Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Monday, November 30, 2015

Holiday music...now that we're past Thanksgiving, Christmas music is in full swing all over the place. Does it ever get tiring? Could you listen to it all year long, or are you glad when it's over?





There are so many Christmas carols. Musicians are constantly trying to broadcast their own version of old songs at Christmas. An English folk song called “I Saw Three Ships” has a interesting story. It was created by wandering Musicians of the time. The three ships were allegedly carrying the skulls of the three wise men to a Cathedral in cologne, Germany.

I Saw Three Ships

I saw three ship come sailing in,
on Christmas day on Christmas day.
I saw three ship come sailing in,
on Christmas Day in the morning. (Full lyrics are on the website, see below)

One of my first teachers on Classical Guitar told me most Christmas Carols cannot be played on Guitar. Silent Night was written by a Priest, Fr. Joseph Mohr, in Austria , 1816. He composed the melody with a guitar. This is a long story but the short version is, he wanted the village children to sing it at Midnight on Christmas Eve. When they were learning the song the organ broke down so they had to use guitar music to learn the song.

The earliest arrangement for this song still existing is for Guitar, with a date in 1820. The lyrics for this song have changed over the ages as well.

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night,
Bethlehem sleeps, yet what light,
Floats around the heavenly pair;
Songs of angels fills the air.
Strains of heavenly peace.

I found these interesting facts about Christmas Carols on

www.whyChristmas.com

There is also a good story there about the song “The 12 Days of Christmas”

Personally, I love to fill the house with Christmas Carols. It is a major part of the season for me. I have several CD’s that I like to use. I leave the season behind on the first day of each year. My Christmas tree goes up one or two days before Thanksgiving and I take it down on the first day of the year and pack it away. It is a tradition for me.

My Christmas music has a wide range of ethnic sounds. I like the new music I have found on Amazon and put it in my kindles and on my computer. Enya has some sounds I like for Christmas Music. Last year I found 20 songs by the Faith Singers and Orchestra. I also added Finally Home for Christmas by the Blue Sky Riders; Into the Silent Night/the EP by For King & Country. I try to add something new each year. This year I am going to insist on a CD copy of what ever I get. I don’t like the thought that without a hard copy I might lose some music. I wonder what I will find for the season this year.
I don’t ever get tired of the Christmas music but I save it for the season and don’t listen to it all year long.

Christmas Peace to you!!