Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 23, 1995 TAG: 9511230011
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-6 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: CODY LOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
For most of us, however, the songs of the season seem to express the very heart of Christmas. Even those who are reticent for good reason about revealing their singing voices will join unashamedly in a chorus of "We Three Kings" or "Silent Night."
The catalog of Christmas songs is extensive and recordings seem endless. New songs are produced each year, both secular and religious, and a few more seem to be added to the list of standards each season.
While a comprehensive summary of all the favorites of the season is impossible here, following is background for some of the most popular religious carols and a few of the oldest secular pieces.
Angels We Have Heard on High. Traditional, French/English melody. Sometimes called the "Westminster Carol" because of its association with the Westminster Abbey Choir.
"Gloria in excelsis Deo" is Latin for "Glory to God in the highest."
Away in a Manger. Popularly attributed to Martin Luther. The Reformer's authorship is questioned by music historians today, yet its origins are not clear. One theory is that the song was written by Pennsylvania Lutherans in the first half of the 19th century. It was associated with a painting of Luther and his children at Christmas. The carol was published as early as 1885 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America, which did not attribute composition to anyone.
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus. Lyrics by Charles Wesley, 1744; tune "Hyfrydol" by Rowland Prichard, 1855.
Wesley - whose brother, John, was the founder of Methodism - was one of the most prolific Christian hymn writers. One of his earlier works, this was published with 23 others as "Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord." It didn't make the denomination's hymn book until 1875, when the tune it now follows had been added to it.
Deck the Halls. Traditional Welsh air. A favorite secular Christmas carol. The tune was once used by Mozart in a work for violin and piano. The line "Follow me in merry measure" indicates the singers were to dance as well.
The First Noel (or Nowell). Traditional. There is some disagreement whether this carol is English or French in origin. It dates to the 17th century.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. Traditional, English. This song fell out of favor with denominational hymn book revisers in the 1980s, largely because its lyrics were seen as irredeemably sexist. That seems to have had little effect on its popularity, despite several denominations' removing the song from their hymnals.
The first line is frequently misread since the comma often is omitted. It means "May God keep you merry, gentlemen." The song is mentioned in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" as particularly infuriating to Ebenezer Scrooge.
Good Christian Men, Rejoice. The song was written in a combination of Latin and German words. It was paraphrased in English in 1853 by John Mason Neale.
This hymn was slightly altered by some revisionists in recent years to read "Good Christian Folk, Rejoice" in the name of gender inclusivity.
Good King Wenceslas. Traditional Swedish melody, Bohemian story, English verse (by John Mason Neale). This is a dialogue between King Wenceslas of Bohemia and his page. Wenceslas was known for his kind heart and his generosity toward his people.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Charles Wesley words to a Felix Mendelssohn tune. The words were written a century before the current tune came into use in 1840. The first two lines originally read, "Hark! how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings." They were changed about 1850 to the current language.
Here We Come a-Wassailing. Traditional English. The wassail - which may come from Anglo-Saxon words meaning "Be in health" - was a drink made of mulled ale, eggs, curdled cream, apples, nuts and spices. The hot drink may have been taken door-to-door by young people who solicited gifts in exchange for a drink and a song.
The Holly and the Ivy. Traditional English words and French melody. Holly, an evergreen, was long used as a wintertime decoration. It sometimes is used to represent the crown of thorns Jesus is recorded as being forced to wear at the Crucifixion.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. Words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863; melody by J. Baptiste Calkin in 1872. Written a few months after the battle of Gettysburg, Longfellow's poem reflects the dark, uncertain mood of the Civil War. Yet, after despairing that "There is no peace on Earth, I said," it ends with the hopeful refrain, "The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on Earth, good will to men!"
I Saw Three Ships. Traditional English. A carol with Christ and Mary arriving by ship could only make sense coming in an island nation.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear. Lyrics by Edmund H. Sears, tune by R. Storrs Willis, 1850. One of a relatively few widely popular religious carols to come from the United States. This strongly Trinitarian account was written by a Unitarian minister.
Joy to the World. Lyrics by Isaac Watts in 1719, set to an arrangement of a Handel melody by Lowell Mason in 1830. Watts and Charles Wesley could share the title of "Greatest English hymn writers."
This hymn has been altered for many years by different denominations to reflect their own particular theology. The third stanza, referring to God's curse upon the Earth after the fall of Adam and Eve, is omitted in some versions. Other groups change "the Lord is come" to "the Lord will come."
Love Came Down at Christmas. Lyrics by Christina Rossetti in 1893, music by R.O. Morris in 1925. One of the last poems written by this Italian transplant to England.
O Christmas Tree. German folk song. This is an ancient tune - possibly from the Middle Ages. It is a more or less secular celebration of the evergreen, sometimes sung in German, "O Tannenbaum."
O Come, All Ye Faithful or Adeste Fideles. Latin hymn, 18th century. For such a widely sung and fairly recent carol, its history is cloudy. It is believed by some to have been written about 1745 by an Englishman who copied music for Roman Catholics in France. It is still sung in Latin and English versions in the United States and has been translated into 125 languages.
O Come, O Come, Emanuel. 12th century Latin words sung to 13th century plain song. This was originally a seven-verse composition written for use during vespers on the seven days before Christmas. The English translation has been shortened to six verses and is sung to a Gregorian melody.
O Little Town of Bethlehem. Lyrics by Phillips Brooks, music by Lewis Redner, 1868. Brooks was pastor, and Redner was organist at Holy Trinity (Episcopal) Church in Philadelphia when this song was written. Brooks, who was educated at Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria, had recently spent a year in the Holy Land and wrote a song about the place for the children of his church.
Silent Night, Holy Night. Lyrics by Joseph Mohr, music by Franz Gruber, Dec. 24, 1818. Perhaps the most popular Christmas carol of all, this one was written on short notice by an assistant Roman Catholic priest in the Austrian village of Oberndorf. The story is that when the church organ refused to work for a Christmas Eve service, Father Mohr wrote a substitute hymn that could be sung without the organ. He asked Gruber, the church organist, to come up with music for the guitar. Within 40 years, the song was being sung widely throughout Europe and, at first, was believed to be a folk song. Gruber later wrote a letter describing its origin.
We Three Kings. Lyrics and music by John Henry Hopkins Jr., 1857. Another American carol, this one was written by an Episcopal rector in Williamsport, Pa. It enhances the biblical account of the Wise Men who visited the baby Jesus. Each of the Wise Men sings a verse about his gift, and they all join in two verses of praise.
What Child Is This? Lyrics by William Chatterton Dix (late 1800, traditional English tune, "Greensleeves"). Dix was an insurance company manager. This song was set to an arrangement of an old English folk song that has been around at least since Shakespeare's time.
by CNB