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Christmas Gift
White Christmas - This Irving Berlin standard has become one
of the most recorded songs of all time. First heard in the movie
"Holiday Inn" in 1942 (winning the Oscar for Best Song that year),
it was featured again in the 1954 movie "White Christmas", becoming
a signature song of Bing Crosby. I began recording my Christmas CD
with this song on one of the hottest days of the year in early July.
The lesser-known verse, where "the sun is shining, the grass is
green, the orange and the palm trees sway" seemed appropriate to
include on such a hot day.
Christmas Time Is Here - This Vince Guaraldi tune from 1966,
featured in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" has become a Christmas
standard. Even though it is a relatively new song, when we first
hear this charming melody, we know that the Christmas season is just
around the corner.
Do You Here What I Hear? - Noel Regney (1922-2002), a WWII
veteran, wrote this seasonal standard with his wife, Gloria Shayne,
as a plea for peace at the time of the Cuban missile crisis in
October 1962. He wrote the lyrics, based on his vision of a newborn
lamb, and then handed them to his wife, asking her to write the
tune, the reverse of their usual songwriting procedure. There are
numerous recorded versions now, in musical styles ranging from Jazz
and New Age to Funk and Reggae. One of the earliest recordings of
the song by Bing Crosby in 1963 sold more than a million copies.
Night Of Silence / Silent Night - Composed by Daniel Kantor
in 1984, this song has made its way into hymnals, concert settings
and recordings all over the world. To be sung simultaneously with
"Silent Night", Daniel’s song is placed squarely in the season of
Advent, a time of spiritual emptying, darkness, longing and
anticipation. The text was inspired in part by the northwoods of
Wisconsin and the sparkle of freshly fallen snow in the moonlight on
a sub-zero winter’s night.
Angels We Have Heard On High - The present-day version of
this carol began with the French carol "Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes",
anonymously translated and set to the French tune “Gloria” in the
early 1800s. I recall first singing this song in elementary school
where we would all try to sing the "Glo- - - - ria" on one breathe.
Merry Christmas With Love - I have loved this song since I
first heard it on Sandi Patti’s album "The Gift Goes On" released in
1983. For many people, Christmas can be a lonely time. I think this
song expresses so well how a simple and caring gesture, expressed
even to someone we don’t know, can mean so much.
Silver Bells - Featured in the movie "The Lemon Drop Kid"
(1951), Silver Bells has become one of the most popular Christmas
songs of all time. The piece started out as "Tinkle Bells", but the
writers were advised to choose a more appropriate title. The lyrics
are unusual in that they describe the holiday in the city, and not
in a rural setting. Composers Jay Livingston and Ray Evans have
given us other popular standards such as "Que Sera, Sera", "Tammy"
and "Mona Lisa".
Christmas Lullaby - I first heard this beautiful song on
Barbra Streisand’s "Christmas Memories", released in 2001. The
composer, Anne Hampton Callaway, is one of the finest
singer/songwriters of our time. I was drawn to this song because of
its melody. With the heartwarming message of the lyrics, I think
this song will become a seasonal favorite.
Silent Night - This carol was written on Christmas Eve in
1818 in Oberndorf, Austria. One common story was that the organ at
St. Nicholas Church was broken. Others claim that there is no
evidence for this and that Father Joseph Mohr, the assistant pastor
at the church, requested the instrumentation simply because he loved
guitar music. In any event, Mohr had written a poem "Stille Nacht"
in 1816. On December 24, 1818 he gave the poem to his friend, the
church organist, Franz Gruber. Gruber immediately composed the
melody and arranged it for two voices, choir and guitar. It was
finished in time to be performed that night at the Midnight Mass.
O Little Town Of Bethlehem - Phillip Brooks, one of the
greatest preachers of 19th Century America, wrote this popular carol
in 1868 after visiting The Holy Land. The experience of spending
Christmas Eve in Bethlehem made an indelible impression on the young
preacher. While pastor at Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia,
Brooks asked organist, Lewis Redner, to set the words to music. Only
the night before the carol was to be ready for the congregation to
sing did Redner have an inspiration for the tune, which he quickly
jotted down, filling in the harmony the next morning. Redner always
claimed later that the inspiration for his melody was "heaven-sent".
Away In A Manger - First printed in 1885 in Pennsylvania,
this simple carol has become associated with three different
melodies. The melody for verse one was written by James Murray in
1887. The second verse features another melody composed by William
Kirkpatrick in Philadelphia in the 1890s. The traditional "Flow
Gently, Sweet Afton" serves as the melody for the final verse.
The Christmas Song - On a blistering hot California day in
July 1945, Mel Torme and Robert Wells wrote this smooth and
sentimental favorite of the holiday season. Completed in about
forty-five minutes, they introduced their song to Nat King Cole, who
fell in love with the tune, making his definitive recording in 1946.
With its generic title, the song is also known by the more neutral
first line, "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire".
The Prayer (duet with Jennie Emery) - It is always a great
pleasure to perform with my friend, Jennie Emery. We have performed
"The Prayer" many times over the years, so I was very happy when
Jennie agreed to join me in the studio to include it on my Christmas
CD. Most recordings of this piece feature both the English and
Italian lyrics. I have adapted the lyrics for the all-English
version in our recording.
'Til The Season Comes 'Round Again - Originally recorded by
Kenny Rogers in 1993 and more recently covered by Reba McEntire, Amy
Grant and Vince Gill, this heartfelt wish to cherish the special
times during the season makes a perfect final song....."and we’ll
all join hands and remember this moment, 'til the season comes
'round again". Co-writer Randy Goodrum also gave us one of Anne
Murray’s most popular songs, "You Needed Me". |