Only one song would be appropriate for today. Whether you choose to do a Take This Tune this week or not, kick back for a moment and enjoy this salute to a wonderful day written for the musical "SCROOGE"
One of my favorite Advent carols is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Its Latin lyrics date to the 9th century, its melody to the 13th. The familiar English lyrics we sing today were composed by John M. Neale in 1850, and the tune adapted and harmonized by Thomas Helmore in 1854. Here it's sung by Loreena McKennitt:
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lowly exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Chorus
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of hell thy people save
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave
Chorus
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight
Chorus
O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
and close the path to misery
Chorus
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height
In ancient times did’st give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe
Chorus
What impressions do you get from this, with its origins in plainchant? Start writing~~Fairweather
p.s. My thanks to Fairweather for taking over this week as I have been semi out of commission until next week .... Jamie
Tonight is the First night of Chanukah which lasts through next Friday evening. So Take This Tune this week is Peter Paul and Mary's "Light One Candle"
Light one candle for the Maccabee children
Give thanks their light didn't die;
Light one candle for the pain they endured
When their right to exist was denied;
Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice
Justice and freedom demand;
light one candle for the wisdom to know
When the peacemaker's time is at hand!
chorus:
Don't let the light go out,
It's lasted for so many years!
Don't let the light go out!
Let it shine through our love and our tears!
Light one candle for the strength that we need
To never become our own foe;
Light one candle for those who are suff'ring
The pain that we learned long ago;
Light one candle for all we believe in,
That anger not tear us apart;
And light one candle to bind us together
With peace as the song in our heart!
(chorus)
What is the memory that's valued so highly
That we keep it alive in that flame?
What's the commitment to those who have died?
We cry out "they've not died in vain,"
We have come this far, always believing
That justice will somehow prevail;
This is the burden and This is the promise,
This is why we will not fail!
(chorus)
Don't let the light go out!
Don't let the light go out!
Don't let the light go out!
We are now headed into the winter holidays. I'll try to give some time to all the traditions in some fashion, but to kick it off, a great spiritual with many variations that draws on both the Old and New Testaments sung by the incomparable Audra McDonald.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee one by one
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee two by two
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee three by three
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee four by four
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee five by five
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee six by six
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee seven by seven
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee eight by eight
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee nine by nine
Nine for the ninety nine in line
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee ten by ten
Ten for the ten commandments
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee eleven by eleven
Eleven for the eleven who went to heaven
Ten for the ten commandments
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee twelve by twelve
Twelve for the twelve Apostles
Eleven for the eleven deriders
Ten for the ten commandments
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that never got to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five for the gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.
