Fast away the old year passes / Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!
Laughing, quaffing all together / Heedless of the wind and weather.
- Thomas Oliphant, original lyrics of "Deck the Halls" (1862).
Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on your troubles will be out of sight.
- Hugh Martin & Ralph Blaine, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Rewrites were prompted by Judy Garland to make the song more upbeat for the movie “Meet Me in Saint Louis” (1944).
Ho Ho Ho... Let’s Go!
- Shouted additions to the original lyrics of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” as arranged by Twisted Sister (2007).
Songs of the season evoke such deeply rooted memories.
In these crazy times, so many of us have faced reinventing ourselves regarding how we care for our families or make a living. In doing so, we are often challenged: are we staying true to ourselves, our talents, and our values or are we “selling out?” We ask: “Am I maximizing my talents to everyone’s benefit, or do I submit to the daily grind just to pay the bills? Should I now try to reach for the stars?”
Throughout life we face complex and emotional choices. I have spent several decades slicing and dicing my career decisions. I’ve happily (and just-a-touch regretfully) landed almost squarely in the middle. For me, the continuing thread that holds everything together are the songs of the holiday season.
My journey really started with a music scholarship to college. As many others have during that time of life, money was tight, so I worked multiple jobs to get by. I was lucky enough to perform as a vocal soloist and music director in a series of expanding opportunities that were fulfilling, invigorating, and inspiring.
One gig had me writing original songs for the United Methodist Church (UMC) and its annual conferences in the Pacific & Southwest region. That also meant I had to conduct the advanced-level choirs chosen from multiple states for each year’s performances. A tradition of this effort was to create a boldly designed tee shirt worn by the youth singers. Each version was splashed with a logo based on that year’s song. A collection of these shirts are in a spare closet in my home, never to be worn but each a proud memento of the songs I created
During this phase of my career I had the good fortune to lead several thousand singers in a celebration of the UMC Bicentennial held in the Arizona Sundome. Performing with wonderfully talented musicians in so many venues has been an unforgettable privilege.
As the years went on, and choices had to be made, I moved thousands of miles away for a corporate job. Severing beloved ties with so many friends and musicians and starting virtually everything over, was quite a challenge. Gratefully, it ended up providing stability, upward mobility and for nearly two decades, security for my family. A price was paid, however, in cutting so many ties to the many whose friendship, love and talents made my life rich.
Fortunately, the enduring call to the songs of the season led to my creation of a musical ensemble, the Riverwoods Chorale, that engaged many musicians in performing the best of holiday music for more than 20 years, performing at work events, senior centers, public celebrations, and an array of festive occasions.
Directing a volunteer choir in the corporate workplace was much more than a special treat; it was an intricate dance, finding the right balance of musical styles and lyrical content to please coworkers without offending anyone. As it turns out, one person’s cup of holiday cheer can be another person’s sip of Scrooge. What songs do you sing? Which holidays do you include (or inadvertently exclude)? Is it about the sleigh and the reindeer, or a baby in a manger, or an eight-day festival of lights, or... grandma getting run over by a reindeer?
Early on we committed to songs with longstanding tradition and celebration. An enduring favorite that fueled our rambunctious band of roving singers was “Wassail”, the precursor of the house-to-house caroling tradition. "Wassail" comes from the old Anglo-Saxon greeting “Wæs þu hæl”, meaning “be thou hale” (as in, “be in good health”). The correct response to the greeting was “Drinc hæl,” translated as “drink and be healthy.” The intent of the song is to share a blessing of health and goodwill with all, reinforcing the bonds between people.
As the song goes, the wassailers wished a blessing on the lord of the manor, and he in turn would give food and drink to the singers in exchange for their singing. Again, from the same song: “Love and joy come to you, and to you your wassail too; / And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year.”
Our group choose a similarly-spirited song, a traditional English carol made famous as arranged by the noted British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, which showcases the eagerness of its singers to share the holiday blessing – along with a nip or two or three - with their neighbors:
“Wassail, wassail, all over the town! / Our toast it is white, and our ale it is brown.
“Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree; / With the wassailing bowl we’ll drink to thee.”
That exuberant song’s opening is followed by a comically long series of verses where the wassailers “toast” the master’s horses (Dobbin and Cherry), cows (Broad May, Fillpail, and Colly), the butler and the maid and so on. Each man, woman or beast mentioned is celebrated with a hearty sip from the wassail bowl. This song proved a crowd favorite for years in concerts by the Riverwoods Chorale, and we couldn’t resist introducing it with the line “and we toast the cows, the horses, the butlers, the maid… until everyone gets toasted!” (Insert rim shot here.) The choir always had a few characters who would hilariously re-enact the sharing of the wassail bowl and its inevitable staggering impact, to the delight of the crowd (wishing perhaps they had a sip for themselves).
So many songs of the season are born with fascinating stories, which inexorably drew us to sing them. The most-published Christmas hymn in North America hails all the way back to 1719, when English writer Isaac Watts took inspiration from Psalm 98 and Genesis 3 to write “Joy to the World.” Its now-familiar tune, however, came a century later in 1848 when American composer Lowell Mason paired his tune to Mr. Watts’ lyrics.
Another beloved Christmas hymn, “Silent Night,” has a cathedral built in its memory in Austria where it was written by Joseph Mohr and set to music by Franz Gruber. The first performance on a Christmas Eve was just voice and guitar because recent flooding had damaged the church’s organ. Its soothing lyrical benediction and calming chords now close out many holiday observances, sending participants home embraced in a balm of peace.
As we approach the year-end holidays in the grip of a once-in-a-century pandemic and turbulent social and political times, I encourage everyone to look to the many songs of the season as a source of continuity, hope, and inspiration. Take a sip from the (metaphorical) wassail bowl. We drink to thee.
My life goes on in endless song / Above earth´s lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn / That hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my inmost calm / While to that rock I´m clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth / How can I keep from singing?
SIDEBAR:
Local Musicians Share Their Favorite Songs of the Season
Steve Gritman:
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas—“Just a well-put-together song musically with a sense of nostalgia.”
Baby It's Cold Outside—“A fun vocal duet for the chilly holiday season.”
You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch—“Takes us back to our childhood whenever we hear it.”
Heather Moran:
O Holy Night—“Timeless.”
Baby It’s Cold Outside—“Love this jazzy duet (often performed with Steve Gritman).”
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings —“Check out the version by Barenaked Ladies.”
Dan Patten:
The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth—“The best possible version ever is by Bing Crosby & David Bowie.”
Greensleeves (preferably on pipe organ)—“From my earliest memories of Christmas, this song has always been a favorite.”
Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker (“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”)—“Being the adoring father of a Barrington Dance Ensemble company member (daughter Mikayla) the Nutcracker IS Christmas.”
Ron Hawking:
I’ll Be Home for Christmas—“Keep in mind our military and first responders for keeping us safe.”
Merry Christmas Darling—“Karen Carpenter’s voice is superb. Mom loves this one, too!”
Rock-n-Santa Claus—“Check out my version on YouTube. Love the animation.”