Revolutionary War Christmas Music

Subject: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From:
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 09:59 AM

Does anyone have music and/or words to Christmas music that would have been played around the Revolutionary War?

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From:
Date: 23 Sep 98 - 06:10 PM

Would not some of the usual English carols have been sung by the colonists? Holly And The Ivy; Coventry Carol; Down In Yon Forest; The Seven Joys of Mary; The Boar's Head; etc. And no doubt a few German carols as well.

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 05:04 PM

*refresh*

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Kim C
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 05:13 PM

Yep, all those... several of the "traditional" English carols we still sing today come from the mid-1700s. If you do a Net search for Christmas carols, you'll come up with all kinds of stuff. :-)

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 05:28 PM

Sure, Kim, but I refreshed this thread because I was wondering if anyone knew of any Revolutionary War-era carols that we no longer sing today ...or that have "died out" in the US but are still sung overseas?

Just curious!

Sharon

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Genie
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 06:47 PM

Dunno if they were sung in the New World in the 1770's, but here are a few that pre-date it, according to my sources:

What Child Is This?  (Tune: Greensleeves)
O Holy Night (Cantique de Nöel)
Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabelle (Un Flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle)
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Deck The Hall (Welsh New Year's/Yule Carol)
The First Nöel
Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)
Angels We Have Heard On High (Les Anges Dans Nos Compagnie)
 

These also do, I think:

O Tannenbaum
O Du Fröliche (O Sanctissima)
Nöel Nouvelet (Sing We Now Of Christmas)
Angels From The Realms Of Glory

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Kim C
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 06:47 PM

I have a CD by the York Waits, called Old Christmas Return'd, that has several 16th century carols, in English and German. Some are a little familiar, others I have never heard of.

I think the Huron Carol would be appropriate, depending on your geographical area. It's fairly well-known still today, but not as much as, say, Joy to the World.

Also I am told that The Friendly Beasts goes back to, like, the 1200s or something. The Cherry Tree Carol is another good really old one.

People brought there songs to the colonies from their old country... there were English, Irish, Scottish, Dutch, Germans, and French people here... so there's probably a lot to choose from.

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 10:36 PM

I dunno about their website but Smoke and Fire Store sells casettes and CD's of "period" music. Including Christmas carols.

CB

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: 53
Date: 04 Dec 01 - 11:12 PM

i was thinking along the same lines of old hymns a lot which were written before the revoulotion. BOB

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Kim C
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 10:06 AM

While the Greensleeves melody predates the Rev War, the lyrics for What Child Is This weren't written until after the Civil War - about 1868, I think. HOWEVER - there are some other songs that use a variant of the Greensleeves melody, like The Old Year Now Away Has Fled, and Dame Get Up and Bake Your Pies.

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 10:59 AM

Linda Russell in New York City has several recordings of Revolutionary War era songs. I think she released a holiday CD a few years ago.

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 11:16 AM

Washington at Valley Forge? It's by Jim Kweskin, it sure isn't about $mas but it's wintery...

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Kim C
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 01:46 PM

What Child is This - lyrics by William Dix, 1865. At least that's what the Cyber Hymnal says.

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Jim Krause
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 02:01 PM

May I suggest an unhip, definitely not chic or or sexy noncyber resrouce? Go to your library and check out a copy of The Oxford Book of Carols. There are historical notes in the footnotes that are pretty interesting.
Jim

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: GUEST,Genie
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 02:25 PM

Kim, I stand corrected.  My memory was that the lyrics to What Child Is This? were written in the 18th C., not the 19th.  I remember being surprised how old it was.  But unless I find an actual source for that, I'll defer to your detective work.

FWIW, it is useful, I think, to check out multiple sources, especially the older ones, since printed sheet music often contains errors.  E.g., I have seen Handel credited with having written the music for one of the trad. hymns -- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing or Joy To The World --, but later learned that, while his music may have inspired the composed, Handel did not write that particular piece.  (I don't have my reference books handy, so I'm not sure which old carol it was.)

The point is, the more I delve into the history of a song, the more interesting stuff I learn, and a lot of songs are older than many songbooks acknowledge.
Then there are songs like "Silent Night" which are relatively new (1818), as Christmas carols go.

Genie

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: raredance
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 07:34 PM

look for a copy of the book "Mel Bay Presents Early American Christmas Music" by Glenn Wilcox (1995, Mel Bay Publications, isbn 0-7866-0523-5. The book has about 60 songs, very few of which are sung today. Most of the songs are from the 1800's but about a third date to the 1700's

rich r

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: masato sakurai
Date: 05 Dec 01 - 08:01 PM

These CDs may be of help.

The Boston Camerata (dir. John Cohen), An American Christmas: Carols, Hymns and Spirituals 1770-1870 (ERATO 4509-92874-2) (1993)

The Columbus Consort, Christams in Early America: 18th Century Carols and Anthems (Channel Classics CCS 5693) (1993)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Rex
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 11:56 AM

Once again the Mudcat bunch comes through. I'm doing early 19th century Christmas carols at Bent's Old Fort this weekend and see I've left some out. Thanky all. And to add to the pot, I've heard that the english words to "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" go back to the 1500's.

Rex

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: SharonA
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 01:07 PM

Hooray for 'Catters! (or, in keeping with the theme of this thread, should I say "huzzah"?) These sound like great resources; please post more!

Mrrzy: What is this "Washington at Valley Forge" song? Didn't see it in the DigiTrad. Please post lyrics or a link (I'm interested since Valley Forge itself is not far from here).

Are there any songs (there must be!) about Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas Day, 1776? BTW, there's a re-enactment of that event every Christmas Day, except when the conditions of the weather and river are anything close to what they were during the actual crossing!

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Kim C
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 01:31 PM

Well, Sharon, if there ain't one, let's go to writing! My gggggrandfather Jacob Vatter was on that little trip with Gen. Washington. :-)

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: SharonA
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 03:42 PM

("Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" from Guys & Dolls doesn't count!)

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: DougR
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 09:22 PM

I had no idea "The Cherry Tree Carol" was that old! I'm partial to the version done by the Robert Shaw Chorale, which I first heard on a LP in about 1952. One of the best things about this time of year is the Carols, I think (provided they are not Muzac). Also am not fond of Carols recorded by most popular soloists (excepting Bing which is almost as traditional as Christmas itself). My opinion only, of course. I love good choral music performed by a good chorus.

DougR

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: toadfrog
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 09:43 PM

Doug: Who mentioned Cherry Tree Carol? Is that somewhere on this thread?

Cherry Tree Carol is very old. But I've been told almost all the popular American carols date from around the time of the civil war.

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Genie
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 10:30 PM

I don't have my hymnal with me, but wasn't "Away In A Manger" (lyrics) Martin Luther's Christmas contribution?  That would, of course, pre-date 1776.  It is sung to at least 3 tunes, one of which is "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton."
Does someone know when that and the other 2 tunes were written?

FWIW, it is "Joy To The World" (tune) that is sometimes erroneously attributed to Handel (1685-1759).  More thorough sources say the tune, written by Lowell Mason (1792-1872), may have been inspired by Handel's music but cannot be found per se in any of his works.  The words, by Isaac Watts (1674-1748) came before the American Revolution.

The French words to "Jesus, Our Brother (The Friendly Beasts)", according to "Singing The Living Tradition" (U. U. Hymnal), are from the 12th C., and the music is "medieval."  This hymnal also has "O Come, All Ye Faithful" as mid-18th C., but I believe I have seen other sources that put it earlier than that.  (Perhaps the Latin "Adeste, Fideles" is earlier.)   The lyrics to Huron Carol ('Twas In The Moon of Wintertime) were originally written (in French or Huron or both?) by Fr. Jean de Brébeuf (1593-1649); the English translation and the tune most people sing to it now are newer.

There is a 17th C. French-Canadian carol called "Whence, O Shepherd Maiden?" which is also in the UU Hymnal.  Perhaps it made its way into New England by the time of the Revolutionary War.

Genie

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: Tom French
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 11:25 PM

Check out William Billings, Boston composer during the Revolution. Some say that he composed the first carol in American, a rendition of The Virgin Unspotted. Bethlehem is his fuging tune setting of While Shepherds Watched. There are also serveral other compositions with a Christmas theme. Billings was also composer of the Revolution's number one tune, more popular than Yankee Doodle: "Let tyrants shake their mighty sword." The title like everything else from that period is the name of a town. There are also many contemporary singing masters who produced some Christmas music. One thing to be considered here is that the celebration of Christmas was not big, coming out of the Puritanical heritage.

Also check out Ruth Crawford Seeger's American Folksongs for Christmas. I don't believe that any of them are assserted to be in existence during the Revolutionary War, but there is also little reason to believe that many of indigenous Appalachian mountain songs were not sung during the 1700's. The spirituals may also have been widely sung during the 1700's

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: DougR
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 12:52 PM

Yep, Toad, Kim C mentioned in her thread of Dec. 4th. Upon re-reading it, though, I note that she merely says it is old. I must have skimmed it and thought she was stating it dated back to 1200.

DougR

Subject: RE: Revolutionary War Christmas Music
From: GUEST,Sonja
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 05:53 PM

Toad, I think "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night" may be the familiar carol that I learned was just about the oldest of the popular ones, dating back (in one form or another) to the 11th or 12th C. (It was either that one or "Angels From The Realms of Glory," I believe.) This doesn't mean it was sung in the colonies, only that it could have been.

Also, wasn't "Maryland, My Maryland" set to the already-existing tune of "O Tannenbaum?" Doesn't seem like it would be the other way around (a German song taking its tune from an American state's song), but I don't know. Did the colonials sing "O Christmas Tree?"

Tom and Doug, some of my sources date "Go Tell It On The Mountain" to the early 18th C.

Sonja