Oh Little Town of Bethelehem ~Tanya Hanson

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For centuries, Christmas carols and Christmas hymns were not synonymous. Stately hymns were sung in church, while carols –deriving from the old French “querole” included dancing and were sung to dance tunes. This instantly made carols frowned upon by church leaders.

 

In the thirteenth century, Francis of Assisi is believed to have added instructional hymns to his nativity tableaus, thus legitimizing the practice. Congregants would recess from the scene, singing the Bible story. Few people knew how to read to begin with, and only clergy had access to the Scriptures, which almost exclusively were Latin translations.

Christmas caroling as we know it gained importance in Britain where it gradually displaced the pagan Yule custom of “wassail.” The term means “be in health” and, when called out as a greeting, was usually answered by “all hail.” Groups of revelers would gad about through the town, singing in exchange for gifts and a hot drink from a household’s Wassail bowl.

Indeed, the vision of Dickens carolers by a Victorian lamp-post is the vision I most often get in my mind at Christmas. So it was with great delight when I learned that one of the great classics, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, was written by an American!

Upon a visit to the Holy Land in 1868, Phillips Brooks, a young Episcopal rector from Pennsylvania, was stunned by the beauty of peaceful Bethlehem at midnight on Christmas Eve, as he headed for worship at the Church of the Nativity. This sublime experience became such a cherished memory that it inspired a poem he wrote three years later for the children of his Sunday school class at the Church of the Advent in Philadelphia. Called “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, it was one of many songs he wrote for them, but the one that endured.

 

The composer of the tune was organist and Sunday School superintendent Lewis Redner. He promised to write a melody for the poem so the children could sing Pastor Brooks’ poem at church the following Sunday.

But on Saturday night, the melody had yet to be written. During the night, Redner suddenly awoke and hurriedly jotted the notes to the beautiful tune, claiming he’d heard an “angel strain.” Redner insisted ever after that the melody was a gift from heaven.

Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) became one of the greatest pulpit orators of the 19th century as well as the bishop of Boston, but perhaps his greatest distinction is the lovely carol that lives on today.

 

 

If you want to hear “an angel” sing this song, here’s Sarah Maclachlan. I love her voice—she sings a heart-tugging song in an ASPCA video supporting abandoned critters.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, and God bless you all, everyone, now and in the new year.

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A California beach girl, I love cowboys and happy-ever-afters. My firefighter hubby and I enjoy travel, our two little grandsons, country music, McDonald's iced coffee, and volunteering at the local horse rescue. I was thrilled last year to receive the CTRR Award at Coffeetime Romance for Sanctuary, my tribute to my cancer-survin' hubby!

18 thoughts on “Oh Little Town of Bethelehem ~Tanya Hanson”

  1. Beautiful, Beautiful song! Loved the video that little lady has a beautiful voice and does a wonderful job on that song. Its one of my favorites.

  2. Good morning, Tanya. Thank you for the history of this song. I have been surprised by the number of traditional Christmas songs that are American in origin. Thank you the video link.

    I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2012.

  5. I love this song and I love Sarah McLachlan, truly she sings like an angel. Thanks for the story behind the song Tanya. Merry Christmas!

  6. This has been such a great week learning about all these beloved songs.

    “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” has been one of our family favorites since I can remember. It’s such a beautiful and hopeful song, and shares all the magic of the blessed event.

    Merry Christmas!

  8. hi Patricia, I sure enjoyed learning about Bishop Brooks. This song always reminds me of the Christmas pageants of my childhood. It was a standard! Thanks for your faithful visits here at P and P, and may your Christmas and new year be the best ever.

  10. Hi Vicki, I’ve got an “antique” from my childhood from my mother’s church organist days, a book of favorite Christmas songs and the history behind them. Each one is fascinating. Merry Christmas, filly sister! oxox

  11. hi Lori, so glad you enjoyed the video and the post.

    Kirsten, indeed, the song is beautiful and hopeful. I can almost feel the shivers down Brooks’ spine, spending Christmas Eve in Bethlehem!

    Merry Christmas to you both, and thanks for stopping by today.

  12. Beautiful video, Tanya. And I didn’t know this was an American song. It was one of the first Christmas carols I ever learned and I love it.
    St. Francis has a place in my heart for his love of animals. Now we can thank him for Christmas carols, too.
    Wow, I’m learning so much from these posts.

  15. Great post Tanya! I’m learning so much about some of my favoite Christmas songs and enjoying every minute of it. So glad you added the video – Sarah has a gorgeous voice!

  16. Tanya,
    This is one of my favorite Christmas carols–so many beautiful phrases in it “above thy deep and dreamless sleep”–and that version by Sarah McLachlin is just beautiful. I love her voice, no matter what she sings.Thanks so much for this post–this was such a great idea to do these carols and hymns during this time. I’m loving all these posts!
    Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS, Tanya, and here’s hoping 2012 will bring only the best.
    Hugs,
    Cheryl P.

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