December 2012

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Plato

What would the holidays be like without Christmas music? One of the most enjoyable and popular aspects of the holiday season is Christmas music, best exemplified by the singing and playing of Christmas carols and songs. There are many different types of Christmas music, both for adults and children: classical, country, pop, rap, jazz, blues, ancient carols and modern songs, to name a few.

During the Christmas season, we all hum or sing along with secular songs like White Christmas, Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer; many of these songs bring back childhood Christmastime memories. Christmas music plays a very important role for our happiness and well-being during this great season.

History of Christmas Music

Christmas music dates back hundreds of years, some as early as the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. However, many of the carols we sing today were written around the middle of the eighteenth century. The word carol or carole is a medieval word of French and Anglo-Norman origin, believed to mean a dance song or a circle dance accompanied by singing. Broadly defined, carols express religious joy and are often associated with the Christmas season. Music originating in England and Germany make up many of our favorite carols. Christmas carols were actually banned in England during 1647-1660 by Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England. He thought Christmas should be a solemn and holy day and not be distracted by the singing of carols. During the time of Francis of Assisi, the singing of carols in ones native language was advocated and developed. The translation of many of our popular carols was brought to America from Europe.

 Christmas Music Genres

 Sacred: Basically there are two categories of Christmas music: Sacred and secular. There are many Christmas carols of a sacred nature: Silent Night, What Child is This? and O’Come All Ye Faithful, among a myriad of others. Charles Wesley, the great English reformer, understood how music enhances religious services and wrote the famous carol, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Martin Luther, the famous German religious reformer, advocated the use of carols, many he personally wrote.

Sacred Christmas music usually tells the story of the Christ Child and other religious topics. Two great examples of baroque sacred music are J.S. Bach’s (1685-1750) Christmas Oratorio and George F. Handel’s (1685-1759) masterpiece, the oratorio, Messiah.  I wrote about these two in “Hallelujah – Christmas Music of Bach and Handel” in the December 2010 issue of “Notes on Key.”  These two works are quite lengthy with multiple sections relating many passages and stories from Biblical selections.

Secular:  White Christmas is an Irving Berlin song he wrote in 1940. After writing the song, Berlin told his secretary, “Grab your pen and take down this song  I just wrote, the best song I’ve ever written — heck, I just wrote the best song that anybody’s ever written!” According to the Guinness Book of World Records the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.

Song-writer, Johnny Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, recorded in 1949 by Gene Autry at the urging of Autry’s wife. The song was turned down by many musical artists afraid to contend with the legend of Santa Claus. The song sold over two million copies that year and became one of the best-selling recordings of all time, second only to Crosby’s White Christmas.

The popular Jingle Bells, originally titled One Horse Open Sleigh, was written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont. The song was meant for a Thanksgiving program at a church in Savannah, Georgia where Pierpont was organist.  It was so well liked that it was sung again on Christmas day and became the popular Christmas song it is today.

The singing of carols and caroling remains a favorite family tradition. Before radio and television families would gather together and sing their favorite Christmas carols.  Many modern families still carry on that great holiday tradition.

Christmas caroling is a wonderful and uplifting activity to engage in with other like-minded people. When caroling in neighborhoods it is not uncommon to have cookies, hot chocolate or hot cider offered to the carolers by the people being treated to the music. Many schools and churches have groups that go caroling every year. A favorite stop is at nursing homes or retirement centers – the people really enjoy the music and the singing often brings back memories of their youth and happy times.

Often the holidays become stressful and tedious with so many chores, to do—shopping, decorating, preparing for houseguests and many of other things—so, to relieve your tensions, turn on the radio, or play a CD of great holiday music. This will lift your spirits and help get the job at hand done in record time. Music is a balm to the mind, spirit and body. Not only during this holiday season but at anytime of the year

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net

Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.      

During the month of December, it is not at all uncommon to find the magazine universe well populated by holiday gift guides. Most readers understand that these are really supplemental advertising sections and that the term “guide,” while perhaps not altogether misleading, is here used most liberally.

Over the years we’ve included our share of these special ad sections—ones comprised of collections of bright, shiny objects and “unique” services — so this December we thought we’d do something different and dispense with the holiday gift guide concept altogether.

This year we have only two suggestions for your holiday shopping. First, consider a gift subscription to ALIVE Magazine. After all, if you enjoy reading ALIVE, isn’t it likely that someone you care about would too? Surely, someone you know loves music, so what could be better than Dr. Anderson’s “Notes on Key” column every month. And what about movie buffs? With Carolyn Hastings’ monthly reviews you’ll have that part of your gift list covered.

In fact, with Bertolero on gardening, Hirsch on sports, Hubinger on travel, Donaldson on cars, Fallon’s recipes, Rovner’s fashion tips, Grutzeck’s beauty advice, Tullis’ restaurant reviews, investment advice from Damien Couture and useful guidance on health and wellness from the likes of Trina Swerdlow and doctors Maimone, Brown and Davis, a subscription to ALIVE might be your “one size fits all” gift resource. And for those hard-to-buy-for folks on your list, ALIVE feature writers Mike Copeland, Bob Fish, Joe Redmond, Anita and Antonia Venezia, and Susan Wood provide an eclectic variety that is certain to be appreciated throughout the year.

Our other gift suggestion is to do your shopping at the fine businesses that advertise in ALIVE. Whether it be a business that offers a unique service, like Koko Fit Club in Danville or Celebration Salon; a leading retailer like Pattiv’s or Heller Jewelers ; a one-of-kind business like the Cotton Patch or Katrina Rozelle, or a mainstay service provider like Oak Park Auto Service or Advanced Laser, you’ll find something great that is sure to be long remembered after the holidays.

Whatever gifts you choose for others this holiday season, all of us here at ALIVE wish you and yours the very best in good health, joy and fulfillment, today and every day in the coming year.