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1961 Enjoy Music Kay Nelson

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Recommended Citation Nelson, Kay, "Enjoy Christmas Music" (1961). SDSU Extension Circulars. 615. http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/extension_circ/615

This Circular is brought to you for free and open access by the SDSU Extension at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in SDSU Extension Circulars by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EXTENSION CIRCULAR 597

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Enjoy Christmas Music

By MRS. KAY SHARP NELSON, Associate Specialist

Today it is hard to realize that The St. Nicholas figure, from Christmas was once a subject of which developed, was strenuous controversy. Its religious brought to the American colonies as observance was the source of bit- a mixed religious-folk figure. He ter denominational quarrels during had long been popular in several the seventeenth and eighteenth European countries. During the past centuries. Large groups of colonists 50 years Santa Claus has become a objected to Christmas at that time. symbol of charity and generosity. For the Church of England, the To children he expresses affection I Feast of the Nativity was one of the and devotion. He depicts the "spirit" most important of th~ year, yet the of Christmas. English condemned it. Christmas not only affects the Eventually attention turned to family unit internally but also re- the realm of economics and politics lates it to the community. Many so that religious controversies, in- families have developed their own cluding that of Christmas observ- personal traditions. They attend ance, became of less importance. church activities together; they The American Constitution estab- have special festive occasions; home lished separation of church and and tree decorations often repre- state and gradually opposition to sent certain incidents or memories Christmas disappeared. to cherish. The philosophy of "doing-for-others" grows stronger Sunday schools began to integ- at Christmas time. rate Christmas celebrations with those of religion. Finally in 1847 a POPULAR CHRISTMAS MUSIC Sonday school was set up in a New York City church Christmas in the past concerned where carols were sung, and aspects of religion and sect, but to- were provided for under-privileged day there is a new type of expres- children. By 1880 the religious sion for Christmas as well. This is significance of Christmas had im- termed "popular" in contrast to the proved in all Evangelical churches. serious because it seeks commercial Now Sunday schools support success by using themes and sym- Christmas widely as a religious and bols that are simple and liked by as a social observance by commem- many. It reveals the interrelations orating the Nativity with special between the festival and contemp- services and activities. orary life. 4 South Dakota Extension Service Circular 597 Our varied communications and recently. SoP1e are humorous and vast entertainment influence con- give novelty interest, while others siderably our modern _American will remain popular longer. Some life. Books, radio, TV, movies, examples are: comic strips, advertising in various forms, all are closely associated "White Christmas" with our way of life. The Christmas "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa theme has been used in all of these Claus" media in song, drama, poems, re- "" ligion, story, picture, and a bit of humor. "Christine the Christmas Tree" "This Christmas" Rudolph Becomes Popular The story of Rudolph the Red "All I Want for Christmas" ( Is Nosed , written in 1939.by My Two Front Teeth) Robert L. May, who was employed "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" in the advertising department of a "The Christmas Tree Angel" well-known mail-order house, shows the acceptance of "popular" expres- "Frosty the Snow Man" sion of Christmas. This animal story was written to distribute to the Bring Customs and Traditions branches of his firm as a "give- During the early Colonial per- away" during the Christmas of 1939. iod, the Dutch settlers of New York brought their many Christmas cus- Over 2,400,000 copies of the toms and traditions to America. St. first give-away edition were dis- Nicholas was one of them. In Hol- tributed that year. It reappeared in land and France he put his gifts in 1946. In 1949, com- the children's shoes. In England he posed the song, wliich quickly be- would fill the children's stockings came so popular. which hung by the fireplace. In Rudolph, rejected because of Germany and the Scandinavian his unusual large, shiny red nose, countries he would hide the gifts was discovered by Santa Claus, away for the children to find. who asked him to guide his other "Jolly Old " and reindeer and sleigh so that he was "Up On the House-Top" are two of able to complete his deliveries that the secular carols that tell us what foggy night before Christmas. His St. Nicholas ( or Santa Claus) does story has exemplified the fact that in America on . No he eventually found happiness definite date has been placed on through his tribulations and pre- the origin of these songs. viously thought handicap. Most of the songs mentioned Examples of have been written to appeal more A great deal of "popular music" to children rather than adults. They about Christmas has been written symbolize Christmas excitement, I

Enjoy Christmas Music .5 joy, and gifts rather than the subject the return of spring, or any other of Nativity, charity, family ties, or cheerful matter, and it was not un- human brotherhoo_d. til the end of the thirteenth or be- ginning of the fourteenth century CHRISTMAS AND CAROLS that the true religious carols were Though the novelty-type songs first heard. Carols were later ac- ;· have their place, remember that the cepted by the Church without the music that will remain with us con- dancing. sists of hymns and carols that each Dramatize Christmas Story year continue to appear. They are the ones that first come to mind In 1223 in Graecia, Italy, St. when we feel we want to express Francis of the could our sincere feelings at Christmas possibly be called the father of the time. They preserve the true mean- carol. He thought the Gospel mes- ing of Christmas and have followed sage had become so highly intel- through the lives of our people lectualized that it seemed inhuman from the Old Countries to America to an ordinary person. He wanted as we know it today. to create a better understanding of the meaning of the Incarnation. On Christmas hymns existed long Christmas Eve the members of his before carols, but these were state- ly verses that dealt with the parish were surprised to see the Christmas story dramatized. In a theological rather than the human manger scene were Joseph, Mary, aspect of the Incarnation. and the Child. Carols Differ from Hymns The formal, dogmatic methods Carols were not and never have had been replaced by a new spirit been hymns, though they are some- and interest in Christmas. This times confused with them. They are spread throughout Europe. St. not as solemn and stately as church Francis had given them a new hymns. Carols express the common meaning of Christmas. The singing emotions of Christmas joy in lan- of the carols denoting happiness guage and music which can be were then expressed with a spon- easily understood and enjoyed by taneous vigor that makes even the all. They. have alway.s been sung in oldest carol seem as modern and words th_at were sometimes merry alive today as it was when it was and sometim~s tender but always first sung long ago. simple and homey, set to lilting, "A way in the Manger" is one of happy tunes that suggest dance the carols that tenderly tells this rhythms rather than story. The "Creche," or hymns. Crib of St. Francis, is used frequent- The word "carol" originally ly in home and church today. meant a ring dance accompanied Happy people enjoy expressing by a song. Such dance songs were themselves by singing. By the fif- mainly secular in theme, concerned teenth century-especially in the with 'love and courtship, feasting, British Isles-groups of carolers 6 South Dakota Extension Service Circular 597 would go about offering a hot drink The melody for this poem was from the Bowl and a song, composed in 1872 by a popular Lon- in exchange for gifts. Wassail means don organist, J. Baptiste Calkin. "a pledge to good health." "Angels, From the Realms of "Here We Come A-Caroling" is Glory" was also first a poem which a very old English song, appeared on Christmas Eve, 1816, which originally · was "Here We in an English newspaper. James Montgomery, one of the best sacred Come A-Wassailing." This gay, poets of England, was described by rolicking old song is ever popular Lord Byron as being "a man of con- among the carol~rs of today. siderable genius." Over one hun. "God Rest You Merry, Gentle- dred of Montgomery's hymns are men" is the most popular Christmas still in use. carol in England. ( Its meaning is In 1867 Henry T. Smart, a mem- best understood when the comma ber of a prominent musical family of the title is in the correct place- of England, composed the melody after "merry.") This song of "good for this Christmas during the will to all" has a feeling of recita- latter part of his life, while he was tion, similar to that of the old folk almost blind. songs. It is written in the minor key is and is easy to sing. The same chorus "O Come, All Ye Faithful" traced back to France in about is repeatedly sung with all verses, 1700, where it was often used as a adding emphasis to the wish for "comfort and joy." processional hymn by religious or- ders on their way to sancturies for "I Heard the Bells on Mass. It was also com- Day" was first . a poem, written by monly used in England. There are Henry W. Longfellow in 1863, giv- various theories concerning the ing expression of millions of weary origin of this song. There are many hearts in America during the Civil translations from the original Latin War. This made it possible to in- ( Adeste Fideles ), but there is no clude Longfellow a m o n g our question that it has always been a Christmas hymn writers. favorite in America. It is also surig At one time almost every par- to the words "How Firm a Foun- ish had its hand-bell ringers, who dation." This song has been tranlat- would sound out the old tunes as ed into 119 languages and dialects they were sung by the carolers, or and is considered one of the great- accompanied the Christmas hymns est hymns ever written. in church. Bell music is still an im- "" is a true folk- portant part of the English Christ- song, having traditional words and mas, but today is associated more music. The tune of this song is very with the pealing of church bells simple with its three-time repeat of than the more gentle notes of hand an eight-measure theme, but it is bells. not monotonous. One never grows tr, > f;

Enjoy Christmas Music 7 tired of this traditionally Christmas "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" story: "The First Noel" is claimed by was written by Charles Wesley, the both France and England. it ·was younger brother of John ( founder of commonly used in both countries in the Methodist Church), in 1739. It the seventeenth century. The word is said that he wrote over six thou- sand hymns and spiritual songs.His "noel" is derived from the Latin two greatest hymns are: " Lov- word, "natali~," meaning birth. er of My Soul" and "Hark! the Her- "O Christmas Tree!" ( 0 Tannen- ald Angels Sing." A melody that bat1m! ) is a very familiar melody in composed for a America. The tree became a part of cantata was eventually used for this the- Christian symbol during the carol as we know it today. time of Luther. It is evergreen, re- "O Little Town of " presenting Christ, ever-living and is one of the most popular carols of eternally the same. Germany con- American origin. The words of this siders this old folk-tune as popular song resulted from an experience as their Stille Nacht. Phillips Brooks, of Philadelphia, " of Orient Are" had while walking on the starlit hills is an American carol. Reverend of Palestine one night arid gazed John Henry Hopkins, Jr., rector of over the hills to see the little town of Christ's Church, Williamsport, Pa., Bethlehem nestled in between these composed both words and music in hills. He wrote the poem for the 1857. This carol is also background children of his Sunday School. The music for the custom of dramatiz- music for this poem was written by ing the story of , Lewis Redner, who was organist who carried gold, frankincense, and and superintendent of the Sunday myrrh to the Christ Child. School at Holy Trinity Church of Philadelphia, where Brooks was "Deck the Hall" is an old tradi- rector. The love for children was tional song from Wales, which has the incentive for both poet and no reference to the Nativity, but the musician to compile this carol. words tell us much about the cus- toms ~any centuries before the Brit- "" was written under ish Isles were Christianized. A win- interesting cirG_umstances. On ter festival called "" was a jolly Christmas Eve, 1818, the organ of season that started by bringing in St. Nicholas Church, Oberndorf, a large to be burned. Elab- Bavaria, was in need of repair. orate decorating of the home, sing- Oberndorf was snowbound, and ing and dancing, generous feasting, there was no repairman for miles and drinking from the Wassail Bowl around. took place. As a result this song is What about special music for jolly with a lilting rhythm for danc- the Christmas service? Franz Grub- ing. It is one of the best known of er, church organist, and his friend the secular carols and very popular Joesph Mohr, vicar of the church, in English-speaking countries. decided that a new song might be 8 South Dakota Extension Service Circular 597 helpful in the emergency. Gruber a ·collection of hymns and para- composed the music after Mohr phrases based on the Psalms, and wrote the lovely verses of "Stille this hymn was based on the 98th N acht" ( Silent Night). Psalm. Dr. Watts has justly been It lost its identity for a time as it called the father of English hym- rapidly traveled about and fi_nally nody, and shares with Charles found its way across the ocean to Wesley the ,distinction of being the America through a group of Tyro- greatest of English hymn writers. lean singers. The very simplicity of More than four hundred of his this song and the tranquil beauty of hymns are in common use in Eng- its music seem to accent the atmos- lish-speaking countries. phere of the humble manger-birth. The first tune by Dr. Edward It is now one of the universal favor- Hodges, was replaced by Lowell ites and has been translated into Mason's adaptation of Handel's more than ninety different lan- "Antioch" from the , which guages and dialects. has become the standard setting for this hymn. It is not only well suited "" was includ- to be used as a church hymn, but is ed in ' publication of the also very effective for outdoor carol- "Psalms of David" in 1719. This was ing.

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