This morning's Friday Five from RevGalBlogPals encourages us to reflect on Christmas music good, bad and ugly.
1. A favorite 'secular' Christmas song.
Rebel Jesus by Jackson Browne or Home By Another Way by James Taylor
2. Christmas song that chokes you up (maybe even in spite of yourself--the cheesier the better)The last verse of It Came Upon a Minight Clear
For Lo, the days are hastening on, by prophet bards foretold
When with the ever circling years comes round the age of gold
When Peace shall over all the earth her solemn splendors fling
And all the world give back the song that now the angels sing.
3. Christmas song that makes you want to stuff your ears with chestnuts roasted on an open fire.
O Holy Night sang by a warbly soprano or tenor who really should know better.
4. The Twelve Days of Christmas: is there *any* redeeming value to that song? Discuss.
The theory that this is a coded catechism is intruguing. Even if it's only a legend, it's stil fun. The Partridge in the Pear Tree is Jesus. (Mother Partridges apparently will sacrifice themselves for their chicks by leading predators away from the nest.) Two Turtledoves are the Old and New Testament. Three French Hens=The Trinity, Four Calling Birds=the four gospels, Five Golden Rings=The Pentatuch, Six Geese a Laying=the six days of creation, Seven Swans a Swimming=the seven gifts of the spirit, Eight Maids a Milking=the eight beatitudes, Nine Ladies Dancing=the nine fruits of the spirit, Ten Drummers a Drummin=the Ten Commandments, Eleven pipers Piping=the eleven faithful disciples,(minus Judas)and Twelve Lords a'leaping are the twelve points of the Apostles Creed.
5. A favorite Christmas album
Still have to go with my childhood fave: A Captain Kangaroo Christmas
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9 comments:
I think it's funny that both of your "secular" Christmas songs are anything but!!
I wasn't familiar with either, but I have a feeling I'll be downloading them next time I'm around a wi-fi connection.
Extra kudos for listing all the hidden cathecism! Urban legend or no, I never remember all of them.
Wow, thank you for the cathecism. And here I thought I was just browsing these things for fun - they're educational too!!
I LOVED Captain Kangaroo as a kid - how much fun!
(o)
Deb
Oh, I love home by another way.
I did not know that about the 12 Days of Xmas... veddy in-ter-esting!
I never knew there was a Captain Kangaroo Christmas Album...wow, that would bring back some memories.
Captain Kangaroo had a Christmas album????
Why did I not know this???
Oh. My. Gosh.
I'm with Sue - how did I ever miss out on Captain Kangaroo's Christmas? Why did Moose and Rabbit not tell me of this?
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