I love the music of Christmas. I could play it all year long if I weren’t married to someone who isn’t as crazy about it as I am. Those songs are so uplifting and beautiful that they make me feel good just to hear them, and you can’t help but sing along with them.
My dad always loved Christmas, and was a great practical jokester. He delighted in making phone calls to his grandchildren, pretending to be Santa. He’d call back later on for a rundown about what happened on our end—the looks, the comments, and the joy of getting a real live phone call from Santa! One of the traditions in our house was the box of chocolate covered cherries that was always under the tree for him from my mom, a reminder of hard Christmases in years past when that might have been the only gift she could afford. Another was that our house was always filled with Christmas music.
I was a classically trained pianist from the time I turned seven years old. My father’s favorite Christmas carol was What Child Is This? Once I mastered it, I delighted in playing it for him because he took such pleasure in it, and since it was also the tune to another song, Greensleeves, I played it all year round for him.
The tune known as Greensleeves was a British drinking song for many years, a popular folk song that was not religious. In ancient Britain, there have been more than twenty different known lyrics associated with the tune throughout history. It was first published in 1652.
Shakespeare mentions it by name in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” in which it is played while traitors are hanged. It has been attributed to King Henry VIII, and said that he wrote it for Anne Boleyn. How did this song become one of the best-loved Christmas carols of all time?
In 1865, Englishman William Chatterton Dix wrote “The Manger Throne,” three verses of which became “What Child Is This?” During that particular era, Christmas was not as openly celebrated as it is today. Many conservative Puritan churches forbade gift-giving, decorating or even acknowledging the day as a special day for fear that Christmas would become a day of pagan rituals more than a serious time of worship. Although Dix wrote other hymns, in the context of the times, it was unusual for him to write about Christ’s birth, since many hymn writers and religious factions ignored Christmas completely.
The words represent a unique view of Christ’s birth. While the baby was the focal point of the song, the point of view of the writer seemed to be that of a confused observer. Dix imagined the visitors to the manger bed wondering about the child who had just been born. In each verse, he described the child’s birth, life, death and resurrection, answering the question with a triumphant declaration of the infant’s divinity.
“The Manger Throne” was published in England just as the U.S. Civil War was ending. The song quickly made its way from Britain to the United States. Dix died in 1898, living long enough to see “The Manger Throne” become the Christmas carol “What Child Is This?”
And here is Brad Paisley singing WHAT CHILD IS THIS? What is your favorite Christmas carol? Mine is Silent Night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDD3N7G6Qqw
Credit to Wikipedia Article for much of this information.
I enjoyed learning the history. Thank you.
Silent Night is my favorite, too.
Silent Night always makes me feel peaceful. Love it.
Ducita, a 13th Century Christmas instrumental. It has always been my favorite alongside Carol of the Bells. Then Silver Bells.
David, I have not ever heard Ducita! Will look it up–thanks!
O Holy Night is my favorite.
That is a beautiful one, and so calming.
Mine is It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
That is a beautiful one, Debby!
I love them all
I do, too, Rhonda. It’s hard to pick a favorite.
O Holy Night is one of my favorite Christmas song but I do love about all of them. Enjoying the history of the songs.
Aren’t these blogs fun, Quilt Lady? I love the history of the carols, too.
Two of my favorites are Silent Night and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.
I love both of those too!
Silent Night is one of my favorites, but I also love Away in a Manger, and Go Tell It On The Mountain, and the others!
All good ones! (Is there a “bad” one?) LOL
Mine is The First Noel.
I think that might have been the first Christmas carol I learned to play on the piano. One of my favorites, too.
thank you for sharing. I am loving learning about the Christmas Carols. I am like you. Christmas songs are so uplifting and rejuvenating. I listen to them in the car year long off and on. In the house I will listen to them off and on also. My husband works at home so will keep the volume down. One of my favorite Christmas songs is Mary Did You Know? and The Little Drummer Boy
They always make me happy, Lori, no matter if I listen to them in July! LOL
Thank you for the history of this song. My favorite would be O Holy Night and Angels We Have Heard on High, although I all of them.
You’re welcome! I am loving these blogs and learning about all these well-loved carols.
O’Holy Night is my fav. I have a few others like Hark the Hearld Angels and The First Noel. Another song which is more modern is Mary Did You Know. It’s fast making its way to people’s fav song lists at Christmas.
I have heard Mary Did You Know–it is beautiful!
My favorite is Silent Night. What Child is This is also a lovely song.
Connie, Silent Night is my favorite, too. But I do love them all (yes even A Partridge in a Pear Tree, though I confess I have to be ‘in the mood’ for that one.) LOL
I’m the one at the office who is always listening to Christmas music throughout the holidays. My husband gets tired of listening to it too. Mary, Did You Know is one of my favorite Christmas songs.
Kathleen, my aunt made the remark one time when I was in my teens about liking to listen to Christmas music all year. I never thought about doing that before I heard her say it. What a revelation that was to me! LOL
O Holy Night first, Silent Night second. I used to be able to sing from an early age, but the voice gave up and I miss singing today. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.
Judy, I was always a singer too. My mom was a wonderful vocalist, and she told me one time that she just held her breath to see if the three of us girls were able to carry a tune when we were able to start talking, etc. LOL I can’t sing nearly like I used to, but I refuse to give up. I sing every day, even if it’s just one verse of a song. It helps my memory, and makes me happy, and the more I do it, the better I get. (Maybe it’s just my imagination…) LOL
I would start playing Christmas carols – on my record player then 8 track as soon as the first snowflake appeared. Didn’t stop until the New Year!
YES! I love that! Here in Oklahoma, we couldn’t depend on the first snowflake, so when I was a kid, I remember usually about a week after Thanksgiving we’d gear up for Christmas and make our lists, etc. and the Christmas music would start. Since we had a Christmas recital every year for piano, I’d feel so lucky that I would get to start learning my Christmas music around Halloween. LOL That made me feel special! LOL
I also love Silent Night and O’Holy Night. Thank you for sharing. God bless you. Merry Christmas.
Debbie, you are very welcome! I am loving learning all about the carols we still sing to this day. Merry Christmas, and God bless you!
Hi Cheryl, Love your blog & books. I enjoy hearing, O’Holy Night & Rock’in Around the Christmas Tree.
Have a blessed Christmas & New Year’s with your family & loved ones.
Thank you, Lois! Oh, I forgot about Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree! I love that one, too, because it always puts me a GREAT mood! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Cheryl, Thank you for the information about this carol. My favorite is “Mary, Did You Know?” It is rather melancholy song and hauntingly beautiful. What Child Is This is a lovely, thought provoking song. It raises questions that those who visited the manger must have been wondering. It is interesting that the music can have so many variations of lyrics. From raunchy, to lovely, to holy they are the same notes but the meanings are so very different.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2023.
Hi Patricia! I have heard Mary, Did You Know?–it’s really a nice one. You are right about What Child is This and the questions it raises. I find it fascinating, too, about the different lyrics that fit the same melody!
Merry Christmas and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and your family, my friend! I wish all good things for you in 2023!