once that was done, I vacuumed the stairs and then finished indexing our vacation photos, and did a backup of the entire hard drive. By this time it was nearly 1:30...and the doorbell rang! It was FedEx! I decanted the batteries posthaste, stuck them in to charge, and dressed quickly to head out to Apple Annie, stopping at Publix on the way there to get money and paper towels.

I had a nice stroll amongst the craft booths. Some really pretty stained glass in one booth! Many things I couldn't afford, but loved, like the small themed Christmas trees and the beautiful Christmas quilts (a small foot-throw was $90, but I know all the work that goes into them). The papyrus lady recognized me. I bought a pretty print of The Seasons and a gift (plus a small extra gift). The prim lady was there for the last time; she is retiring. Even though she's having a going-out-of-business sale next week, I did buy a few things, including a cute gift. I was attracted by a blue, Nordic-design winter hat made by one of the mission countries (St. Ann's is a LaSalette church), so I bought one.

My favorite part of Apple Annie day is going in the Garden of Reconciliation. At this season it is somber, with brown leaves scattering the walks. There is a small statue of St. Francis at one end and one of the Virgin at the other, plus a cross. In the middle of the area is a small waterfall with a weeping figure beside the pond, and overhanging that area is a scarlet maple. The top of the tree was "blown," but the bottom was still a brilliant red, painting a lovely picture. I stayed for a while, and then was able to walk into the sanctuary of the church. It was dark and quiet, and I said some prayers and felt so peaceful.

Came home just before James did, so decided to take the fall/Thanksgiving items off the porch. Right now I can only replace it with the Christmas wreath and the St. Nicholas banner, but it's a start. :-)

Operation Christmas, Part 2

I slept a bit later (8 a.m.), then had a busy day, taking about 20 minutes to have some goat cheese with crackers for lunch, and another half hour break doing some hotel reviews for TripAdvisor. During the day I listened to Christmas CDs: Leroy Anderson, the King's College Choir, Perry Como, and finally the Partridge Family.

I swept and then decorated the porch, including one string of lights so that I could hang the little greetings on the railings, and also put the mailbox cover on.

Then I decorated the foyer, most of the time which was taken up by putting up the miniatures tree, and placed the decorations on the landing. (And got rid of one more timer with pins in it.) I also finished packing up the Thanksgiving decorations, but I need James to help me put the box up. (I brought the Rudolph tree box—which also has some other decorations in it—upstairs and I wish I hadn't. Shoulder. Ouch.)

I also cleaned off the mantel, and packed up the rest of the "ordinary" fall decorations (the ones that stay up all year round) for storage in the laundry room—it gets crowded in there in December and early January!—along with the two tall vases and the "leaf basket" from the hearth. The mantel is now ready for the board to be laid upon it, so I can set up the 1940s Christmas village. I love blank pallets, but everything now looks very bare!

I had a surprise today! Yesterday I ordered the book Harry Potter: Page to Screen, which I have been coveting for weeks and which I found on Amazon for half off.

It was delivered today! What a distraction while trying to decorate!

It was as gloomy outside as it was sunny inside: chill, rainy (up north in Blue Ridge in the north Georgia mountains, they had snow), and grey. A perfect day to decorate, actually, with no temptations to go outside.

Sort of like summer. :-)

"On the Twelfth Day of Christmas..."

...my good friends brought to me,
all their good wishes,
gifts for one and all,
some mistletoe,
a guardian angel,
gold and silver tinsel,
candles a-glowing,
little silver bells,
a shining star...
four colored lights,
three boughs of holly,
two candy canes,
and a song for the Christmas tree.

These are the gifts as enumerated in the Andy Williams alternative to the song. I quite enjoy this version, and the arrangement.

It has been a nice year for Christmas music. I replaced my original Mannheim Steamroller tapes with CDs, got the two newest Revels CDs, and managed to make some finds on my own, including "New England Christmastide #1" (I've had #2 for years) and the sequel to both of them, "Christmas in Tuscany" (more nice instrumentals)—"Christmas in Tuscany" and "New England Yuletide" were purchased at the Christmas store in Weston, Vermont—and Windham Hill's Christmas guitar collection.

By far the most surprising find was "A Very Merry Christmas," which I discovered in Borders whilst spending a birthday gift card courtesy the Butlers. It's a Canadian-produced album, and while "The Huron Carol" didn't show up on it, it's a nice assortment of instrumentals/vocals with several French songs, and an absolutely wonderful piece called "When the Winter Comes"—more of a solstice song than a Christmas one—sung by a strong-voiced baritone. My two least favorite tracks were the first and last, sung by Zoë Bentley, whose "A Very Merry Christmas" was "the surprise hit of the holiday season in Canada," according to the album cover. Ms. Bentley has an excellent voice, but she sings in that breathy, warbling style that seems to be popular today, so I wasn't quite enamored of her style.

Many of the tracks on this album are by the Canadian Brass, alone or with organ. Sometimes folks as what songs that make you feel Christmas, and Canadian Brass' arrangement of "The Sussex Carol" is just that. It's so spritely, but still mellow with the brasses. I want to jump into it and be cushioned and made happy by it.

I wanted to send a shout-out to Dish Network, which did something different with their own music this year; usually there is just one Christmas music station, but they gave us about six: a country, a Christian, a "mix" that was sometimes truly bizarre, a couple of others, and an instrumental channel that was all light jazz versions of Christmas songs and carols. I can contentedly wave farewell to the other channels, but I really miss that last one. It was so good for sitting and reading by the Christmas tree!

52 Days Until Christmas

A cloudy, chilly November day, just as it should be. I am working, and burning a cinnamon stick Yankee Candle, having almost finished a load of laundry and putting away the Hallowe'en decorations. (I was taking down Hallowe'en decorations to replace with Thanksgiving decorations to the tune of Christmas music. Love it!)

Someone on one of my Christmas groups noted that not only did Dish Network start their Christmas music, but they have six different channels this year; in the past they have only had one. One is country, one is Christian, one is a very odd "Remix" channel that wasn't half bad, one is instrumental, one is classical, and one is jazz. Listened to the instrumental channel for a while, then put on the CD I bought in Ellijay on Monday, Christmas music done on hammered dulcimer, which I can't resist. I then put on "Voices of Christmas Past," which is a collection of old recordings from 1898 to 1924. Love listening to the voices of the men singing in those days, a completely different style of singing; lots of tremolo in it, like old songs you might hear by Irish tenors, with much more emphasis than we would use in a song today. This is the type of album I love to collect, either quiet instrumentals or unusual music, not the new album by the latest singer.

This album also has several "spoken only" pieces, like "Uncle Josh" talking about Christmas at "Punkin Creek" (typical small-town humor) and a piece with an "Oirish" family having Christmas (at least the stereotype isn't insulting), and another that is supposedly a group of British "Tommies" around the fire during the Great War.

Now I am listening to a two-CD set called "A Vintage Christmas Cracker," music from 1914-1949. The "gimmick" is that this is a British album, so, although there are bits of hit American songs on it, like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," and British bands playing American hits like "Little Brown Jug," the majority of the songs are British, like "The Fairy on the Christmas Tree," and even the King's Christmas message to the Empire.

Autumn Amidst the Raindrops

Dark, dripping, and dreary: today in a nutshell. There were fits of rain, but surprisingly no thunder, and it was necessary to keep the lights on all day.

I kept my own inner light burning with the warmth of music in the morning and podcasts in the afternoon. First things first: I played the copy of "New England Christmastide" I received in the mail yesterday so I could do my feedback. I've had "New England Christmastide 2" on cassette tape for years, and when we were on vacation, I saw it on CD in the Christmas store in Weston, VT, along with a newer album, "New England Yuletide," which I purchased, but not the original album. So when I got home I hunted it up on Amazon Marketplace.

All of the collection are instrumentals, my favorite type of Christmas music, done in a simple style on "folk instruments" like hammered dulcimers, bagpipes, recorders, etc. As I expected, it was quite lovely. These are all from North Star Music, located in East Greenwich, RI.

Following were my autumn albums: George Winston's "Autumn," and David Huntsinger's "Autumn in New England" and "New England by Piano." The former Huntsinger album is my favorite of the two, but I really love a piece on the second. It's a bouncy little tune called "Climbing Katahdin" that sounds as if it could be background music in an Addie Mills story. I can see Addie out on her bicycle or working on an art project when I listen to it.

The afternoon was reserved for some podcasts, a "A Way With Words" talking about things like "olly olly oxen free" and its various regional permutations, and two Rick Steves' Travels, one about misconceptions about French culture and the other about Naples.

During lunch and in the evening I worked on my "Father Christmas" cross stitch. I haven't cross-stitched in ages; the light is not good in my usual seat and the rocker is usually clogged with books and magazines, but I loved the old-fashioned look of the piece. I always think the English "Father Christmas" looks better than our Santa Claus, with his hood and robe rather than the silly tassel hat and the red snowsuit.

[10/28: It was finished during lunch today; here it is on the oval backing board, ready to go in its gold frame. The French knots on the tree are not good, but I left them that way, just to look quirky.]

100 Days Until Christmas!

Summer always gets on my very last nerve, but this summer has been particular obnoxious. Temperatures sailed up into the 90s at the beginning of June and, except for one or two few days every month, have remained there. Here it is September and they are predicting we won't see 80s until later next week.

Not to mention they are predicting a warm fall and winter this year because of La Nina. Last year was so cold and lovely, from October though March, that I was sure we'd pay for it somehow. Well, summer has made that abundantly clear, the wretched brat, smotheringly, suffocatingly hot from one end of her iron reign to the other. I wish she'd take a long walk off a short pier...and not know how to swim.

I have been taking pleasures where I can get them: the Hallmark Ornament Premiere in mid-July, the appearance of fall garlands and then picks and things in Hobby Lobby in late June to early July (I can't help burying my face in them and giving them a hug), the Christmas crafts dotting the pathways at the Yellow Daisy Festival, the appearance of October dates on upcoming events calendars—and now the joy of the Christmas issue of Early American Life, the fall issue of the Vermont Country Store catalog, and Christmas craft magazines in the stands. And as a bonus an "it's like Christmas!" visit from a friend. When end-of-fiscal-year mania was at its peak—and this year with the recovery act funds in the mix it's been particularly egregious—I would retreat into instrumental Christmas carols. It's definitely music to soothe the savage "beast" of summer.

So while it's poppin' hot outside and annoyingly aggravating at the office—compounded by the fact we haven't had any hot water there for over four weeks now!—I'm trying to keep it cool and wintry...or perhaps I mean cool and "autumn-y"...in my heart.

It's definitely a hard slog and there have been tears.

Let go, you wretched witch of summer! Begone!

Christmas Music 12-17-2009

More from the CD collection:

• "A Leroy Anderson Christmas," Leroy Anderson and His Orchestra (except for "Sleigh Ride," done by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops)
Great collection of Christmas music arranged by Leroy Anderson, who is most famous for his arrangement of "Sleigh Ride," which became a Boston Pops signature Christmas tune. Along with "Sleigh Ride" and another Pops perennial, the medley "Christmas Festival," there are medley arrangements for brass, strings, and woodwinds. Great background music for work or party.

• "Perry Como's Greatest Christmas Songs"
Ahhh, Mr. Relaxed himself. After Bing Crosby, Perry Como was my mom's favorite singer, so we heard a lot of Mr. C around our house. This is a nice collection of sacred and secular, all sung in Perry's mellow style, including the two songs that were standards at our house, "I Saw Mommy Kissin' Santa Claus" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Hubby says he grew up on Gene Autry's "Rudolph," but it was Perry's version which held sway in our home.

• "A Christmas Collection", Volumes 1 and 2, Greg Miner
These are two interesting CDs I bought at Daedelus Books in Maryland several years back: Christmas music played on rare or interesting instruments. Along with the usual guitars and lovely things like dulcimers and harps, there are bluegrass-with-banjo arrangements and even some sitar versions of secular and sacred Christmas music. Well worth seeking out if you like unusual Christmas music.

• "Christmas in an Irish Castle," The California Revels
The Revels folks invite you to imagine an old-fashioned Christmas in Ireland: waits, Wren boys, feasting and of course whisky flowing freely! Toe-tapping dance music mixed with more thoughtful sacred melodies and even Irish narrative to help you envision an Irish feast. Sláinte!

• "Christmas Live!", Mannheim Steamroller
Live Christmas concert, with all my favorites (check out a previous post), including "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" and the haunting "Silent Night." Oh, yes. Wish the newest album hadn't featured vocalists. All good vocalists, you understand, but I don't buy Mannheim Steamroller to hear vocals.

• "Christmas Favorites by the Hollyridge Strings"
60s favorites finally released on CD: Christmas instrumentals in a bright, bouncy lounge style. These pieces of music were used as background themes for ages; if you're old enough, you probably remember them on local ads and television commercials. Their version of "Santa's Got a Brand New Bag" is particularly recognizable. Time travel to another era with these smooth Christmas tunes.

Linda's Top 10 Christmas Songs

Per Ivan's informal challenge...but, sorry, in no particular order (it being understood that these will probably change...maybe by tomorrow...LOL!):

Nat King Cole, "The Christmas Song" — So many versions, but this one just says "Christmas" to me.

Mannheim Steamroller, "Silent Night" — What an arrangement; nearly breaks my heart.

The Carpenters, "It's Christmas Time/Sleep Well, Little Children" — I love to sing along with the first half of this one and try to keep up; the second half makes me feel soft and warm and safe.

Andy Williams, "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" — Gets all those happy Christmas juices going! (Trying to figure out which other of the songs on the first side of Andy Williams "red album" I would pick, as I love 'em all; probably "Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells." Talk about a song that gets your pulse pounding!)

Bing Crosby, "White Christmas" — Another "safe and warm" song, and reminds me of my mom; but I have to admit, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" would come in a close second.

James Galway, "Shepherd's Pipe Carol" — Almost impossible to pick one from Galway's Christmas album, but I think this one edges out the rest...the sense of joy is tangible.

Johnny Mathis, "I'll Be Home for Christmas"? — always makes me cry.

The Singers Unlimited, "Bright, Bright, the Holly Berries" — One of the standards on Providence's old "beautiful music" station WLKW

From the Charlie Brown Christmas album, "Christmastime is Here" — Probably the most perfect of the post-1960 carols.

Bruce Mitchell, "Joy to the World" — Great, great instrumental arrangement from the Narada Christmas album.

With honorable mentions to:

John Denver, "Aspenglow"

Nancy Wilson, "The Christmas Waltz"

Oh, yeah, and the album version of John Denver and the Muppets "We Wish You a Merry Christmas": "Figgy pudding! Figgy! It's made with figs!" "Oh!" "And bacon!"

Christmas Music 12-9-2009

More cassettes:

♥ "Christmas," Mannheim Steamroller
The original! I remember listening to this in 2004, driving from Plymouth to Quincy—we'd keep finding stations playing Rush Limbaugh; when one would fade out another would come up, and all he was playing was this album. From a funky "Deck the Halls" to a jazzy "Good King Wenceslas" to the slow-building "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen," and an arrangement of "Silent Night" that will break your heart.

♥ "Wassail! Wassail! Early American Christmas Music," The Revels
This is one of only two albums I have with "Twas in the Moon of Wintertime" ("The Huron Carol") which I recall learning in school. A Canadian priest translated the story of Jesus to the Huron people in terms they could understand: Jesus is the son of the Great Manitou and is wrapped in rabbit skins rather than swaddling clothes. Between the songs are a folksy narrative telling the Christmas story and Jean Ritchie's Appalachian memories.

♥ "A Gift of Song," Mason Williams
Mr. Classical Gas himself. Guitar, of course, plus other woodwinds and percussion. Very pleasant "Seventies Sound."

♥ "A Music Box Christmas," Columbia Records
Love this one—sounds like authentic music boxes. I have some Porter "music box" albums that sound like they are actually synthesized music box sound (actually, some of them must be as the songs are modern ones). On this you can hear the twang of the metal along with the tinkling of the tunes.

♥ "Christmas," the Singers Unlimited
Mixed choral heavily featuring women. A staple of beautiful music stations at Christmastime some thirty years ago; I remember most of them being played on WLKW out of Providence.

Christmas Music 12-2-2009

This time from the CD collection:

• "Holiday Pops" with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops.
One of my very favorites! Contains "Tomorrow is My Dancing Day" which makes me want to dance! Also a toe-tappin' swing version of "Good King Wenceslas," the classic "Christmastime is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas, and one of my recent favorites, the triumphant "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!" from Home Alone 2 which brings in Christmas with ringing voices. "Yes!"

• "Narada: The Christmas Collection" (various)
Contains one of my all-time favorite arrangements of "Joy to the World," done by Bruce Mitchell and a lilting version of "I Saw Three Ships" by David Arkenstone. Nice quiet New Age arrangements of traditional carols—chill-out music.

• "A Traditional Christmas" (various artists)
A more traditional album, with well-known singers. Stirring version of "O Holy Night" by Bing Crosby; what lovely pipes the man had. Andy Williams' "A Song and a Christmas Tree" (a takeoff of "12 Days of Christmas") is a favorite. Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, Al Martino, and more...and of course the incomparable Nat "King" Cole singing "The Christmas Song." Would it be Christmas without it?

• "Piano Winterlude" (David Huntsinger)
I found Huntsinger's "Autumn in New England" many years ago and fell in love with it, then much later got his "New England by Piano," but didn't know about this one, which once upon a time was for sale at Michaels with other instrumentals and I didn't buy it, until a few years ago. Hunted up a copy posthaste...don't regret the search. Huntsinger's style is closer to Tim Janis than to George Winston, but more subtle.

• "A Victorian Christmas Revels" (the Revels)
The Revels organization started out doing recreations of medieval Christmas revels in the Cambridge, MA, area. Now there are different Revels groups across the US and they also have springtime, summer, and other shows, but the most famous of these is still their Christmas Revels, which, each year, highlight a different culture or time period, with period music and costume. This outing recreates Victorian England, with traditional carols as well as a visit to the great Victorian equalizer, the music hall, where such ditties as "Down at the Old Bull and Buch" and the humorous "Don't Have Any More, Mrs. Moore" add to the entertainment of the day. Much fun.

• "Simple Gifts: A Windham Hill Collection" (various)
More New Age, perfect for a rainy day such as today. Lovely melancholic pieces like "New Trees at Knockaun" and "Snow Shadows," plus more traditional fare like "Adeste Fideles" and "O Holy Night." George Winston does "Greensleeves," there's the lilting "In Bethlehem City," and it finishes up with an instrumental version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas's "Welcome Christmas."

• "James Galway's Christmas Carol" (James Galway, of course, and chorus)
Flute music with chorale accompaniment as sweet as Christmas candy and less fattening. This is one of those albums that just says (sings?) "Christmas" to me: the delightful lilt of "Shepherd's Pipe Carol," "Fantasia on 'I Saw Three Ships'" which makes me want to do an Irish jig, the lyrical "Past Three O'Clock," and the achingly beautifully sweet "Sheep May Safely Graze"—and twelve more lovely pieces. Should be in everyone's Christmas library.

Vintage Christmas Recordings

What did Christmas music sound like at the turn of the last century? Recorded sound was still a novelty in the 19th century and the early 20th century recordings sound much different (even discounting crackle and pop of old records) than today. Check out these free MP3 downloads from archive.org...you can play them on the web or download the whole album or the individual tracks.

Some of the tracks, like "Christmas Time at Pumpkin Center" and "Uncle Josh Plays Santa Claus" are humorous recitations. In "Come and Spend Christmas With Me," you will hear the singing style of the time. "Santa Claus Hides in the Phonograph" had Santa speaking directly to children, a novelty back in 1922!

Internet Archive—Free Download: Voices of Christmas Past - 1898 to 1922

Christmas Music 11-20-2009

More from the cassette collection:

• "Joy to the World!" with John Williams and the Boston Pops.
This one has Robin Williams reading "A Visit from St. Nicholas," and the wonderful tribute to Alfred Burt's carols ("This is Christmas," "Some Children See Him," etc.). I love the Burt tribute—it makes me want to throw my arms out and hug the whole world.

• "Christmas in Europe" released by LaserLight.
Ah, LaserLight. All the inexpensive compilation albums they churned out 20 years ago. This one has lots of brasses and flutes, even what sounds like accordions, plus uncommon carols sung in German and French, like "Still, Still, Still," "Ihr Kinderlein Kommet," etc..

• "On a Winter's Night: A Seasonal Collection" from Imaginary Road.
Largely New Age in style. Some good violin work where the instrument speaks so plaintively that one could cry.

• "Christmas Brass" by the Canadian Brass.
Ah, another selection from the brief time when you could find good instrumental Christmas albums strewn occasionally and ripe for picking from stacks of standard popular offerings in places like Media Play. Christmas music. Brass instruments. What else could you want?

Christmas Music 11-19-2009

Today from my innumerable (okay, they're numerable—there's 68 of them) collection of Christmas cassettes:

• "Winter Creek" by Tony Elman.
From the cassette: "an instrumental collection of winter melodies and carols—English, French, Spanish, and American—featuring the hammered dulcimer with over a dozen folk instruments." These have a very "country" feel to them by way of the dulcimer, occasionally lively, but still nostalgic.

• "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
From country to jazz. This is the original album (well, along with the LP...LOL). Amazing how it's "Linus and Lucy" that has become instantly recognizable "Christmas music," instead of the more appropriate "Christmastime is Here" (which is still recognized, but not as frequently). A song that immediately takes one back to a simpler time.

• "Candlelight Carols" with the Choir of Trinity Church in Boston.
Nice selection of brass and organ, too. Recorded at the beautiful brownstone church in the Back Bay.

• "Christmas Celebration" by...various!
One of those wonderful compilation cassettes I used to be able to buy at Oxford Books [sob!!!] or Media Play [double sob!!] or even the Harvard Coop if I was passing by; orchestral arrangements with Andre Kostelanetz and the Canadian Brass and the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble. You've probably heard the lively version of "Carol of the Bells" on television commercials.

• "An International Christmas" featuring the AmorArtis Choir.
Outstanding chorale work of Christmas music from various countries. Uncommon songs not found on other albums.

Christmas Music Today!

I was teleworking today and listened to the following albums:

• "Music Box Old-Fashioned Christmas" by Porter.
Music in the style of those old fashioned music boxes that had a "record" that turned, plucking the rods that made this lovely tinkling music. This was one of two music box albums we bought in Pigeon Forge at the Incredible Christmas Place. I don't think the newer Christmas songs sound as pretty music-box style, but otherwise this is nicely rippling.

• "Christmas Brass" featuring the Cathedral Brass and Capital City Brass.
I love Christmas brass! I think I found this in Big Lots or used at CD Warehouse. Trumpets and all shouting joy!

• "Christmas Wishes" by Aureole.
Last year and the year before, the XM "Classical Christmas" channel (converted from their "Pops" channel this year) continually played selections from this album. The instruments are violin, flute and harp. Yes, instrumental. I like instrumentals, especially ethereal-sounding ones like this.

• "Christmas at the Almanac Music Hall" featuring Peter Ecklund and the Howard Fishman Quartet.
I found out about this one via Yankee magazine. It's supposed to sound like the inhabitants of a small country town gathered at the local town/assembly hall and had themselves a Christmas gala, playing the classic songs on an old piano and occasionally singing along. It sounds very homey (or "homely," as the British would say) and comforting).

• "In the Christmas Mood" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Christmas music swing! Kinda by the numbers, but very evocative of the 1940s. All you hepcats swing now!

Finally, Holiday Music on XM

I don't acknowledge "those other people" who bought out XM and made the traffic reports suck (among other things). :-)

"Holly" and "Holiday Traditions" premiered together this year, which is decidedly odd. Instead of both being on their own channels as in past years, the Sirius portion of the management has fiddled with the format again. "Holly" has its own channel, but "Holiday Traditions" has taken over the 40s channel. An announcer tells you if you want to enjoy swing music in the interim, you can go to the "Siriusly Sinatra" [eyes roll]/Great American Songbook channel until December 26. These days its about 80 percent Sinatra and all boring.

I happened to turn on "Holly" just as RUN-DMC was playing. Sounded like a couple of two-year-olds banging pots.

Not sure when the classical Christmas music channel (hijacking the "Pops" channel) and the country channel (hijacking a country channel) will be starting; probably day after Thanksgiving. Leave it to Sirius to *uck up the good setup XM had.

Rudolph Day, February 2009

The purpose of Rudolph Day is to keep the Christmas spirit all year long. One can prepare Christmas gifts or crafts, watch a Christmas movie, play Christmas music, or read a Christmas book.

For our February edition, play Reindeer Roundup

Read Temple Bailey's "A Candle in the Forest"

Like these newfangled MP3s? Download Christmas albums or individual songs at Amazon.com

Also noted are Ace Collins' two Christmas songs books, Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas and More Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. These are short pieces about the history of favorite Christmas hymns, carols, and songs. Not everyone's taste is the same, and I have to admit that "The Christmas Shoes," "Blue Christmas," and "Pretty Paper," all covered in these books, are probably my least favorite Christmas songs, but they are best-loved by quite a few folks out there. :-) But I have never heard of "Thank God for Kids," "It Wasn't His Child," "Come and See What's Happening in the Barn," or "Christmas in the Country," nor heard them played anywhere, or seen them on Christmas CDs. Shouldn't "best-loved" songs mean just that, ones everyone knows rather than some obscure country and western songs like these seem to be? Otherwise these are readable, interesting pieces on each of the songs.