Joyfully Singing

As we come to the end of this year, it is wonderful to look back on how the Lord has led me and grown me spiritually.  And also to look forward to the ways in which I wish to trust and obey Him more this coming year. This year has been more of a testing year than I have ever really experienced in my short life of sixteen years, and I have felt the Lord's presence more this year, than ever, as a result.  I could list hundreds of ways, yes even thousands, in which the Lord has tested me and disciplined me this year, but I can also list just as many ways in which He has richly opened up the storehouses of heaven and poured down His blessings upon me. Indeed I look not on this past year with much sadness though I have shed more tears this year than usual, I look back on it with joy, knowing that " The Lord chasteneth those who fear Him and scourgeth every son whom He loves".  Yes I know that I am truly His, and because of this alone I am blessed beyond measure.  ...

 Today my younger brother Jedidiah turns eleven years of age. As  I think back over the past years of his life, I have noticed that of all of my brothers, his personality and temperament are very similar to mine. Although he does not share my burning passion for music, he still loves it and I have recently begun to tutor him in violin; for practice to start cello eventually. As he is the third son, and I the third daughter, I find there is a special similarity between us and I can often understand him better than I can my other brothers. Jedidiah is the bookworm, the studious one, the serious one and sometimes the very logical one. I love him dearly. Unfortunately I couldn't find any pictures of him from about four years and on, If I had had enough time I could have found them. However I think you will get the idea of how he grew from the pictures I have here.                 ...

.......The twelve days of a large family Christmas.  As most of you have heard the original song, I thought I would post this one. Its quite amusing and actually quite true if you have a  large family. Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

......Silent night.  This song  has an interesting story behind its writing which I would like to share with you. In 1818, at the Obendorf bei Salzberg, a church in Austria, it was Christmas. There had been a violent snow storm and there was no way for people to get far. Then the organ broke. Because of the snow storm no one could come out and fix it and if there was no organ the parish children feared there would be no Christmas carols for their annual Christmas eve service. And so, on the twenty third of December, a day before the Christmas eve service, Joseph Mohr, who was pastor of the church, gave these beautiful lyrics to the organist Franz Gruber and told him to compose a melody to it that could be sung to a guitar. Gruber stayed up late that night and composed for the poem the soft and dreamy melody that we now know as Silent night.   The video I post below is not as good as I wanted, but I wished to spend as little time as possible searching for videos today....

......Ding Dong merrrily on high.

......On Christmas night. The Sussex carol.  This is a lovely Christmas carol, which, as with the previous one, I learned the tune long before I knew there were any words! I have heard much better arrangements for this song than the one below, but it will at least give you an idea of what it is like if you don't already know it.

.....In the bleak midwinter.  This old and beautiful tune is one that I have known for a long time, but just recently learned the title. The words are lovely too. I didn't know this song had words either until recently.                                                                                      In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, long ago. Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain; Heaven and earth shall flee away when He com...

.....Let all mortal flesh keep silence.    This beautiful old hymn is one that makes you feel transported when arranged correctly. As today is my Mother's birthday, I saved this one for this day as it is her favorite Christmas song. Enjoy!

.....Good king Wenceslas.     This old carol was written about a king who goes to feed a poor man on the feast of saint Stephen. During the journey, the page, who accompanies him, is about to give up because of the cold, but is enabled to continue by following step for step in the king's foot prints. The song ends with a biblical principal by saying, " you who now will bless the poor, will yourselves find blessing."  The king was modeled after a real king, Saint Wenceslas I,  Duke of Bohemia. He was known for His goodness and after his death in 935, he was called a martyr and and a whole sect grew up around him. They exaggerated his goodness to the point where he was considered not just a prince, but the father of all the wretched. Although Wenceslas was, during his lifetime, only a duke, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, conferred on him the regal dignity of a king, and that is why, in  legends and songs, he is referred to as a "king".  So below is a very ...

.....Lo how a rose ere blooming.   This is a lovely old carol that most of you have probably heard of, so I am posting it in German which was its original language by the title of  " Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen" .  Just in case you don't know it, I am posting the words in English below.                                                                                                                           Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung! Of Jesse's lineage coming, as men of old have sung. It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter, When half spent was the night. ...

The carol of the bells..... This is one of the songs I learned  this year, its beautiful. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

.......Handel's Messiah- For unto us a child is born I love Handel's Messiah. Some day I think it would be fun to sing or play in a performance of it, but in the more immediate future I would like to attend a  live performance of the entire piece. Lord willing I will have that opportunity sometime. For now here is a short clip of one of the more popular sections. Enjoy!   Just as a note, it is really interesting to me that Messiah is totally based on prophesy from the old testament about the coming of Christ as you will see in this clip and through the whole piece if you have heard it all.

.....O come O come Emanuel. This song is one of the oldest Christmas songs that we still have. The tune was thought to have either originated from a 15th Century French processional hymn  for Franciscan nuns, or an eighth century Gregorian chant. It is a delight to the soul. Enjoy!

.....God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember, Christ, our Savior Was born on Christmas day To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy From God our Heavenly Father A blessed Angel came; And unto certain Shepherds Brought tidings of the same: How that in Bethlehem was born The Son of God by Name. O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy The shepherds at those tidings Rejoiced much in mind, And left their flocks a-feeding In tempest, storm and wind, And went to Bethlehem straightway, This blessed Babe to find: O tidings of comfort and joy,  Comfort and joy O tidings of comfort and joy   But when to Bethlehem they came, Whereat this Infant lay, They found Him in a manger, Where oxen feed on hay; His mother Mary kneeling, Unto the Lor...

Over the past ages, Christmas has been a very controversial subject. Many people have rejected it outright as a replacement for an old pagan holiday. Others have rightly put it aside because it nearly turned into a pagan holiday as in the days of the Pilgrims and Puritans. On the other hand, some have gone way to far in fantasizing the Christmas theme making it seem like a perfect experience filled with perfect people; as the Italians did with their extravagant presipi promoted by King Carlo in 1734. Still others, in modern days have totally forgotten what Christmas represents and turn it into "Santa Claus day".  Christmas, as you may guess from the name, was started by the Catholics; originally called Christ's Mass. Some say it was for the Roman Christians who were used to celebrating their pagan holiday, Saternalia, around this time, and wanted something else to replace it. However it was, Jesus was most likely not born in the wintertime nor in the snow as the song ...

As we enter the Christmas season this is one of the songs I love to listen to. The words are not profound, but the tune is absolutely stunning!  I will write more on this season later. Until then, Merry Christmas to you all.