Christmas Music!

I thought I would share a few of my most favorite Christmas tunes with all of you. This time of year is the only time you are allowed to sing these songs, and the air is filled with happiness, hope and love. Feeling the cheese yet? First of all you should know I am not a musical person. I can read music... sometimes. And although I took piano for years I still kind of loath the instrument (it has it in for me). But I thought it would be fun to do some research on my favorite tunes and find out where they came from! Excited (maybe just us history nerds)? Here we go!

p.s. These are not in any particular order... how do you choose anyway?

1. Coventry Carol

Why I love it:
I have this thing for haunting music. Whenever I got to choose what to play for the piano recitals, I would listen for the spookiest one. This song is amazingly hauting, but sadly hardly anyone knows about it.

Research:
Looking at Wikipedia and other totally "reliable" sources I found out that this song has some crazy history. It is probably the oldest Christmas song out there, dating back to 1591! Sung in medival times not as a Christmas song at first, but as part of a Christian play for peasants. The lyrics are about King Herod and his genocide of male infants when Christ's birth was prophesied:
Ancient Text:
Lully lulla, thow littell tine child,
By, by, lully lullay, thow littell tyne child,
By, by, lully lullay!

O sisters too, How may we do
For to preserve this day
This pore yongling, For whom we do singe
By, by, lully, lullay?

Herod, the king, In his raging,
Chargid he hath this day
His men of might In his owne sight
All yonge children to slay

That wo is me, Pore child, for thee,
And ever morne and [may]
For thi parting Neither say nor singe,
By, by, lully, lullay.

2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (this video is so cute! haha what is it with me and chiors?)

Why I love it:
It is easy to sing along to, and it gives this old cheery image in my mind of old gentlemen in Charles Dickens' time sharing some figgy pudding.

Research:
The material on this song was sort of weird. It was first published in 1833 and no one really knows who wrote it. According to Wikipedia they used "ye" incorrectly and is probably just to make the song sound older and more quaint. And apparently Charles Dickens did quote it in his novel A Christmas Carol: "...at the first sound of — 'God bless you, merry gentlemen! May nothing you dismay!'— Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action, that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost."

*Also this version rocks!

3. O Come, All Ye Faithful

Why I love it:
This one has a story. I went through a scrooge stage myself (angstyteenyearscough*) and I found myself thinking that if I heard "Here Comes Santa Claus" or "Silver Bells" one more time I was going to poke my eye out! Then one day I was listening to this version of this song by Nat King Cole and suddenly I was struck with the true meaning of Christmas. It was truly my Grinch moment!

Research:
This song was first written by John Francis Wade in latin as "Adeste Fideles". We sing the English version translated by a Roman Catholic preist Frederick Oakeley. There wasn't a lot of interesting stuff on this one, but it sure is a wonderful song.

4. White Christmas

Why I love it:
Basically I love this song because of the movie. Kath can testify that we do indeed watch it every year. I think I have the entire movie memorized. And with Bing's sultry voice, nothing compares:) What is so great about this movie is that it literally has almost nothing to do with Christmas at all until the very end! hahaha.

Research:
Written by Irving Berlin, the song sung by Bing Crosby exploded on music charts all over at the time. The song even let Crosby reach the black audience for the first time. And the movie was the highest grossing film in 1954! The link shows the very famous ending scene from the movie:)

5. Jolly Old St. Nicholas (you'll enjoy this I promise)

Why I love it:
This is a tribute to my childhood. For some reason this was my very favorite Christmas song as a kid. Who knows why... I was a weird one.

Research:
Baisically there was some dispute to who actually wrote it... Shocker.
Here are the lyrics. They make me laugh, because I still remember envisioning talking in Santa's ear like they do in the movies.

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas,
Lean your ear this way;
Don't you tell a single soul
What I'm going to say,

Christmas Eve is coming soon;
Now you dear old man,
Whisper what you'll bring to me;
Tell me if you can.
When the clock is striking twelve,
When I'm fast asleep,
Down the chimney broad and black

With your pack you'll creep;
All the stockings you will find
Hanging in a row;
Mine will be the shortest one;
You'll be sure to know. (Or, in some versions: "Mended at the toe.")

Johnny wants a pair of skates;
Susy wants a dolly;
Nellie wants a story book--
She thinks dolls are folly; (Or, in some versions: "She thinks they are jolly.")

As for me, my little brain
Isn't very bright;
Choose for me, old Santa Claus.
What you think is right.

The End!