Do You Know How Your Christmas Carols Came About?
JINGLE BELL ROCK
Every holiday season since 1957 - the year Decca Records released the hit with crooner Bobby Helms singing the bouncy lyrics and Hank Garland on the happy guitar - "Jingle Bell Rock" has been a Christmas chestnut. Considering the song's success, one might assume its authors celebrate the holiday season with years of fat royalties. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, songwriter Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland, now an Orange Park, Fla., resident, claims that Decca Records stole "Jingle Bell Rock" and the profits it generated from him and Bobby Helms. To this day, Garland hasn't received a penny of ownership royalties.
DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?
Noel Regney wrote the seasonal standard with Gloria Shayne, then his wife, in 1962. It was recorded by Bing Crosby and Perry Como, among others, in more than 120 versions, in musical styles ranging from jazz and New Age to funk and reggae. But Mr. Regney wrote it as a clear and plaintive plea for peace at the time of the Cuban missile crisis, in October 1962. His favorite version was Robert Goulet's. When Mr. Goulet came to the line "Pray for peace, people, everywhere," he almost shouted the words. "I am amazed that people can think they know the song - and not know it is a prayer for peace," Mr. Regney said in an interview in The New YorkRadio France.
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.
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
The heart warming Christmas song Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas was first published in 1943 and was immortalized by Judy Garland when she sang this song to Margaret O'Brien and brought tears to the eyes of the audience. The lyricist was Ralph Blane and the haunting music was composed by Hugh Martin. It is undoubtedly one of the saddest Christmas songs of the century.
THE CHRISTMAS WALTZ
The Christmas Waltz' s words and music were written by Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne It was recorded by The Carpenters in 1978. This lesser known Christmas standard has actually been performed quite a bit over the years. This is easily the song most likely to get hummed around the office.
THE ROCKING CAROL
This carol is of Czech origin. It was collected in the early 1920 by a Miss Jacubickova as 'Hajej, nynjej' and translated (very loosely) by Percy Dearmer, for The Oxford Book of Carols in 1928. Dearmer was a clergyman and socialist with a keen interest in contemporary concerns, social gospel and rescuing neglected English carols and introducing European carols. The final line of Dearmers's version has not appealed to everyone, and some have sought to change it, e.g. to 'Son of God and Son of Man.' The tune for the carol has a close resemblance to that of another traditional lullaby, 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star', and it is possible that this carol originally accompanied cradle rocking, a custom which began in German churches in medieval times and spread from there across Europe. The carol was popularised in the English speaking world by a recording made in the 1960s by Julie Andrews.
ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH
Angels We Have Heard on High" is an anonymous French carol that was first published in Nouveau recueil de cantiques, 1855. Many years ago, shepherds tending their flocks in the wintry hills of southern France had a custom of calling to one another on Christmas Eve, each from his own peak, singing "Gloria in excelsis Deo, gloria in excelsis Deo," just as the angels might have first announced the birth of Christ. The traditional tune the shepherds used, probably from a late Medieval Latin chorale, is the refrain of the angels We Have Heard on High.
The music for the verse probably 18th century-comes from a different source (a popular tune of the time), as does the text itself, a translation of the old French carol "Les Anges dans nos Campagnes." They were first published together in a carol collection dated 1855.
JINGLE BELLS
Believe it or not Jingle Bells, one of the most popular and well-known American Christmas songs, was actually written for Thanksgiving! A minister named James Pierpoint was the author and composer of Jingle Bells, he wrote it in 1785 for the children celebrating Thanksgiving in his Boston Sunday School. The song was so well-received that they song it again at Christmas, and indeed Jingle Bells has been repeated ever since. The sound effects of using the bells with the song have come to represent sleigh bells and reindeers to the delight of children of all ages!
THE FIRST NOWELL
"There are some carols whose authors remain unknown, as anonymous but beloved as the shepherds in the Christmas story. Even the word "Noel" has debatable origins, making this carol all the more intriguing. "Noel" a French word, and has come to mean either "Christmas" or "carol." In this particular carol, it is used as a shout of joy at the birth of baby Jesus. It probably is derived from the Latin word "natalis" meaning "birth." When the word found its way to England, it was spelled "nowell" and came to mean "Now all is well," because that is what the angels told the shepherds, when Christ was born. The music is assumed to be from a French or English medieval shepherd's tune.
ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY
Writer James Montgomery was considered something of a radical in his time, twice put in jail over editorial opinions expressed in his newspaper in Sheffield, England. The son of Moravian missionaries, he was a devout Christian, and created nearly four hundred hymns while being an active participant in political and community affairs. On Christmas Eve in 1816, he printed the words to this carol in his newspaper, perhaps the most beautiful and least controversial "editorial opinion" he ever wrote.
The poem was published in a collection three years later. It eventually was set to a melody by the blind composer and organinst Henry Smart.
THE CHRISTMAS SONG
"This song, which was first recorded by Nat King Cole in 1947, was actually written by composer Mel Torme due to an inspiration of friend and lyricist Robert Wells on a sweltering summer's day. He had written a few lines in pencil on a spiral pad: Chestnuts roasting ... Jack Frost nipping ... Yuletide carols ... Folks dressed up like Eskimos. Bob didn't think he was writing a song lyric, he said he thought if he could immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written. Torme wrote all the music and some of the lyrics."
CAROL OF THE BELLS
The tune for this carol was written by Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovich (1877-1921) and was based on an old Ukrainian melody. There is a legend that at the stroke of midnight on the evening when Jesus was born all the bells on earth suddenly began pealing joyously together of their own accord-and there was never a sound like it for majesty and grandeur. "Carol of the Bells," based on an old Ukrainian motif, probably springs from that legend, as it tells of the "sweet silver bells" that pealed joyously in unison. Traditionally, the "Carol o/the Bells" is sung quietly in the beginning, grows louder and ever louder as each voice adds to the tintinnabulation, and finally dies away to a pianissimo as the pealing gradually ceases.
GOD REST YE MERRY, GENTLEMEN
The origin of the carol is a mystery; some say that it is from Cornwall, England. There are many various versions, some of are dated all the way back to the 15th century. Even though it was written in a minor key, this song still exudes Christmas joy, and is happy and triumphant. The music was written by Sir John Stainer, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" was typically the first carol heard on the streets of London at Christmas time. It is believed that this particular carol was sung to the gentry by town watchmen who earned additional money during the Christmas season. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen continues to be enjoyed. It one of the oldest carols yet one of favorite among jazz musicians.
COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS
Charles Wesley wrote our Christmas hymn, "Come, Thou, Long-Expected Jesus." He also wrote 17 other Christmas carols. He did not want to just paint a picture of Jesus in the manger; he wanted the entire Christmas story to have a personal application. Wesley wanted to impress God's people that Jesus is not only the "desire of every nation" but should be the personal "joy of every longing heart." We also know that Jesus has the "government on his shoulders" but he was born to reign personally "in us.".
GOOD KING WENCESLAS
This Christmas carol is unusual as there is no reference in the lyrics to the nativity. Good King Wenceslas was the king of Bohemia in the 10th century. Good King Wenceslas was a Catholic and is portrayed in an almost saintly vein because of his charitable attempts to give food to the poor. The saint referred to in Good King Wenceslas is St. Stephen whose feast day was celebrated on 26th December which explains why this song is performed as a Christmas carol
I SAW THREE SHIPS
The origins of this song are unknown but it is believed to be an English carol from the Victorian era. The theme for I saw three ships is extremely optimistic and the repetition rate of the chorus lines of I saw three ships ensure that the carol will be well remembered. Christmas legends concerning ships probably had their origin among people of seafaring countries. The traditional English carol "I Saw Three Ships" describes the arrival at Bethlehem on Christmas morning of the ships bearing Jesus and Mary (the English in long-ago days may not have realized that Bethlehem is nowhere near the sea).
HERE WE COME A WASSAILING
"Wassailing" was the term used long ago in England for Christmas caroling. It was an old English custom that was used to toast neighbors to a long and healthy life. The custom of wassailing may go back to the 5th century, although the first mention in print was in 1140. In ages past, kings and cheiftains used to give gifts in Europe but in Iceland, this tradition with regular folk only started a 100 years ago.
Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/974536/history_of_some_wellloved_christmas.html?page=2&cat=74
JINGLE BELL ROCK
Every holiday season since 1957 - the year Decca Records released the hit with crooner Bobby Helms singing the bouncy lyrics and Hank Garland on the happy guitar - "Jingle Bell Rock" has been a Christmas chestnut. Considering the song's success, one might assume its authors celebrate the holiday season with years of fat royalties. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, songwriter Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland, now an Orange Park, Fla., resident, claims that Decca Records stole "Jingle Bell Rock" and the profits it generated from him and Bobby Helms. To this day, Garland hasn't received a penny of ownership royalties.
DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?
Noel Regney wrote the seasonal standard with Gloria Shayne, then his wife, in 1962. It was recorded by Bing Crosby and Perry Como, among others, in more than 120 versions, in musical styles ranging from jazz and New Age to funk and reggae. But Mr. Regney wrote it as a clear and plaintive plea for peace at the time of the Cuban missile crisis, in October 1962. His favorite version was Robert Goulet's. When Mr. Goulet came to the line "Pray for peace, people, everywhere," he almost shouted the words. "I am amazed that people can think they know the song - and not know it is a prayer for peace," Mr. Regney said in an interview in The New YorkRadio France.
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.
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
The heart warming Christmas song Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas was first published in 1943 and was immortalized by Judy Garland when she sang this song to Margaret O'Brien and brought tears to the eyes of the audience. The lyricist was Ralph Blane and the haunting music was composed by Hugh Martin. It is undoubtedly one of the saddest Christmas songs of the century.
THE CHRISTMAS WALTZ
The Christmas Waltz' s words and music were written by Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne It was recorded by The Carpenters in 1978. This lesser known Christmas standard has actually been performed quite a bit over the years. This is easily the song most likely to get hummed around the office.
THE ROCKING CAROL
This carol is of Czech origin. It was collected in the early 1920 by a Miss Jacubickova as 'Hajej, nynjej' and translated (very loosely) by Percy Dearmer, for The Oxford Book of Carols in 1928. Dearmer was a clergyman and socialist with a keen interest in contemporary concerns, social gospel and rescuing neglected English carols and introducing European carols. The final line of Dearmers's version has not appealed to everyone, and some have sought to change it, e.g. to 'Son of God and Son of Man.' The tune for the carol has a close resemblance to that of another traditional lullaby, 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star', and it is possible that this carol originally accompanied cradle rocking, a custom which began in German churches in medieval times and spread from there across Europe. The carol was popularised in the English speaking world by a recording made in the 1960s by Julie Andrews.
ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH
Angels We Have Heard on High" is an anonymous French carol that was first published in Nouveau recueil de cantiques, 1855. Many years ago, shepherds tending their flocks in the wintry hills of southern France had a custom of calling to one another on Christmas Eve, each from his own peak, singing "Gloria in excelsis Deo, gloria in excelsis Deo," just as the angels might have first announced the birth of Christ. The traditional tune the shepherds used, probably from a late Medieval Latin chorale, is the refrain of the angels We Have Heard on High.
The music for the verse probably 18th century-comes from a different source (a popular tune of the time), as does the text itself, a translation of the old French carol "Les Anges dans nos Campagnes." They were first published together in a carol collection dated 1855.
JINGLE BELLS
Believe it or not Jingle Bells, one of the most popular and well-known American Christmas songs, was actually written for Thanksgiving! A minister named James Pierpoint was the author and composer of Jingle Bells, he wrote it in 1785 for the children celebrating Thanksgiving in his Boston Sunday School. The song was so well-received that they song it again at Christmas, and indeed Jingle Bells has been repeated ever since. The sound effects of using the bells with the song have come to represent sleigh bells and reindeers to the delight of children of all ages!
THE FIRST NOWELL
"There are some carols whose authors remain unknown, as anonymous but beloved as the shepherds in the Christmas story. Even the word "Noel" has debatable origins, making this carol all the more intriguing. "Noel" a French word, and has come to mean either "Christmas" or "carol." In this particular carol, it is used as a shout of joy at the birth of baby Jesus. It probably is derived from the Latin word "natalis" meaning "birth." When the word found its way to England, it was spelled "nowell" and came to mean "Now all is well," because that is what the angels told the shepherds, when Christ was born. The music is assumed to be from a French or English medieval shepherd's tune.
ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY
Writer James Montgomery was considered something of a radical in his time, twice put in jail over editorial opinions expressed in his newspaper in Sheffield, England. The son of Moravian missionaries, he was a devout Christian, and created nearly four hundred hymns while being an active participant in political and community affairs. On Christmas Eve in 1816, he printed the words to this carol in his newspaper, perhaps the most beautiful and least controversial "editorial opinion" he ever wrote.
The poem was published in a collection three years later. It eventually was set to a melody by the blind composer and organinst Henry Smart.
THE CHRISTMAS SONG
"This song, which was first recorded by Nat King Cole in 1947, was actually written by composer Mel Torme due to an inspiration of friend and lyricist Robert Wells on a sweltering summer's day. He had written a few lines in pencil on a spiral pad: Chestnuts roasting ... Jack Frost nipping ... Yuletide carols ... Folks dressed up like Eskimos. Bob didn't think he was writing a song lyric, he said he thought if he could immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written. Torme wrote all the music and some of the lyrics."
CAROL OF THE BELLS
The tune for this carol was written by Mykola Dmytrovich Leontovich (1877-1921) and was based on an old Ukrainian melody. There is a legend that at the stroke of midnight on the evening when Jesus was born all the bells on earth suddenly began pealing joyously together of their own accord-and there was never a sound like it for majesty and grandeur. "Carol of the Bells," based on an old Ukrainian motif, probably springs from that legend, as it tells of the "sweet silver bells" that pealed joyously in unison. Traditionally, the "Carol o/the Bells" is sung quietly in the beginning, grows louder and ever louder as each voice adds to the tintinnabulation, and finally dies away to a pianissimo as the pealing gradually ceases.
GOD REST YE MERRY, GENTLEMEN
The origin of the carol is a mystery; some say that it is from Cornwall, England. There are many various versions, some of are dated all the way back to the 15th century. Even though it was written in a minor key, this song still exudes Christmas joy, and is happy and triumphant. The music was written by Sir John Stainer, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" was typically the first carol heard on the streets of London at Christmas time. It is believed that this particular carol was sung to the gentry by town watchmen who earned additional money during the Christmas season. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen continues to be enjoyed. It one of the oldest carols yet one of favorite among jazz musicians.
COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS
Charles Wesley wrote our Christmas hymn, "Come, Thou, Long-Expected Jesus." He also wrote 17 other Christmas carols. He did not want to just paint a picture of Jesus in the manger; he wanted the entire Christmas story to have a personal application. Wesley wanted to impress God's people that Jesus is not only the "desire of every nation" but should be the personal "joy of every longing heart." We also know that Jesus has the "government on his shoulders" but he was born to reign personally "in us.".
GOOD KING WENCESLAS
This Christmas carol is unusual as there is no reference in the lyrics to the nativity. Good King Wenceslas was the king of Bohemia in the 10th century. Good King Wenceslas was a Catholic and is portrayed in an almost saintly vein because of his charitable attempts to give food to the poor. The saint referred to in Good King Wenceslas is St. Stephen whose feast day was celebrated on 26th December which explains why this song is performed as a Christmas carol
I SAW THREE SHIPS
The origins of this song are unknown but it is believed to be an English carol from the Victorian era. The theme for I saw three ships is extremely optimistic and the repetition rate of the chorus lines of I saw three ships ensure that the carol will be well remembered. Christmas legends concerning ships probably had their origin among people of seafaring countries. The traditional English carol "I Saw Three Ships" describes the arrival at Bethlehem on Christmas morning of the ships bearing Jesus and Mary (the English in long-ago days may not have realized that Bethlehem is nowhere near the sea).
HERE WE COME A WASSAILING
"Wassailing" was the term used long ago in England for Christmas caroling. It was an old English custom that was used to toast neighbors to a long and healthy life. The custom of wassailing may go back to the 5th century, although the first mention in print was in 1140. In ages past, kings and cheiftains used to give gifts in Europe but in Iceland, this tradition with regular folk only started a 100 years ago.
Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/974536/history_of_some_wellloved_christmas.html?page=2&cat=74
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