Zurich Herald, 1949-12-15, Page 3Origins of Famous
Christmas Carols
Since that first Christmas when
the angels sang "Glory to God in
the Highest," music has been a
vital part of the holiday seasons
schools, churches and houses ring
with joyous hymns and songs. The
first singing of carols in the streets,
we are told, was in the year 1224,
When we think of Christmas, we
think of the pictures you see on
Christmas cards of houses almost
buried in snow, candles burning in
windows, and carolers grouped
around a doorway, singing with all
their hearts to the distant peal of
church bells. Christmas must have
been picturesque in those days, na
automobiles whizzing by, just the
merry jiugle of sleigh bells.
"Hark, the H erald Angels Sing"
was written in t730 by Charles
Wesley, younger brother of John
'Wesley, who founded the Methodist
denomination, but was not vub-
lisped until 1856. Inspiration for
the poem came to Wesley as he
walked to church one Christmas
morning.
Bishop Phillip Brooks, rector of
the Holy Trinity Church in Phila-
delphia, was asked by his Sunday
school children to write a Christ-
mas song, so in 1868, he produced
"Oh Little Town of Bethlehem"
After- writing the hymn, he went
to the church organist and asked
him to furnish a tune, The organ-
ist, Lewis H. Redner, says the air
came to him in a Christmas dream,
apd it was •finished for the next
day's services.
Origin of "Silent Night"
But most beloved of all Christ-
mas music is "Silent Night, Holy
Night," written, we are told, by
Father Josef Mohr, who found
himself without means of musics
for the Christmas services because
spice had eaten the bellows of the
ehurch organ. Father Josef was
greatly troubled over the calamity,
and as he returned from adminis-
tering rites to a dying woman, he
stood on a hilltop, at midnight, and
it carne to him that it must have
been just such a silent night that
the Christ child was born, so Ise
went home and composed titre words
tee our famous Christmas hymn, •
Then, of course, It needed musics,
Ito he went to his old schoolmaster,
Franz Gruber. And so Franz played
his guitar and Father Josef sang a
Christmas hymn that will never die.
Few shrink of this lovely hymn
without remembering how we once
watched our radio dial at Christmas
time for its rendition by one of
the most beloved of singers, Mme.
Sohuthann-Heink.
Oh, those were days of simplicity
when rectors, casting about for
suitable Christmas programs turned
poets, and organists turned com-
posers to furnish the music, music
that goes on forever!
They would, indeed,"be• gratified
if they could hear our present-day
Christmas programs, pouring out
of a little cabinet in the corner,
their labors of love have come a
long way from that steel guitar and
a gentle voice replacing a nibbled
bellows, they'd be surprised to
learn their flock now does its
Christmas shopping to their in-
spirational tunes:
SAME OLD SANTA
Sauce old Santa, same old joys,
Same old dolls and sleds and toys;
Sante old holly, same old tree,
Satre old gifts for cherubs wee;
Same old carol, same old light,
Same old stockings hung at night;
Same old words of merry cheer,
Same good wishes for the year.
Same old Christmas! Seems to me
That's the way it ought to be.
"C ri
s
� Bethleh
Christmas—When
Did It Begin?
The earliest celebration of the
birth of Christ, on December 25 of •
each year, took place in the fourth
century;- and the custom spread
from the Western to the Eastern
Church. Before that date, the com-
memoration of Christ's Nativity and
Baptism was held on January 6,
The first mention of Christmas is
found in a Roman document known
as the "Philocalian Calendar," in
the year 354, and the first time the
festival was celebrated in Britain
was in 598, when St. Augustine
baptized 10,000 converts.
he the year 567, the Council of
Tours declared a 12 -day festival
from Christmas to Epiphany, and
later-991-1016—the laws of Ethel-
red ordained that all strife should
cease at Christmas. In Germany,
Christmas was established _in 813
by the Synod of Mainz, and in Nor-
way by King Htt1 r i the God, .in
the year 050.
n,�mws•..s-w..e-s-A-w-„-O-b-�-tl-1-�-d-O * M O b 1 0 d^I?-�-*-O-T"""• a -a- -w-a�s w-�T- -o-w-.6 •W -n.-4^4•
Jest 'Fore Christmas
Father calls me William, sister calls me Will,
Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me Bill!
Mighty glad 1 ain't a girl—ruther be a boy,
Without them sashes, curls ,an' things that's worn by Fauntleroyl
Love to chawnk green apples an' go swimmin' in the lake—
Hate to take the castor-ile they give for belly -ache!
'Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain't nes flies on ms,
But jest 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin bet
Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat;
First thing she knows she doesn't know where she is at!
Got a clipper sled, an' when us kids goes out to slide,
'Long comes the grocery cart, an' we all hook a ride!
But sometimes when the grocery roan is worrited an' cross,
He reaches at u$ with his whip, an' larrups up his hoss,
An' then 1 laff an' Miller, "Oh, ye never teched me!”
But jest 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin be!
Gran'nta says she hopes that when 1 git to be a man,
I'll be a missiouarer like her oldest brother, Dan,
As was et up by the cannibuls that lives in Ceylon's Isle,
Where every prospect: pleases, an' only man is vile!
But gran'ma she has never been to see -a Wild West show,
,Nor read the Life of Daniel Boone, or else 1 guess she'd know
That •Buff'lo Bill and cow -boys is good enough for mel
Excep' jest 'afore Christmas, when I'm good 'as I kin be!
And then old Sport he hangs around, so solei ui-like an' still,
His eyes they keep a-sayin': "What's the natter, little Bill?"
The old cat sneaks down off her perch an' wonders what's become:
Of them two enemies of here that used to make things hum!
But I ani so perlite an' 'tend so earnestly to biz,
That mother says to father: "flow improved our Willie is!"
But father, havin' been a boy hiniself, suspicions ire
When, jest 'fore Christmas, Cm as good as 1 kin bel
For Christmas, with its lots an' lots of canities, cakes, an' toys,
Was Made, they say, for proper kids an'. not for naughty boys;
So wash •yer -face an' bresh yer hair, an' mind yer p's an' q's,
Amt' don't-byst out yer pantaloons, an' don't wear out yer shoes;
Say "Yessum" to time ladies, an' "Yessur" to the men,
An' when they's company, don't pass yer plate for pie again;
But, thinkin' of the things yer'd like to see upon that tree,
jest 'fore Christmas be as good as yer kits e!Eue Field [1850-18981
THE HOUSE OF CHRISTMAS
This world is wild as an old wives' tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
13ut our rest is es far, as the fire -drake swinge
And out. peace is put in impossible things
When clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.
To an open house in the cvarnieg
osne shall men come,
o an older place than Eden
t`std a taller town than, Rome:
o the end of the way of the wandering star.
o the things that a: nnot be and that are.
o the place where God was homeless
Anel all men are at hmti'.
Ity G. K. C ll ES rE lt'1'Oi`ti
teti'ri
A Visit From St. Nicholas
`Tomas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all sung in their beds,
While visions of sugar -plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and 1 in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang front the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new -fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and' called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house -top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St, Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As 1 drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound,
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack,
His' eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eYe and a twist of hie head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to hie work,
And filled all the stockings; thele turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whiedf%
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, "ere he drove out of sigk'tt,
"Happy Christmas to alt, and to all a good -night."
cif
Clement Clarke Moore i1779-t8•63k
he hristras Story
OW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judea in the days of Herod the king, be,.
hold, there came wise men from the east
to Jerusalem.
Saying, Where is He that is born King
of the Jews? for we have seen His star its
the east, and are come to worship Him.
When Herod the king had heard these
things he was troubled; and all Jerusalem with him.
.And when he had gathered all the chief priests and
scribes of the people together, he demanded of them
where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem.of Judea: for
thus it is written by the prophet; And thou Bethlehem,
in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes
of Jude: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that
shall rule My people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise
Wren, enquired of them diligently what time the stag
appeared,
And he sent them to Bethlethem, and said, Go and
search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have
found Hirn,bring ine word again, that I may come and
worship Him also.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and
lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before
them, till it came and stood over where the young
Child was.
When theysaw the star, they rejoiced with exceed-
ing
xceeding great joy, And when they were come into •the house,
they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and
fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had
opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts;
gold and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned
of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod,
they departed into their own country another way.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of
the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise,
and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into
Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word : for
Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.
When he arose, he took the young Child and His
mother by night and departed into Egypt: And was
there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Out of Egypt l,avfy T t;a1l.? >.,,y Son.
Matthew 2:1-15.