Tag Archives: Christmas

Antidote for “Carol of the Bells”

Updated on December 21, 2012 by Elena Greene

Susanna Fraser was scheduled to post today but she is in deep deadline frenzy, making sure her new book, A Dream Defiant (coming in July, 2013) is the best it can be before delivering to her editor. Apparently, no one told her the world was ending today.

Just in case we are all still here, I’m sharing a little holiday rant.

I am sick of hearing “Carol of the Bells” used to sell stuff. I have heard it sung in different variations with banal commercial lyrics, barked by dogs, honked with car horns, hammered and buzzed with power tools. I used to like it but now I think I need a very long break before I can hear it again without gritting my teeth. For me, it has come to embody the commercialism of the season: the message that you can buy happiness and that Christmas is wonderful for everyone, when we all know there are people for whom it is a difficult time.

When holidays get too stressful or commercial for me, I listen to early Christmas music. It takes me into an earlier time and to a more peaceful place in my soul. This is music that doesn’t deny that there is suffering in the world but instead offers a sense of enduring beauty and goodness.

So yesterday, I happily spent some time searching around YouTube for some examples to share.

The first is from one of my favorites: the renowned women’s a capella group, Anonymous 4. It’s the Alleluia: “A Nywe Werke” (15th century English).

The next is a version of “Gaudete” performed by a youth choir from Harrogate, England. It’s very sweet and lovingly done.

I first heard “Riu riu chiu”, a 16th century Spanish villancico (a type of popular song), performed by the local Madrigal Choir of Binghamton. When I searched for this carol on YouTube I discovered that the Monkees had performed it in 1967! I clicked on it and, well, see for yourself.

So how about you? If you need to de-stress during the holidays, how do you do it? What is your favorite holiday music? Does anyone else think we need a break from “Carol of the Bells”?

Elena

Listen to Christmas

Updated on December 22, 2011 by Janet Mullany

Mostly videos today, something to put you in the Christmas spirit, and I want to share with you some of my favorite Christmas music.

First, here’s a new favorite, a Winter Solstice piece–thanks to Jane George for directing me to this.

Moving on to something entirely different and not necessarily anything to do with winter or Christmas, and from one of the all time flops of the big screen, a dance scene from Becoming Jane. (It’s the season for parties, after all!) I think this is so brilliantly done because the expressions and gestures tell us so much about the relationships:

But moving a little toward Christmas now, here’s Steeleye Span performing Gaudete (rejoice), a medieval plainchant. I’ve been a fan of this group for, uh, a very long time:

What would Christmas be without the Messiah? I always try to get to a live performance although I think this year I’m not going to make one. I’m torn between the Messiah performing style I grew up with, featuring a huge local choir, and the original instrument/performance practice approach I now prefer. So here’s Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge (all boys club!) a reconstruction of the 1752 version.

And now it’s time to make you cry. First, John McCutcheon, Christmas in the Trenches. (It’s all true!) Listen to what he says at the beginning about this “story that needs to be told 365 days a year”–and may all our loved ones come home safely.

Finally, what for me is the ultimate tearjerker, the December 24 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, the Choir of King’s College Cambridge again–this is the beginning of the 2010 service. It always starts with the treble solo singing Once in Royal David’s City, and is broadcast live worldwide. Check out American Public Radio for the time in your area. There’s a wonderful shot of the vaulted ceiling and windows of the Chapel at about 1:20 in.

Hope you like these. What are your Christmas sounds?

Happy holidays, everyone.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Becoming Jane, Christmas, John McCutcheon, Kings College, solstice | 8 Replies

Carols and Winners!

Updated on December 3, 2011 by Elena Greene

In the past, I’ve taken the Unplug the Christmas Machine workshop, designed to help people focus on what is personally meaningful during the holidays, rather than burn out trying to do it all. For me, music is essential. Last week, I attended the “Lessons and Carols” concert with our local Madrigal Choir, who often perform older, less well known carols. If like me, you are tired of “Carol of the Bells” being used to sell cars and electronic gadgets, you might want to check out some of these videos for a taste of an earlier, less commercialized Christmas.

The first Christmas carols to appear in English were in a 1426 work by John Awdley, who listed 25 “caroles of Cristemas”. Carols were sung by wassailers who went from house to house and also as part of mystery plays. The carols were often only loosely based on the Christmas story and considered entertainment more than a religious practice.

Here’s an example, “The Cherry Tree/10 Joys of Mary” performed by Nowell Sing We Clear, a group devoted to preserving these early Christmas carols. I’ve seen them and they put on a great show.

Here is a performance of the Coventry Carol by the Westminster Cathedral Choir. This is part of a 16th century mystery play, depicting the Massacre of the Innocents when Herod ordered all male infants in Bethlehem to be killed. It makes me cry, but I believe stories like these are an important reminder to be compassionate during this season.

Cromwell and the Puritans tried to suppress the singing of carols, but not surprisingly, did not succeed. Carol singing survived into “our” period and carols continued to be composed and recorded. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” was first listed in a 1760 broadsheet and is probably older than that. Here’s a performance at King’s College, Cambridge.

By the Regency, many Christmas customs were considered rustic and weren’t practiced by the upper classes. Our Regency romance characters gathering around a Christmas tree to sing carols, though not impossible, wouldn’t have been the common thing. While Queen Charlotte did have a Christmas tree at Windsor in 1800, that custom and the singing of carols (especially in church) were more a Victorian thing.

But the process did begin during the Regency. Already, some people longed for simpler, bygone traditions. Some began to create collections of Christmas carols, Davies Gilbert with “Christmas Carols” published in 1822 and William Sandys with “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern” published in 1833. During that period and later, old carols were revived and many new ones composed.

Here’s “Gaudete” performed by the John Brown University Cathedral Choir. “Gaudete” is from “Piae Cantiones”, a compilation of Finnish and Swedish sacred songs which was published in 1582 but only came to England in 1853. So it’s not Regency at all but I’m including it because I love it!

Another favorite of mine is “Masters in this Hall”. I thought it was older, being fooled by the fact that it is based on an old French dance tune, but the lyrics were written by William Morris in 1860.

What do you think of these? What are your favorite carols? How do you try to “unplug” Christmas?

And congratulations to the following winners of the Kindle ebook of THE INCORRIGIBLE LADY CATHERINE. Please send your email address, and if you wish, the email address of a friend who might enjoy a copy, to elena @ elenagreene.com (no spaces).

Jacqueline Seewald

Keira Soleore

Margay

Shelley Munro

librarypat

Happy holidays!

Elena
www.elenagreene.com
www.facebook.com/ElenaGreene

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas, Christmas carols, Unplug the Christmas Machine | 7 Replies

Merry Christmas, Baby!

Updated on December 24, 2010 by megan

This is one of the prettiest versions of this song I’ve heard yet.

I hope everyone has the happiest, riskiest of holidays!

I was hoping to find a picture of a cute guy wearing a Santa hat, but all the pix I found were . . . sleazy. So, rats. Oh, wait, another fun Christmas song, this one brand new this year, depicting Santa as a bit of a rake:

See you all next week!

Megan

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas, Megan | 5 Replies

Let it snow or, you know, not. Plus doorknobs

Updated on December 22, 2010 by carolyn

First off, Happy Holidays from Risky Carolyn!

Here’s something I didn’t know, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas.

Transcript
Report sent to S[i]r Hen[ry] Mildmay
The Councell haveing received severall Informations that there was avery wilfull & strict observation of the day com[m]only called Christmasse day throughout the Cittyes of London & Westm[inster] by agenerall keeping of their shops shut up and that there were Contemptuous speeches used by some in favour thereof, which the Councell conceiveing to be upon the old grounds of superstition and malignancy and tending to the avowing of the same and Contempt of the present Lawes and governm[en]t have thought fit that the Parlam[en]t be moved to take the same into Consideration for such further provisions and penaltyes for the abolishing & punishing of those old superstitions observations and meeting w[i]th such malicious contradiction of offenders in that behalfe as their wisedomes shall iudge fit, They have likewise received informations of frequent resort unto and exerciseing of the idolatrous masse in severall places to the great dishono[u]r of Almightie God, notorious breach of the lawes and scandal of the governm[en]t wherein according to notice given they have already taken some Course and desire the parlam[en]t will be pleased to take that matter alsoe into their Consideration for further remedies & suppression of that Idolatrie in such way as to them shall seeme meet.

That it be likewise reported to the Parl[amen]t that the Councell is informed that there are still remaining the Armes and pictures of the late King in severall Churches Halls, upon the Gates and in other publique places of the Citty of London

That the parl[amen]t bee moved to appoint whom they shall thinke fitt to see the same armes & pictures taken downe and defaced and to give an Account of their executing the same w[i]thin such tyme as they shall thinke fit to allow for that purpose

And S[i]r Henry Mildmay is desired to make this report

Celebrate as you see fit. Christmas, I heard the other day, is celebrated by 80% of Americans regardless of any religious beliefs about God or men in red suits. In other words, a number of us are celebrating a very pagan Christmas. To me, that’s a fine meaning of Christmas. Buying presents for people you love, doing nice things, saying Happy Holidays! or Merry Christmas! and meaning it. And eating cookies and other goodies.

Doorknob News

In doorknob news, the Doorknob man did email me back and he pointed me in the direction of some astonishingly fantastic resources, including dates and pictures.

Doorknobs as we know them (the turning kind) did NOT exist in the Regency. A latch type door, which was the most common sort, could (and often did!) have what looked pretty much exactly like a doorknob. Only it was push/pull to open/close the door, not a knob that turned.

This means my hero and heroine can, indeed, have a door hardware malfunction. Is that awesome or what?

Traditions

Speaking of Christmas and traditions that Oliver Cromwell failed to stamp out, we have a fairly recent tradition in our family, which is the gift exchange involving EVERYONE and is in addition to any other gifting that may go on, in which everyone buys a gift for no more than $15, and then we do that gift stealing round robin thing. It’s much fun and involves a great deal of plotting and trading and backroom deals, as well as a great deal of thought about what gift to bring. The gifts are anonymous, of course.

Afterward there is often spirited trading.

Do you have a family tradition? Share in the comments.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas, Doorknobs, The Original Grinch | 5 Replies