#1 Wolcum Yole! - Inaugural Post - Welcome to the Christmas Carols Blog

Who doesn’t like Christmas carols?   

When I was younger, I remember the Christmas spirit always coming early to our house. My dad had some 8-tracks (if you don't know what this is, click here) of Andy Williams and Burl Ives. 

In the 1980s, coming home from school, I’d slip the 8-track cassettes in and they would only excite me more about the coming Christmas season.  I remember one was mislabeled and I’m unsure of it was really Ives, but I do remember it contained many Alfred Burt carols.

Of course, this would be very early in autumn. I was sort of like that kids in the seasonal films Prancer and The Santa Clause, who would play Christmas music all year long, only I was not that bad. An with that, take into account that winter comes very late to far West Texas.

I’m sure I gained the inquisitive eye and ear of my parents. Little would they know, as the years progressed -- it would get worse.

Although there were Christmas carols here and there, most of the music was Christmas songs, many seasonal Christmas pop classics.

The Bells of Dublin

As the 1990s came along, I got my first Christmas compact discs, which I think was my real introduction to carols.  The Chieftain’s 1991 album, “The Bells of Dublin” contained a wealth of carols arranged in the Celtic tradition.  

Among the songs included were “Past Three O’clock,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” “Ding dong Merrily On High,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” sung by a group called The Renaissance Singers led by Ronnie Lee. 

We hear many Christmas songs here in the States, but unless you are actively singing in a choir, you are not going to hear “Past Three O’Clock,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” or “Ding dong Merrily on High” very much.  “Once in Royal David’s City” is one I particularly became fond.

This album also contained recordings of the close-harmony group called The Voice Squad singing a carol medley that included “O the Holly She Bears a Berry,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” and one of my favorites, “The Boar’s Head” carol. This ensemble, I did find as well as their Christmas recording “HollyWood.” 

This album was very magical with me and remains one of my favorites. I have search high and low for The Renaissance Singers and they remain elusive. A few years ago, thinking I found them in Seattle, I ordered a recording, which was very good. 

However, I found out this was not the same ensemble, but on the good side, discovered the Seattle-based Renaissance Singers, now singing under the name: The Byrd Ensemble.

I had heard of all the carols The Voice Squad performed, but there were other gems on the album like “Ill est né/CaBerger” by Kate and Anna McGarrigle, "Don Oiche Ud I mBeithil" by Kevin Conneff, “The Brenton Carol,” performed by Nolwen Monjarret, “I saw three ships a Sailing” sung by Marianne Faithful, “The Wexford Carol” sung by Nanci Griffith, and a wonderful Wren Day-themed set with The Voice Squad. Lest we forget, The Chieftains were backing up these musicians.

In the last years of my grandfather’s life, he gave me some of his Christmas LP records. Mostly compilations with pop musicians with pop standards although occasionally you’d find an opera star (Jon Pierce), or symphony orchestra, or the Robert Shaw Chorale. My grandfather had several albums of the St. Olaf College Choir, which I played a few times, but they did not spark my interest as they included many carols, which I was not familiar. 

New carols were not on my radar.

St. Olaf, King's College, all the same thing no?

 

King's College, Cambridge, UK

Mentioning the St. Olaf Choir, it reminds me that the photos of King’s College chapel always remained in my head during those years.  The vision was the photo of the chapel with snow covering the field in front of the chapel. However, not really thinking it out, I had always thought the chapel in the photo from King’s was St. Olaf College. I had much to learn.

Sir Malcolm Sargent and the Royal Choral Society

Sir. Malcolm Sargent

The other album that expanded my musical reach was “Olde English Christmas” by The Royal Choral Society under Sir. Malcolm Sargent. I admit that at first I did not like this too much. “The Boar’s Head Carol” stood out because it was one of my favorites. Slowly this British style became to grow on me. Although this Royal Choral Society (official page)was a reissue on a cheap Laserlight label, it remains one of my favorites. Even with the inclusion of in my collection of Christmas music recently-recorded carols, many from the world's greatest vocal ensembles, The Royal Choral Society's (also among the world's greatest) recording with Sargent’s arrangements, is still spectacular.

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Several things happened in the first decade of this century. One is that I caught the “Carols from Kings” radio broadcast one Christmas Eve as I drove home from work.

The announcer said, as I remember, “…from King’s College, Cambridge” and even though the broadcast was not live, it still excites me to hear a broadcasts from across the pond. 

In the present day, the “live” broadcast is a Christmas Eve tradition at my house. The “do not disturb” sign goes up, and with a  cup of coffee (it's morning in West Texas when the live show if fed) and the bulletin of “The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” on my coffee table, I wait to hear the new carol specially composes for that year’s service.

John Rutter with the Cambridge Singers

John Rutter,  Christmas Carols, and "dares to write new ones"
 

In 2008, I caught a National Public Radio interview with John Rutter: "John Rutter: The Art of the Christmas Carol." 

I’m ashamed to say it but I had not heard of Rutter. Nevertheless, what struck me is that the interviewer said Rutter composes carols. Wow! 

I decided to give new carols a chance and that was where it really took off. Also around that time, I began catching the yearly broadcasts on PBS of the Christmas choral concerts at Lutheran colleges like St. Olaf, Luther, and Concordia. I learned that not every Christmas song is a carol. 

I purchase of the New Oxford Book of Carols, edited by Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott. This book rarely is out of my presence during the holidays.

In 2012, I started the Christmas Carols Facebook community group. Since the Christmas spirit fades somewhat post Candlemas, I added “and Sacred Music” to the title of the Facebook group so we can fill in the gaps when Christmas spirit is not so strong. 

The Facebook page includes posts we share from the worlds’ greatest vocal ensembles, early music ensembles, and more. A few weeks ago (c. Nov. 8, 2014), we posted new Christmas recordings that were released in 2013 including gems from the Choir of Trinity College,Cambridge; the Choir of Clare College Cambridge, the Concordia College Choirs, and more. Although we will share and post a pop tunes or cinematic Christmas post, we remain focused on the classical genre.

 What is the Christmas Carol?

What is a Christmas Carol? For some of our readers, we will preach to the choir, but for novices looking at Christmas carols for the first time with a microscope, we will shortly entertain you.

Meanwhile, check out our Facebook group , congratulate us for our inaugural post, and Wolcum Yule!

Wolcum Yule! - E. Rojas 

 

DISCLAIMER: Owner of photo or photos above is unknown. Infringement is not intentional and photo is used for educational purposes only with in the Fair Use clause of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. We will will be obliged any take down request under the DMCA .