Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Angels We Have Heard on High may be my all-time favorite Christmas Carol, and no, it's not because I'm narcissistic and like my name to be sung to me hundreds of times. I love the melody, the message, and the music of this song.

Most experts believe this song is an old French carol dating back to the 18th century, however, some believe it may be older than that. The first documented version of the song appeared in a French collection dated from 1855. The verses are very French in their style, following a specific chord structure and style relevant to the 18th century. The chorus is where a lot of experts differ. Some experts believe this chorus may date back to the beginning of the third century. While it is very melodious, the chorus only uses six notes and moves in a very linear motion. The chorus is very, very similar to Gregorian Chant, since it uses a small amount of notes and moves very linearly. It is also believed that the chorus, which states in Latin "Gloria in excelsis Deo," comes from the original Christmas Mass, and means Glory to God in the highest, the greeting the angel says to the shepherds when appearing to announce the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:13-14).

Here's a video of my hero Sandi Patty singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the US Air Force Reserve Band from her 2006 production Yuletide Special. Enjoy!

How do you roast chestnuts on an open fire?

Perhaps on of the most recognized, best loved Christmas songs didn't start out as a Christmas song. Mel Torme was sitting in his beautiful suburban home in Hollywood in the middle of July when he started thinking about the sights and smells of Christmas. He started writing down what he remembered and The Christmas Song was born. Mel had a meeting scheduled later that week with an up and coming singer, who was breaking barriers left and right. At the meeting, he showed the singer the song, and Nat King Cole knew he had an amazingly magical song in his hands. Together Torme and Cole put the song together and recorded it. It debuted in October and stayed on the charts for a while. The Christmas Song not only became an iconic classic by itself, but it pushed the boundaries of the social atmosphere. When Nat King Cole recorded this song, he became the first African-American singer to cross into the mainstream musical world. Before then, music was highly segregated, but this song crossed the line and showed everyone Christmas was the same to everyone. Here's a broadcast of Nat King Cole singing Mel Torme's The Christmas Song.

Silent Night, Stille Nacht

Silent Night may be in the top three of my favorite Christmas carols. The song was written by Father Joseph Mohr in 1816 but not performed until 1818, when Father Mohr took the words to the headmaster of the school he resided at in Oberndorf, Austria. The headmaster, Franz Gruber, composed a simple guitar melody on Christmas Eve 1818. Gruber used his surroundings when composing the melody, drawing from various folk music a yodelling. The original manuscript has been lost, but this manuscript, in Father Mohr's handwriting, has survived for almost 200 years. Here's an interesting link with more details about the song's history and several myths associated with it. (Click here)

This song holds a special place in my heart. My great-grandmother immigrated from Germany, and my grandmother has always remembered her singing Silent Night in German on Christmas Eve. A few years ago, I sang it to her in all its German glory for her Christmas present. I'm hoping to revive that again this year with the help of my two cousins. Anyway, here's Josh Groban's version from his amazing new album Noel (to bad I'm not getting paid for this!).

O NOT Holy Night

O Holy Night is one of my favorite Christmas songs. However, every year around this time, I usually send a reminder of how badly this song can go. This year, I found the video to go with the audio.

***CAUTION: This video will offend your musical sensibilities, even if you have none to speak of. Listen all the way through if you can. The last line of the song is perhaps my favorite moment of the worst performance ever of this song.

My Heart is Broken!

Well, Arkansas still doesn't have a coach after reliving the hiring debacle of Dana Altman and D-MC came in second place again for the Heisman. Some shmuck from Florida took away his glory. So, in honor of Darren and his heartbreaking second place finish, let's relive a great moment from the regular season and look forward to us kicking Chase Daniel's and the Missouri Tigers' butts in the 2008 AT&T Cotton Bowl (I know, wishful thinking, but a girl's gotta hope)! ENJOY!

God Make You Mighty, Gentlemen!

Another of my favorite Christmas carols is actually a song that was not originally part of the Church Mass. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is a great song, with great rhythms and lyrics, and a melody that is very catchy. This song dates back from the fifteenth century (that's the 1400's for you non-edumacated folk) when Church music was for Church only and not very fun to listen to or sing. Through a small, quiet rebellion outside Church walls, peasants would create their own music to worship their God. These songs, though never sung inside the walls of the Church, helped spread the story of Jesus birth, life, and resurrection. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is one of these non-sanctioned songs.

Many people today do not understand the meaning of this song. Since it was written in the 1400's, you must relate the meanings of the words used in that time. When we say "Merry Christmas" today, "merry" means "happy." However, in the fifteenth century, during the time of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, "merry" did not necessarily mean "happy," but "mighty." "Rest" is another word that had a different meaning in fifteenth century peasantry. "Rest" also meant "keep" or "make." So, using these meanings, "God rest ye merry gentlemen" becomes "God make you mighty gentlemen." Clever, huh?

Here's one of my favorite artists singing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." And have a "MIGHTY CHRISTMAS!"

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

This may be one of my top 5 favorite Christmas songs. It's from the musical Meet Me in St. Louis and starred Judy Garland. I grew up watching this movie and have absolutely loved the scene where Esther, Garland's character, sings this to her younger sister. Anyway, when Garland first got the song to record it for the movie, the first lines were:

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
It may be your last
Next year we will be living in the past

For a WWII America, this did not sit well with her, and Judy sent it back to the writers for a more optimistic feeling song. Just imagine what a sad, sad song it would have been if the original lyrics had remained. The writers returned and the first lines were changed to:

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on our troubles will be out of sight

Anyway, here's a clip from the movie with Miss Judy Garland and one of her most famous songs.