History of Christmas Carols

[pam]

I think it's interesting to learn history about music and especially Christmas Carols. What inspired the artists to write the music.

My favorite Christmas song of all is "Oh Holy Night"

"O Holy Night" ("Cantique de Noël") is a well-known Christmas Carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877), a wine merchant and poet. Cappeau was asked to write a Christmas poem by a parish priest. It has become a standard modern carol for solo performance with an operatic finish.

In the carol, the singer recalls the birth of Jesus. It was translated into English by Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight's Journal of Music in 1855, and lyrics also exist in other languages.

On December 24, 1906 Reginal Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, broadcast the first AM radio program, which included him playing "O Holy Night" on the violin. The carol therefore appears to have been the first piece of music to be broadcast on radio. It later appeared in an edition of carols by Josiah Armes, published by Oxford in 1936, subsequently increasing its popularity.

What is the history of your favorite Christmas carol?

[beefche]

You already gave the history of my favorite carol.

My work is done.

[beefche]

I'll give the history of another favorite.

I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day--words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Written as the poem "Christmas Bells" on Christmas Day in 1864 during the American Civil War. Longfellow had just received word that his son was wounded in battle. He had lost his wife 2 years earlier and felt despair over his loss.

The first tune the poem was placed was a tune by John Baptiste Calkin (tune name is Waltham). This is the tune that I like the most.

I love the words to this poem and absolutely hate it when we sing it in church and conductors stop after the 3rd verse.

[pam]

You already gave the history of my favorite carol.

My work is done.

Beefche I just love ya. You always brighten up my day. :)

[Moksha]

Pam, it sounds like you have a wonderful memory.

[beefche]

Beefche I just love ya. You always brighten up my day. :)

It's the tongue. You can't help but be mesmerized or tickled by it.

[pam]

Pam, it sounds like you have a wonderful memory.

Hey watch it bucko.

[pam]

Iggy gave me this one on another thread.

From Wikkipeadea: Do You Hear What I Hear? - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a Christmas song written in October 1962 with lyrics by Noel Regney and music written by Gloria Shayne Baker.[1] "Do You Hear What I Hear?" was written by Regney and Baker, who were married at the time, as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis.Since it was first written "Do You Hear What I Hear?" has sold tens of millions of copies and has been covered by hundreds of different artists.

[pam]

Deck the Halls! The music to Deck the Halls is believed to Welsh in origin and was reputed to have come from a tune called "Nos Galan" dating back to the sixteenth century. In the eighteenth century Mozart used the tune to Deck the Halls for a violin and piano duet J.P. McCaskey is sometimes credited with the lyrics of Deck the Halls but he only edited the Franklin Square Song Collection in which the lyrics were first published. The first publication date of Deck the Halls is 1881. The author is unknown but the words are said to originate in America.

[pam]

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,

Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today.

[Hemidakota]

Now that was interesting to know.

[Hemidakota]

When I hear Christmas carols or something that is related this old poem from Elder Featherstone:

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

[beefche]

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,

Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today.

So, ceebo has been holding out on us? He understands this song and never let us know the deeper meaning?

[pushka]

So, ceebo has been holding out on us? He understands this song and never let us know the deeper meaning?

So did Pam receive the same email that I did this week, explaining the hidden meaning behind the 12 Days of Christmas? I was just waiting to post that, lol :)

[pushka]

I've just discovered this site which not only gives the stories behind 3 popular carols, but gives an overview of the history of carols/carol singing over the centuries...very interesting :)

Some Stories behind Christmas Carols -- Christmas Customs and Traditions -- whychristmas?com

[ADoyle90815]

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness,

Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today.

I hate to do this, but that's actually snopes.com: The Twelve Days of Christmas false.

[pam]

Darn it. I usually check these things out too. Well it made for a great story anyway. Well I've been publicly embarrassed. lol Won't be the first time and probably won't be the last.

Edited December 25, 2008 by pam