And here we are on Christmas Eve. Time does pass us by so quickly. You all probably noticed how I harped on one theme and exactly one throughout this entire week and a half. That of the absolute Greatness of God in coming down to become flesh for us. I'm hoping that writing about it so many times has helped it sink in to my own life this Christmastide.

  To wrap things up this season, I am doing something unusual for me. I am sharing a very modern song which isn't necessarily a Christmas song and definitely not a carol.

 However, there's always room to break the mold, and this song really beautifully sums up what Christmas is all about.

The Authors of this song are an Irish couple who have written a lot of really beautiful hymns and tour America very often. Let me know if you guessed who I was referring to simply by reading that sentence.

     My friends, I had a commentary all prepared for this song, but then I realized the song doesn't need a commentary...the words say it all.

 Enjoy this beautiful song, Fullness of Grace, by Keith and Kristyn Getty, and Stuart Townsend.

     It was once humorously pointed out by a friend of mine just how many of the English carols speak about snow. As one person on a youtube comment feed put it, English carols talk about Snow, inventories of the animals in the stable, snow, and more snow. In a sense this is true and the ironic thing is that there was probably no snow anywhere near the place or time in which Jesus was born. The mischief has been done though. Most of us now associate Christmas with snow.
  On the whole it's quite harmless. Snow is a beautiful medium by which to remember Christ's birth. So, tonight I share with you a snowy carol, one of my favorites, with a different tune from what most of you are probably used to hearing. However, it's not the tune of "In the Bleak Midwinter" I wish you to notice tonight, as much as the actual words once one gets past the first verse!

Especially notice the second verse:


     Indeed, what can we give Him this season, poor as we are? The one thing we posses and the one thing He asks; Our hearts.

        We've all heard the popular question, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make noise?" Many and varied are the answers given, both lighthearted and scientific, and anyone's intuition can answer the question simply, however, one child's answer has always been my favorite. In a nature magazine question forum where one child asked the question another answered saying, "but of course it makes noise because God is always there to hear it." This simple answer struck me. We can come up with scientific retorts all we want but in the end, the question is non-existent because God is always present to hear every tree that ever falls.

 John Rutter is probably my favorite contemporary choral composer. Last year I shared with you all my favorite of his Christmas works, "What Sweeter Music," and this year I thought I'd share another very high on my list, "The Shepherd's Pipe Carol."
   
    In this lively song, the narrator speaks of hearing a shepherd boy merrily caroling on the way to Bethlehem. He asks the boy why he sings so merrily since no one will hear him, but the boy replies that though none will hear him, he will continue to carol as it will be a lullaby for the newborn King. The identity of the narrator is then revealed as one of the Shepherds in the scriptural account as he then asks for permission to accompany the boy to Bethlehem since He was met by Angels in the fields telling him to seek out a newborn King.
  I love the message brought by Rutter....in the words of the Shepherd boy,

         I must apologize, my friends for missing the last three days. Things got rather busy. Anyhow, at first I was worried...how would I make up the extra days. Then this afternoon I realized something....the world won't come to the end if there are only nine carols of Christmas this year, and my dear readers will give me slack seeing that I'm trying to finish up Principles of Harmony while having just played a large role in my sister getting married.

       Shortly after lunch today, my two youngest brothers aged 12 and 9 went about paying me some money they owed which amounted to two dollars each. The older one, Tobias, came up first and deposited two crisp dollars in my hand saying seriously, "here you are, those are brand new by the way." Not a minute passed before the other one, Benaiah, came dashing up the stairs after having spent some time hunting down his wallet. "Two very crumpled dollars coming right up," he said with a smirk, smashing the worn bills into my hand. I couldn't help letting out a giggle at the boy's way of putting things, but then it struck me suddenly how different the two were. Tobias would never dream of losing his wallet and is very proud of new, neat, clean things, even when it comes down to one dollar bills. Benaiah throws his stuff about anywhere there's a physical space for it, and finds a lot of his rather unconventional ways, including the fact that he was handing over crumpled money, rather amusing. This reminded me of the fact that every single person has his own unique perks and characteristics which make him completely different from every single other person, and I wondered if Jesus had any interesting quirks....that sounds rather foreign to those of us of the protestant persuasion and I assure you my friends I have no intention of supposing any sort of theology off of what can only amount to useless speculation, however, it did make me think of the Christmas carol "What Child is This."

   Not much is known about this well-known English carol written in  1865 by William Chatterton Dix. They say that Dix, an insurance company manager, had been struck by illness and underwent a spiritual revival during which he wrote the lyrics for this beautiful carol. The tune, Greensleeves, goes back to at least the sixteenth century.

"What Child is This?" Dix asks rhetorically, but continues to answer the question anyway, "This, This is Christ the King." 

 The second verse of the song has always been my favorite, as Dix asks again, "Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding?" But then he goes on and says something rather profound, "Good Christian fear, for sinners here, the silent word is pleading."And then in case anyone had any doubt as to what Dix meant by the silent word, he goes on to clarify, "Nails, Spear shall pierce Him through, the cross be born for me for you. Hail, Hail the word made flesh, the babe the son of Mary."

   How often do we remember that Jesus is the Word. That the Word "became flesh and dwelt among us." There, as a babe lying in a feeding trough, the Silent word was pleading for us sinners. What a sobering thought.

   Of all the different individuals out there in the world, of all who have ever been born, there is One who stands out from everyone. One who was destined to truly save the world. The babe, the son of Mary.

One note...I picked the version above because the harmonies are simply magnificent, however, they treat the the second half of verse one as a chorus and use it as such for the three verses omitting the second half of verses two and three....it was a trade-off! Below I share the three verses in their entirety.

       Heinrich Suese, the supposed author of In Dulci Jubilo, according to foklore is said to have heard angels singing the words and "joined them in a dance of worship." Whether or not this is actually the case, I am in no position to speculate, however, when sung by a choir the song really does sound like it is being sung by angels.

   In my case I first knew this song as John Mason Neale's translation "Good Christian men Rejoice." But many feel that Neale was too free with his translation and lost the feel of the song. I also feel this way the more I listen to Robert Lucas de Pearsall's version, a closer adaption with keeps the macaronic nature of the original lyrics.

  Macaronic, my friends, does not have anything to do with pasta. The term simply refers to a song which has been written in two different languages; in this case, German and Latin.

 Neale made a very loose translation of the song entirely into English while de Pearsall translated only the German, much more closely I might add, while leaving the Latin intact. To see what I mean, take a look at the different versions below.

 First, the original text of the first verse. The Latin is italicized:

  
      I think the most beloved Christmas carols of today were either written in English or translated into it very quickly. Today I wish to introduce you all to one which is best sung in its original tongue, Spanish. In fact I don't believe that a translation of Riu Riu Chiu has ever been attempted.

    First off, the nonsense syllables "Riu Riu Chiu" are intended to represent the call of a kingfisher who scared off the wolf purposing to bite Mary. It is with this cheerful and somewhat absurd chorus which this lively song begins, and first verse is not much better with some rather fanciful lines about Mary, but then the song goes deep.
 
 Take the second verse for example; it is actually quite profound.

        They say the Irish saved civilization. Today they saved my blog.

The wexford carol is a beautiful old Irish song whose tune probably originated in the late 1700's though the words probably go even further about two-hundred years. As I listened to this haunting carol, I was struck by the depth of the words and how more of us could stand to sing this song around Christmas.


It begins with an exhortation reminding us about what Christ has done:

Good people all, this Christmas time,

Consider well and bear in mind

What our good God for us has done

In sending his beloved son.

It continues in the next verses to detail the shepherds hearing about Jesus, rejoicing when the see Him and the wise men coming from afar to seek Him.

   Many singers end this song by repeating the first verse again which I find quite appropriate. When we get too overwhelmed with the world's attempt to commercialize Christmas this season, good people, it might be well to "Consider well and bear in mind what our good God for us has done."

 Enjoy this lovely rendition by one of my favorite singers, Julie Andrews

Good people all, this Christmas time,

Consider well and bear in mind

What our good God for us has done

In sending his beloved son

With Mary holy we should pray,

To God with love this Christmas Day

In Bethlehem upon that morn,

There was a blessed Messiah born.

The night before that happy tide,

The noble Virgin and her guide

Were long time seeking up and down

To find a lodging in the town.

But mark right well what came to pass

From every door repelled, alas,

As was foretold, their refuge all

Was but a humble ox's stall.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep

Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep

To whom God's angel did appear

Which put the shepherds in great fear

Arise and go, the angels said

To Bethlehem, be not afraid

For there you'll find, this happy morn

A princely babe, sweet Jesus, born.

With thankful heart and joyful mind

The shepherds went the babe to find

And as God's angel had foretold

They did our Saviour Christ behold

Within a manger he was laid

And by his side a virgin maid

Attending on the Lord of Life

Who came on earth to end all strife.

There were three wise men from afar

Directed by a glorious star

And on they wandered night and day

Until they came where Jesus lay

And when they came unto that place

Where our beloved Messiah lay

They humbly cast them at his feet

With gifts of gold and incense sweet

 

      I like to think that as we wrap presents and lay them under the tree in the coming weeks, we will remember the gift of God's son, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, that He might bear the sin of many and intercede for us the transgressors.

      His parents died oversees serving as missionaries when he was six, he was raised by the Moravians and ended up running a radical newspaper which propagated ideas as shocking as abolition! However, on Christmas Eve of 1816 something strikingly different appeared in the radical pages of the Sheffield Iris it was a Christmas poem which began with the dreamy lines:

     Welcome, good people, to the glorious advent season. Normally I save songs such as the one I intend to reintroduce for further along in the month. Usually on Christmas or Christmas Eve, however, I thought this year I'd jostle it up.
 
  It all started this morning as I was driving to a lesson. I turned on the classical station and lo and behold what was playing but the Cambridge choir; it was the Cambridge Choir no less, conducted by John Rutter himself, singing his own arrangement of O Holy Night. I must say it was so beautiful that a couple times I almost forgot that I was driving!

  The interesting thing about O Holy Night is that it was actually commissioned by a French Catholic Bishop in 1847 for a Christmas mass. The poet in Question, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was no church man, his life was wrapped up in the selling of wines, yet still, an excellent poet. Adolph Charles Adams, the author of the tune was not one we would expect to fine in the line-up of Christmas Carol writers. As a Jewish man, the beautiful poem named "Cantique de Noel" embodied a day he didn't celebrate and yet, as a friend of Cappeau, he went to work to compose the tune we have today. The song immediately gained popularity all over France, but when Cappeau walked away from the church and became a socialist, along with it being discovered that Adams was a Jew, the French church banned it saying that "it was unfit for musical services because of its lack of musical taste and "total absence of the spirit of religion.""
     I found it amazing how great was the power of association, and also it seems a warning for us...two sinners came together an wrote a beautiful song, and when the church found out they were sinners it was out with the song as well. What a lesson for all of us this Christmas season. True, sometimes the association can taint the thing itself but one must be discerning. In this case, the song "O Holy Night" remains pure and true though those who penned it were not.
    It was a Holy Night when Christ was born, what Christ did was wonderful...coming down to a world which had long lain in sin, and in error pining.

   This morning as I listened to the beautiful strains of this song, I noticed again how rich the words were and determined that this should be the song to start off this series this year.

 
  Let us proclaim His power and His glory no matter what betide us this season. Remember He is our Lord and to our weakness's He is no stranger.


  

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the intriguing world of Barbershop. Remember how last post I mentioned not one but two things which had pushed me to stop stalling in the blogging world? One of those things was barbershop music. As I explored the genre this summer I kept thinking how I must share this with anyone still devoted enough to follow my blog after nearly ten months of absence.

  So, my dearly beloved followers, allow me to start by explaining to any of you who are clueless, as I was when I first heard the name, what Barbershop is.

 The name actually originated from the old tradition of Barbershops being the social gathering place in a town where men would catch each other up on the latest news, discuss politics and perhaps even try out a few melodies together. Barbershop music refers to the Barbershop Quartet, an a-Capella singing group usually all male. The style is characterized by consonant four part chords.The voices are the Lead, a tenor who usually sings the melody, the Tenor, who harmonizes above the melody, the Bass who sings the root of chord, or, in non-music-theory terms, the lowest notes, and the Baritone who harmonizes below the melody. The groups are compose either of four individual singers or a larger group of singers harmonizing in the same style much like a traditional choir, this is called a Barbershop "Chorus" rather than a "Quartet." Usually the songs sung are simple and elevate a-Capella harmonies, to quote the statement made by The Barbershop Harmony Society,
    "Barbershop music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies, whose tones clearly define a tonal center and imply major and minor chords and barbershop (dominant and secondary dominant) seventh chords that resolve primarily around the circle of fifths, while making frequent use of other resolutions."

  Confusing? Maybe a little unless you studied music. Suffice it to say the harmonies produced in barbershop are distinct from any other style of singing out there and the best way to realize that is by actually listening to it. So, for demonstration purposes, allow me to present the Quartet, "Instant Classic," winners of the 2015 national Barbershop championship, singing a mushy love song very beautifully!
       Notice how the bass often holds out the tonal note below while the other singers move above him. Also notice how each voice moves independently almost in a melody of it's own while keeping in perfect harmony. This style takes a lot of skill to pull off smoothly, and I listen in awe every time I hear these singers fly flawlessly over these fast paced songs and difficult notes, not to mention key changes and keeping perfect time, all without metronome or piano to keep them in line.
  Another thing I'd like to point out is the order in which the quartet stands. There isn't any hard and fast rule on this except that the Lead and Bass usually stand next to each other in the middle because the Bass is basically the metronome and helps keep the Lead, and by extension the other two, on time, the Tenor and the Baritone are free to stand on which ever end the Quartet deems best. In this case, however, and it seems to be the most common arrangement, the order from left to right is Baritone, Bass, Lead, Tenor. I've seen it flipped, as in from right to left, but the order still remains arranged the same.
  With all this mind boggling information ricocheting around inside your brain right now, allow me to introduce you to another of my favorite arrangement from this genre, "I Got Rhythm," sung by 2016 Champion quartet, "Forefront."

   
     Notice how the Bass and Baritone switch places when the Bass takes the solo so that the harmony stays unified. One has also got to admire the Bass and Tenor for their tremendous lung power in holding those single notes out for a preposterously long section of time.
  
   So, now that you have had a taste of a couple classic barbershop pieces, allow me to share with you one very funny example of what happens when a Barbershop Quartet turns comedian. A good friend of mine introduced this one to me recently and I couldn't stop laughing through the entire seven minutes of it's duration. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you will, Lunch Break now sings "Old McDonald's Deformed Farm."
So yes, Barbershop is not only difficult, complex and witty, it can also be funny.

 Once you have recovered from your laughing fit, perhaps you should try seeing something that is a delight to the eyes as well as to the ears. Barbershop chorus's tend to add complexity to their performances by adding movement and some simple dancing into their numbers... for an example of this, my favorite is "Top of The World" sung by Ambassadors of Harmony. Remember that this is all a-Capella and the ones dancing are singing just as loud as those not.
The choreography is very smooth as well as entertaining, not to mention revealing how much fun the singers seem to be having. Chorus's like these make some modern singing groups look rather lousy, what with their precision in singing while having to keep track of the moves throughout this entire number.
   

 Finally, however, my forbearing readers, this post would not be complete without showing you the utter beauty of this genre. If you are at all like me, be prepared to cray, and no matter what you are like be assured that you will be moved by Instant Classic's "How Could I Ever Know."

  Thank-you  for joining me on this tour through Barbershop....I hope you all were as taken as I was by this fascinating genre, and if you were already in love with it, I hope my tour was able to remind you why you love it so much.

   It was lovely of you to stop by and I hope you will join me tomorrow as we embark on my annual tradition of the twelve songs of Christmas.