Show 4 I 1 V IA V A I 1 q 1 I X T vi ji if ag T Z lizia 1 I 14 1 aw 0 T by ELMO acott WATSON drawing by ry ray walters INH NE of the interesting bevel of the celebration of christmas tn in am america rica la Is the revival of the ancient custom of 0 singing christmas carols on christmas eve and the increasing observance of that custom in ylli all parts of the country of course we have in 11 ve always had sortie some christmas carol singing varying g in prevalence in different parts of the country and confined mainly to the christmas exercises in church and school bythe by the children dren just before the he holiday bb lIday but in the ille hurry and haste 0 this moderno modern high speed age and our in P many any respects fro from m th the old forms forni of observing wa day the singing of carols carola la is one custom which has been allowed to lapa to a great extent it Is interesting to note however that the christmas carol la Is staging a comeback and chatin that n places where its appearance seems all the th mare more because it la is tn in the very leentes leen center tei of our modern commercialism inmany in of the bli big depart department deparini ni anti stores lia la tho the large cIt cities cilles les in hotels hotels and in restaurants groups of musicians dressed in the costumes of old england are playing and singing christ mas carols during the week before christmas in s some ome of the railroad stations in the bli big cillis hurrying commuters and other railway travelers ais are surprised to hear the sound or 0 moices singing old fashioned christ Chr lati mas was carols pealing out through tile the cathedral lelce spaces of wes these great structures and upon pausing for a moment they see eliat ta the singing comes from froin a balcony overlooking the coil concourse course and that it la Is a trained choir of many voices which esthus la Is thus adling adding to the christmas spirit la in evl evi i dunce dence everywhere the first christmas carol Is said to berthat be that sung by the heavenly host when the birth of christ was a announced n to tiie shepherds shen herds here Is it a description of 0 that sling singing lingas as told by st luket althere there were in the samo same coun country t ry shepherds abiding in the field k keep berin lna watch over their theirl locks by night A and tid lo 10 the ansel angel of the lord came upon them and the glory of the lord shone roundabout them olid they were a gore ro afraid and theu the angel said unto them fear fea fearnot not for behold albring I 1 bring you go rood od tidings of great joy shall be to all VL people for unto you sou Is born this day jn in lite city I 1 of darld a savior r blikh which Is christ the lord and this shalli be a sign unto you ye shoot find and tie tae babe wrapped in swaddling lilcik in a manger and bud denly there ther ewas was aith with alie angel a multitude of the liea heavenly voly host praising gofland singing glory bogod to god in the bli highest liest andon earth peace gao glod d will ua to yard men probably the practice of singing at christmas rose in imitation of this as odthe of the carols carol abw good tidings of brent joy boyi the word cerop carol alts comes from bibro two latin words feanle to slug joyfully or alt it avns I 1 defila deD 1 lan a curious of 11 to I 1 alza n ik 1 i know you iou aliat Is a carol ris singling singing YOM praise of god isyou it you praise god and sing not you utter no carol i I 1 it if you iou sing and arne pra not god you utter no carol layo it ou praise anything which doe donnot apper appertain talin to the praise of god though n singing you praise you utter jocarol no carol it Is a curious fact that th atthe the singing of encols enrols birol like many it of our other christiana ru stoma owes something to a pagan as well J as a christian origin tho the early church found that all pagan religions c celebrated the birth of a new year the druids druies gathered mistletoe Is our day of christmas the romans homans belt belli 1 their satur saturnalia nalla the persians held agricultural ceremonies addid as did the chinese Theop lillos bishop of caesarea Cae toward we the middle of the second century recommended the ob observance observant c e ot of the birthday of oui our lord on what d day ay so boeyer eyer the of decem december er shall happen there follows a definite statement that the first official carol was gloria in Excil sis D deo eo and thi the year in which it was sung on the he new date was wa A D thus the church chore h was a a able biblo to profit from the mood of merriment wi e raiment created by the ille pagans kigans the spirit of joy from many religions was merged into that of one many litany elgh churchmen in the ancient times opposed the introduction of song into the solemn soler uon moments moment no power dower however could stern stem the tide of innocent song which had invaded religious observance the first crusade preached rea clied bi by urban bibin in 1005 1095 gave impetus to the troubadour movement ment and nj the the holidays for five centuries were to resound with the songs of theli inspiration by 1500 carol singing was widespread in europe and was being introduced into england I 1 in ll 11 the england of today wandering bands 0 minstrels or watts waits preserve toe the old customs by going from house to io house piping christmas tunes on reed instruments tind and singing caging car carols oils amay it may be this that they sing wassail Wat sall wassail assail I 1 to our town towal I 1 the bowl Is white and the ate ale Is brown the bowa Is made of the rosemary tree and an so la Is the ale of the good goodbr baglee lee little maid little tirl the pint pill I 1 I 1 open the door and abit let us come in I 1 or they may lift up their voices to in this equall carol here us ui comes a 2 wassailing was sailing salling under i the holly green ereen here cereus us comes a wandering so merry to be been good juck ilick good bood plaster Alaster kHod Hodgin eln and kind mistress also alio and pill all the flitalo flitt lo childr children enthat that round the table goit eol I 1 your pockets fall ut of money your cupboards full of 0 good cheer A merry christmas outwards and a happy I 1 new yearl year I 1 the poor women an ana d chir ch dren lYdien tilso also sing carols on the streets and jaro are given eh en calica by those who listen i S some 0 m 0 of the carol singers carry peaked d lan ian terns to light themon them thein on their wai way the aig in of aloe aule L log in engh f land was the occasion of a joyous ceremony and the singing of merry songs such as the boars baars head C carol rol still sung at oxford at christmas goes as follows the boars baars head in hand bear I 1 with bays bass and rosemary and I 1 pray you my nin masters bomert be merri estis in con caput apri defero reddens laudes domino t bour our steward hath baill provided tilts this ato ln honor hanoi of tile the king of bliss which on tilts tills day to be served Is id n atrio caput aart deberc reddens eddens Il laudes domino I 1 almost every land has its own owai christmas carols they are called or Kristi leder in germany france and caro carols la england in russia the ancient kolyada tC songs once sung sting to pagan gods now dedicated dedicate d to the christian saints are sung about the streets it to la to austria la however that we 1 are arg indebted for foi one of our best I 1 known of all christmas songs for SlI silent ent N night g it hild had its i origin in tl a simple or tire echi e chi christmas ii mos party par ty to which I 1 ii a young priest joseph mohr was invited in oberndorf Obero dorfi near salsburg in ln 1818 at at oberndorf etwas it awas the custom shortly before chor christmas istman tor or wandering comedians from I 1 the nearby near by village arage ot of lauten lot tife a to give crude representations of the christ mas story as recounted in alie bible A nei named maler invited joseph mohr young assistant priest i who had recently come to the vill village it go i from salzburg r 91 to be life his guest at a a 1 allt tittle cleparty tle party As asa B special surprise for all alie priest maler maier arranged ifor for the comedians from lauren to stage their festival I 1 play at hi his home shome the thoughtful hospitality of the staler maier couple coupled 7 and the touching simplicity of the festival feit estiva ival play so stirred the thi young priest that instead of going straightway home come lie he climbed the so called rotenburg roten barg mountain odthe of the dead overlooking oberndorf and stood there in kedit meditation aaion th sl lence ot of the night the blink ing in g ot of the them aars abe murmur of the salzach river all inspired nn quickly ai lie e descended toi to his house and lite late that night the afie words to stalle were written the next day he be hurried to his chum and coworker co worker franz gruber village organist and school teacher lie he ri requested quested his friend to write the music tor for his song happy at tills this opportunity gruber composed the inelo melody dythal clial Is known perhaps to more any other single melody Chri s quins eve olf of 1819 came and the pilat and the teacher were rea ready dy to offer the coill song fortnet for the thet first time un fortunately the org organ arlof of st nicola about opt of commission that night for a iii moment it seemed w ni though the he were to bei be cheated out 6 ot this i unique pram premiere lere rut but bruber yan back to his homeland home and got his guitar boits to its accompaniment Al lloyc and gruber then sang stills r or r th the e fir first st aln time e asick as a duet coq EI ar by Wc W itro wp ater union |