December always brings an abundance of those well-known musical pieces: Christmas carols. Whether you like them or hate them, you can't really deny that they aren't catchy! With so many artists doing their own takes on traditional carols, sometimes their humble beginnings can get lost in translation. So, this Christmas caroler (well, I usually only listen to them while putting the decorations up … and on Christmas Day) thought I'd share those beginnings of four notable songs with you. Let's begin!
First in the list is "Jingle Bells"! One of the best known songs, this American song was originally written for Thanksgiving! James Lord Pierpont wrote it in 1857 under the title of "One Horse Open Sleigh", and it had no connection to Christmas. It was first performed in September of 1857 in Ordway Hall, which is located in Boston, by blackface minstrel performer, Johnny Pell. (At the time, blackface minstrels were extremely popular and were either African Americans, Africans, or Caucasians that painted themselves black and spread a lot of the racial stereotypes of African Americans and Africans. It fell out of popularity in the mid-20th century due to the changing attitudes towards race and racism.) So, how did it become considered one of the traditional carols? It wasn't until decades later that it became associated with winter and Christmas. 1889 saw it first recorded on an Edison cylinder, and it is this recording that is considered to be the first Christmas record of it. However, that recording has become lost to time. Luckily enough, an 1898 recording (also from Edison Records) has managed to survive!
From there, we're going to head over to Wales and the song "Oer yw'r gŵr sy'n methu caru". Don't know it? That's alright, you will once it gets translated from Welsh to English! The melody for "Deck the Hall(s)" actually dates back to the 16th century! Originally, carols were dances rather than the songs we know. This melody was first found in a musical manuscript by Walsh harpist John Parry. In 1862 it was the Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant who gave us the English lyrics. He had been writing a set of four volumes entitled Welsh Melodies and it was in volume two of this set that the English words appeared alongside the Welsh words written by John Jones (Talhaiarn). It is thought that the repeated "fa la la" goes back to earlier Welsh, and may even originate in medieval ballads!
Third on our list is "Joy to the World". Based on Psalm 98, 96:11-12, and Genesis 3:17-18, English writer Issac Watts first published the song in 1719. Watts wrote the song as his interpretation of Psalm 98, though he doesn't actually emphasize the various themes of said Psalm with equal weight. Unlike most hymns which celebrate the birth of Christ, this one is all about His triumphant return. (OK, I'll admit I'm a little hazy on the details here, but that is more than likely because of my differing religious beliefs than anything else.) Originally, as you probably can tell, it was not intended to be a Christmas song. Now though? It's considered to be the most popular of all Christmas carols. Honestly, what phrase is associated with the Christmas season more than "joy to the world"?
That brings us to our final carol, and one of my personal favorites, "Stille Nacht". Translated from German to English. Y'all would know it better as "Silent Night". First written in 1816 as nothing more than a poem, it wouldn't be until 1818 that Father Joseph Mohr's would become the carol we know today. Oberndorf, Austria is our setting for this change. Due to the river flooding the church and damaging the organ, Mohr gave the poem to his friend, Franz Gruber, who was the organist for the church. Mohr asked Gruber if he could write the melody for vocalists and guitar accompaniment. It was ready for the Christmas Eve mass and the rest, as they say, is history.
There you have it! Now you know that not all Christmas carols originally started out as such! It is amazing how even music can change, from hymns to beloved songs sung at Christmas. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to throw on a favorite Christmas album of my brother and me ( A Loony Tunes Sing-A-Long Christmas ) and finally put up some Christmas decorations! Until next time, keep caroling!