The Magic of Christmas PROGRAM NOTES

We do not know what songs were sung
So long ago when Mary birthed
Her own sweet Son and peace and love
Became as One

John Jacob Niles

It’s a fact that as soon as Thanksgiving is over, Christmas music can be heard everywhere! There is simply no Christmas without Christmas music, whether it’s ‘Silent Night,’ ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas,’ ‘Rockin’ Round the Christmas Tree,’ or the latest Mariah Carey holiday hit.

For some, the sounds of Christmas music bring joy and anticipation of the long-awaited night when Santa appears with all the presents.  The carols and standards we’ve grown up with form a familiar playlist for the holiday season, and we welcome those sounds.  For others, the nonstop holiday tunes signal time to do the Christmas shopping and get started on all the other preparations for the big day. For those folks, Christmas is just another part of the December routine – a pleasant time of year, but without the excitement it once brought. 

Christmas music evokes different responses in all of us, and it’s probably true that more music has been inspired by Christmas than by any other single event in the history of the world. When and how did it all begin?

(Hint! It wasn’t in the 1940s with Bing Crosby.)

Christmas music actually began with the early Christian hymns of 4th century Rome and has remained a powerful musical force up to modern day pop hits. We’re not sure of its precise beginnings, but we do know that the religious Latin chants and hymns eventually evolved into carols. The word ‘carol’ comes from the old French word 'carole', which meant a popular circle dance accompanied by singing. 

Although carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, they were not Christmas carols as we know them today. Those early carols were pagan songs sung at winter solstice celebrations, as people danced around stone circles accompanied by singing. Originally, carols were sung during all four seasons, but it is only the singing of Christmas carols that has survived. It was much later that carols began to be sung in church and to be specifically associated with Christmas. 

In 1223, St. Francis of Assissi’s nativity plays in Italy had people sing songs or “canticles” that told the story of Christmas. The new carols quickly spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries, and often took the form of a circle dance with singing.

Christmas carols in English first appeared in 1426 and were probably sung by groups of “wassailers” who went from house to house. The word “wassail” comes from the Old Norse, meaning “be well and in good health.” By the Victorian era, wassailers were caroling groups who went around the town and were rewarded with a hot, spiced drink known as “wassail.”

When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in England in 1647, the celebration of Christmas was banished as it was considered a pagan celebration. However, carols survived as people still sang them in secret. Following the death of Cromwell in 1658 (an event welcomed by perhaps everyone throughout the British Isles!), Christmas once again became a holiday that families could enjoy. Music, of course, was a big part of the celebrations, which inspired a surge of new carols such as God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas and We Three Kings of Orient Are. It was during this time that two Cornishmen, William Sandys and Davis Gilbert, began collecting old seasonal music from villages all around England and published the lyrics and tunes to over 100 carols. Their publication was followed by a collection of carols, old and new, by H.R. Bramley and Sir John Stainer.

While carols were undoubtedly the songs of the people, there was also another strain of Christmas music being produced by classical composers.  Vivaldi, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Bach all wrote and performed Christmas music.  Like carols, some of these compositions had roots in local musical traditions and are considered some of the greatest Christmas music ever written. 

American Christmas music had its beginning in the mid-19th century with the introduction of religious hymns and carols followed by a surge of secular songs like Jingle Bells. With the arrival of new technologies such as radio, television, and LP recordings in the 20th century, Christmas became a major commercial holiday, along with secular songs of a festive nature that featured snowy landscapes, home, and Santa Claus. This period also produced many iconic pop Christmas songs, including White Christmas, The Christmas Song, and Jingle Bell Rock that have remained popular over the years. 

In today’s America, sacred and secular music co-exist comfortably at Christmas time. The commercial success of Christmas music has solidified the idea of Christmas as a time for celebration, gift-giving, and family; but it’s the Christmas hymns and carols that sing praises to the birth of the Christ Child and remind us of the miracle that changed the world. 

Whatever your individual reason for celebrating Christmas, most of us agree that it’s the most wonderful time of the year!