As you prepare the tree, deck the hall, bake the
cookies, and wrap those special presents I invite you to fill the hall with
glorious Christmas music. With this
holiday comes traditions and history that date back before Christianity!
For instance, ancient Druids believed that
decorating their dwellings with holly would protect them from the rigors of
winter. The early Greeks and Romans sent holly boughs and gifts to their
friends as a token of their friendship. Consequently, today we enjoy the carol The
Holly and the Ivy as well as the joy of giving gifts.
Ancients held nature in great reverence. According
the Julian calendar, December 25 marked the winter solstice and was observed by
pagans as the birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Romans spent the last two
weeks of December paying tribute to Saturn, their god of agriculture. The
Teutonic tribes of Northern Europe feasted and drank in honor of the supreme
deity, Wodin, during “Yuletide.” Early Christians dovetailed these celebrations
and marked the evergreen as a symbol of ever-lasting life in the celebration of
Christ’s birth.[1]
The Christmas season brings the entire world together
with traditions coming from every corner:
Chestnuts from Great Britain, the Christmas tree from Germany, and the
crèche from Italy. And the songs have an equally varied historical basis: Jingle
Bells and We Three Kings of Orient
Are from the US, O Holy Night and The First Noel from France, What
Child is This? from England, Silent
Night from Austria. The list goes on and on. Take the time to explore your favorite carol.
Allow it to impact your love for the tune.
To add to the interest of the Christmas Carol Season
take your favorite carol’s melody and design a variety of interesting
accompaniments. Most carols use very
basic harmonic structure. Play around
with simple tonic and dominant harmonies with creative accompaniment patterns.
Enjoy a Merry Christmas with music as an integral
part of your preparations and celebration! For a little Christmas trivia fun
enjoy the following carol quiz.
1. Name the Christmas Carol that begins with a descending major scale.
2. Name the Christmas Carol that begins with an ascending major scale.
3. Name the carol that was first sung with guitar accompaniment because the organ was broken.
4. Name the Christmas character that was created as an advertisement for Montgomery Ward in 1939.
5. Name the carol that dates back to Henry VIII and is originally known as Greensleeves.
6. Name the carol that was composed for Sunday school students in Medford, Massachussetts in 1857.
7. Name the carol made written by a Jewish composer and made famous by Bing Crosby.
(Answers: 1. Joy to the World, 2. The First Noel, 3.
Silent Night, 4. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, 5. What Child is This?, 6.
Jingle Bells, 7. I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas)
