Favourite Christmas Music

[Sir Velo]

I suppose strictly it is Christmas music, as it's a 'babe-cam' view of the birth of the Christ child, ain't it?

I always assumed Traherne's verse referred to the wide-eyed wonder which the poet feels on his introduction to the world. Isn't "From dust I rise and out of nothing now awake,
These brighter regions which salute my eyes!" applicable to any new born babe?

Have to dig out my copy of the Penguin Book of Metaphysical Verse for a re-perusal. Maybe I'm reading it with too secular a view.

[vinteuil]

I suppose strictly it is Christmas music, as it's a 'babe-cam' view of the birth of the Christ child, ain't it?

... I don't know the Finzi (now there's a surprise! ) - but the Traherne pieces are surely about any child, and are not about Jesus. See what you think - wiki helpfully provides the text :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_Natalis_(cantata)

[Sir Velo]

... I don't know the Finzi (now there's a surprise! ) -

Now there's a reasoned judgment!

[Nick Armstrong]

applicable to any new born babe?

...the Traherne pieces are surely about any child, and are not about Jesus.

Ah you are doubtless both right. As usual, I don't pay as much attention to the words of a piece, other than in a vaguely impressionistic sense, as to the music ("Prima la musica, dopo le parole"...).

[rauschwerk]

I recommend Alexander L'Estrange's gorgeous setting of the Lute-book Lullaby. It's to be found on the Tenebrae album Mother and Child.

[mercia]

Radio 4 history of carols in 10 X 15 minute episodes, daily 1:45pm, omnibus Fridays 9:00pm with Jeremy Summerly - starting tomorrow

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03m34d8

[Serial_Apologist]

Couldn't they get Jeremy Winterly?

[Beef Oven!]

Thinking of a white Christmas, I'd recommend Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry's yuletide classic, 'Talk About The Weather'.

[mercia]

Couldn't they get Jeremy Winterly?

ho-ho-ho

[mercia]

plenty of Britten at this year's 9 lessons

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03m79cv

and female composers well represented

[jean]

... I don't know the Finzi (now there's a surprise! ) - but the Traherne pieces are surely about any child, and are not about Jesus...

Sometimes it's the reverse - Byrd's Lullaby, my sweet little Baby seems to be about any child, and then you realise it's more specific:

Lullaby, my sweet little baby, what meanest Thou to cry?
Be still, my blessed Babe, though cause Thou hast to mourn,
Whose blood most innocent to shed the cruel king has sworn;
And lo, alas! behold what slaughter he doth make,
Shedding the blood of infants all, sweet Saviour, for Thy sake.
A King is born, they say, which King this king would kill.
O woe and woeful heavy day when wretches have their will!
Lulla, la-lulla, lulla, lullaby.

Likewise Pichard Pygott's exquisite Quid petis, O fili?

I can't find the words online, so you'll just have to listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V--OXW7-eKA

[ardcarp]

The Slaughter of the Innocents. If I had to choose my single most moving piece of music it's Byrd's Lullably, the viols and solo voice version. It brings tears to the eyes every time. Caroline Trevor and Red Byrd do it pretty well.

[Nick Armstrong]

Lullably

Lullably jubbly

On the subject of the more 'minor key' aspects of the season, I'd nominate Bax's setting of "This Worldes Joie". Lovely performance from King's College Choir under Cleobury http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Worldes-Joie/dp/B001JYR72U but this by Schola Cantorum is good too http://www.musicline.de/de/player_fl...0/0/50/product


Haunting text:

WYNTER wakeneth al my care,
Now this leves waxeth bare;
Ofte I sike ant mourne sare
When it cometh in my thought
Of this worldes joie, how it goth al to nought.

Now it is, and now it nys,
Al so it ner nere, ywys;
That moni mon seith, soth it ys:
Al goth bote Godes wille:
Alle we shalle die, though us like ille.

Al that gren me graueth grene,
Nou hit faleweth albydene:
Jesu, help that hit be sene
Ant shild us from helle!
For y not whider y shal, ne hou longe her duelle.


GLOSS:

this leves] these leaves.
sike] sigh.
nys] is not.
al so hit ner nere] as though it had never been.
soth] sooth.
bote] but, except.
faleweth] fadeth.
albydene] altogether.
y not whider] I know not whither.
her duelle] here dwell.

[clive heath]

..............prompted by the thread, just enjoying "Navidad Nuestro" by Ariel Ramirez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJT5GXgvqjM

..............looking for another favourite, "Black Nativity" a collection of seasonal gospel songs arranged into a show which came to London in the 60s, but no luck so I'll have to dig out my own LP see if I can't make it available.

[Padraig]

..............

..............looking for another favourite, "Black Nativity" a collection of seasonal gospel songs arranged into a show which came to London in the 60s, but no luck so I'll have to dig out my own LP see if I can't make it available.

I have on tape a radio shot which I made a long time ago of a black singer singing Handel's "And He shall feed his flock". I know she was in a group at the time but I can't recall the names. There was a narrator who sounded a lot like Richard Burton, and the whole thing was a very pleasant popular arrangement of the wonderful aria. It was a poor recording, but I never heard it again or since. I think I remember "Black Messiah" or "Black Nativity".
Does this ring a bell, clive heath? I always thought I would have liked to hear more of.... that performance. I still play the recording I have.