A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Moody Blues - "What Child Is This?" - 1580/1865/1994
The tune is Greensleeves with lyrics written in 1865 but not published until 1871. The tune Greensleeves was registered in 1580 in London. Although often credited to King Henry VIII, he had died before the tune was registered.
The Moody Blues released this version in 1994.
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Tennessee Ernie Ford - "O Holy Night" - 1847/1958
Written by a French poet as a song to celebrate a Christmas Mass dedication of new stained glass windows. Translated into English in 1855, certain verses were modified to allow a "singable translation". It was the first song played over radio in 1906. It is considered to be the most popular Christmas song - it's certainly my favorite.
This version was recorded in 1958.
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Bob Seger - "Little Drummer Boy" - 1950/1988
Little Drummer Boy was written in 1941 by Katherine Davis but first recorded by the Trapp Family (Sound of Music) in 1951. It became popular with a 1958 recording by Harry Simeone. The Simeone version hit the Top40 for 5 years.
Bob Seger recorded the song in 1987 for his album "Ultimate Hits: Rock & Roll Never Forgets" but as a personal side note, I had heard Bob Seger play this song at several live concerts including a performance at the opening of a suburban Detroit mall in 1968 (Bob Seger was the headliner but that was one of the best concerts I've been to).
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Leon Redbone & Dr John - "Frosty The Snowman" - 1950/1988
Frosty The Snowman was first recorded by Gene Autry in 1950, followed by Jimmy Durante the same year. Autry had success with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and looked to have another Christmas song.
The song has been covered many times through the years; a TV version came out in 1969 with Jimmy Durante as the narrator.
Leon Redbone performed a duet of the song with Dr John on Redbone's 1988 album "Christmas Island"
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Bing Crosby - "Do You Hear What I Hear?" - 1962
Written in late 1962 as a response to the Cuban missile crisis and recorded by Bing Crosby in 1963. The song was performed on a Bob Hope TV special in Dec 1963.
Continue reading →A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Mormon Tabernacle Choir - "Angels We Have Heard on High" 1862
Taken from a 18th century French tune, the English version was produced in 1862. The lyrics are based on Luke 2:8-20
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a 360-member choir based in Salt Lake City. The first choir performed in Salt Lake only a month after the Mormons settled the valley in 1847. Known from the beginning as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the name was changed in 2018 to "The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square".
I suspect like Twitter becoming X, the choir will still be known by the original name ...
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: unknown - "Carol of the Bells" - early 20th century
Carol of the Bells" is based on a Ukrainian New Years song that predates Christianity. It was first presented to western audiences in 1919 (US audiences in 1922) with English lyrics were written in 1936.
I neglected to document the performers of this version.
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Blackmore's Night - "We Three Kings" - 1958
The song "We Three Kings" was written in 1857 by the rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, PA for a Christmas pageant in NYC. It has been compared to music written in the Byzantium era and is the first popular carol written in America.
Ritchie Blackmore was a founding member of Deep Purple, Rainbow, and Blackmore's Night - a medieval folk group.
Not quite Deep Purple style, eh?
Candice Night first met Ritchie Blackmore at a 1989 Rainbow concert when she asked for an autograph. By 1991, they were a couple based on their interest in Renaissance-era music. "We Three Kings" was released in 2006 on their "Winter Carols" album.
Continue reading →A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Abney Park - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - 1650
A traditional English carol, the earliest version was mentioned in the 1650s. A printed edition showed up in 1760 and is referred to in a story by Charles Dickens in 1843. The first recorded version appeared in 1917.
Abney Park is a steampunk band formed in 1997 and based in Seattle. Their version of this carol appeared on their album "Dark Christmas" in 2009.
A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.
Today's selection: Dean Martin - "Silver Bells" - 1950/1966
Originally written for the 1951 Bob Hope movie "Lemon Drop Kid" but first released by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards in 1950, this version was recorded by Dean Martin in 1966.
It's Christmas carols time ...
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