One of the most recognizable Christmas tunes of all time is Carol of the Bells. However, the signature four-note melody, appropriately bell-like in sound and movement, has some surprising origins. Believe it or not, Carol of the Bells was not originally a Christmas song at all. Based on folk music, Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych wrote the original […]
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“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is one of the oldest existing Christmas carols. Yep, you read that correctly. Dated back to the 1500s and earlier, this English carol has actually gone through a lot of change and misinterpretation over the years. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” was written as a reaction to 15th century church music. […]
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One of the most beautiful and recognizable Christmas songs is “What Child is This?”. Believe it or not, the tune – an English folk song called “Greensleeves” – first appeared in the year 1580 (of course back then it was called “A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves”). Originally the lyrics were about […]
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Merry Christmas! Yes, I know it’s still November, but I believe Jesus’s birth is something to be thankful for. 🙂 I’m celebrating a lot of things right now including (but not limited to) Thanksgiving, Christmas, family, and the opportunity to do what I love all the time – learn and write about, compose, and perform […]
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I heard the bells on Christmas DayTheir old, familiar carols play, and wild and sweet The words repeatOf peace on earth, good-will to men!And thought how, as the day had come,The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The […]
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This week I’d like to talk about another favorite Christmas carol, The First Noel. The origin of the melody is unknown, although historians know the tune dates back to at least the 17th century. Some even argue it originated in France during the 15th century and was brought to England in the 17th century by troubadours […]
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One of my favorite Christmas carols is Silent Night. I love the way the lyrics describe the nativity scene, and the music itself is quite beautiful. This led me to wonder about the history of the song. If you liked my arrangement, click here to download the sheet music for free! The very first performance of Silent Night […]
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This is the best time of year. Thanksgiving is next week, and when is a better time to start being thankful for Jesus’s birth? 🙂 The only music I’ve been listening to lately is Christmas music, so today I’d like to share with you a favorite holiday album of mine – Christmas Rhapsody by pianist-composer John Bayless. For his […]
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I love Christmas. Like, I really love Christmas. I love how there is an emphasis on spending time with family and being kind to others. I love the cold weather (even though it doesn’t really snow here in western Oregon 🙁 ) and hot chocolate and twinkling lights. But probably the thing I love most about Christmas […]
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