News and Views » Christmas Music
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News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
Messiah (HWV 56) is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the Psalms. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.
Part II of the Messiah covers the Passion, death, resurrection, ascension, and the later spreading of the Gospel, concl ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
At Pender’s Holiday Concert 2022, Adolphe Adam’s “Oh Holy Night” was performed by Corinne Delaney, Soprano and Liz Eunji Moon on piano.
“O Holy Night” (“Cantique de Noël”) is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem “Minuit, chrétiens” (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau (1808–1877).
Cappeau, a wine merchant and poet, had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem. Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight’s Journal of Music, created a singing edition based on Cappeau’s French text in 1855.
In both the French o ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
Words and music by William Harold Neidlinger (1863-1924), circa 1890. Neidlinger was a composer, conductor, organist at St. Michael’s Church, New York City, and voice teacher, but his main interest was working with retarded children, and he founded a school for this purpose in East Orange, N.J. Originally published in 1912 in Neidlinger’s native Brooklyn, the song has been popular ever since, particularly as a baritone solo, since it shows off the voice quite well and is not difficult to sing.
1. In the little village of Bethlehem,
There lay a Child one day;
And the sky was bright with ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
What an uplifting flashmob!
Journey of Faith performed a Christmas “Flash Mob” at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach (CA) on December 18, 2010, much to the delight of local shoppers.
Thanks to all who participated. Merry Christmas everyone ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
Nativity set and sheet music for “Away in a Manger” are part of a photo illustration by Kathryn Price, United Methodist Communications.
As you turn the pages of The United Methodist Hymnal during December, often you will end up singing some of the most popular Christmas carols ever composed. Two favorites, “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” and “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” were written by Charles Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism.
United Methodist Discipleship Ministries provides an extensive History of Hymns, but here is a short compilation of some of the songs ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
Gesù Bambino by Pietro Yon has always had a place in my childhood memories since my church choir sang it every Christmas. Other than that, it didn’t seem to be too well known but this song has been turning up in piano books lately.
Gesù bambino was written in 1917. The melody was used by Frederick H. Martens in his English language carol “When Blossoms Flowered ‘mid the Snows”. The melody and lyrics of the chorus are derived from “Adeste Fideles” (O Come All Ye Faithful).
A piano version
Piano and Organ
Sung by David Archuleta and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
Brian Stevenson, the esteemed Director of Handbell Ministries at Pender United Methodist Church, brings a touch of celestial harmony to the holiday season with his exquisite harp performances. Stevenson, renowned for his musical prowess, transforms the harp strings into a cascade of festive melodies, enchanting audiences with his renditions.
His repertoire for the season is a delightful blend of classic and contemporary, featuring the joyful peals of “Ding Dong Merrily On High,” the celestial echoes of “Angels We Have Heard On High,” and the heartwarming strains of “Have Yourself A Merry Litt ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
“Good King Wenceslas” is a popular Christmas carol that tells a story of Good King Wenceslas braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king’s footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia or Svatý Václav in Czech (907–935).
In 1853, English hymnwriter John Mason Neale wrote the “Wenceslas ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
“We Three Kings”, also known as “We Three Kings of Orient Are” or “The Quest of the Magi”, is a Christmas carol written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the lyrics and the music.
We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign
O Star of wonder, star of night
Sta ..read more
News and Views » Christmas Music
4M ago
“The First Nowell,” also known as “The First Noël,” is a carol steeped in the rich tapestry of English musical tradition, a gem that has been passed down through the ages, possibly originating as far back as the 18th century, or even earlier. This carol is not just a song; it’s a historical artifact, echoing the voices and sentiments of generations past.
The title “Nowell” is derived from the French word “Noël,” meaning “Christmas,” which in turn traces its roots back to the Latin “natalis,” signifying “birthday.” This linguistic journey across cultures and times adds a layer of depth to the ..read more