Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: Cluin
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 11:54 PM

If you can find a copy, Robin Williamson's "Winters Turning" is my favourite album for this time of year.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: Genie
Date: 21 Dec 02 - 10:31 PM

New Solstice Carol from CapriUni Raise All Your Voices (Ann Magill)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 20 Dec 00 - 04:25 PM

I do hope we are not arguing over religion here; it hasn't gotten the world any further, ever.

see Edna Barth's excellent CHILDREN'S book called *Holly, Reindeer, and Colored Lights* for the unquestionable origins of these traditions.

Light, not heat, people.

Systems theory tells us to let go of our blockages/need to be right/fear of a challenge to our thinking, or something's gonna blow.

MOST sincerely, Mary Ann

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: GUEST,Wassailer
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 06:07 PM

Dear MMario, You're quite right about the words in English having nothing to do with the Welsh ones. There are, however, variants of the English words that have no Christian content. If you steal my coat and wear it yourself, it doesn't mean we're sharing it. It really does not become yours. When the Christians stole Pagan customs, those customs did not become Christian. So feel free to sing of holly, Yule, the passing of the old year, and the donning of gay apparel, and falalalala to your heart's content. You are giving no encouragement thereby to the spread of Christianity. Just avoid the "G" word. If you want an impeccable authority on how Christian holly, ivy, and mistletoe are not, consider the "rule of the Saints" under Oliver Cromwell. They outlawed Christmas.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: Blackcatter
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 03:42 PM

Greetings

Yes, it is true that it is hard to say what are Christian and what are Pagan traditions - but the length of time that Christianity has been around pales in comparison with the pre-Christian faiths. People do not give up traditions - they modify them and/or continue them on regardless of the fact that they make little sense to their new faiths. Few Chrisitan traditions were invented by Christians. It is not that Christians lack imagination, it is a simple case of "been there, done that. The philosophy of Chrisitanity may have been fairly novel, but the traditions are not. Otherwise, Jesus' birth would be celebrated in the correct season and his resurrection would not be a "floating" date that is completely tied into both the lunar and solar calendars.

The tradition thing reminds me of a story I heard a few years back.

A young girl was helping her mom make the holiday dinner and watched as her mom cut a big slice off the top of the large ham she was about to put into the oven. The girl asked her mom why she did that and was told that it was family tradition - her grandmother did that and so did her mom. The girl wasn't really satisified with her mom's answer - she wanted to know if it was for good luck, or what - so she asked her grandmother later on that day. Her grandmother told her that she always cut the top of the holiday ham when she was younger because the oven she had back then was too small for the whole ham to fit.

pax yall & save the top o' the ham for me.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 03:00 PM

Ring Out Solstice Bells

By Jethro Tull ain't bad at all

;-)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: MMario
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 02:56 PM

However the words IN ENGLISH as I understand it are not a translation of the older Welsh. The ENGLISH words to the song are well the Christian period and are well spread through CHRISTIAN custom and practice. And DAMMIT I SAID the holly ivy and evergreens were shared customs. That does NOT mean they are NOT Christian.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: GUEST,Wassailer
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 02:18 PM

MMario, you've not found old enough sources. For a start, it's "Deck the Hall". But the original is Welsh (or to be accurate, Cymric) and it's written in praise of Cymru. And by the way, holly, ivy, mistletoe, and the practice of bringing greens inside are all pre-Christian. The first three as I understand it are specifically Druid.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: MMario
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 11:43 AM

gee- sorry to burst your bubble - but the lyrics to "Deck the Halls" all describe Christian Christmas customs. Granted some of them are held in common with Pagans.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: Blackcatter
Date: 19 Dec 00 - 11:28 AM

Greetings all

There are many Winter Solstice/Yule songs out there - the reason that most of them sound like Xmas carols is that Christian individuals modified or completely rewrote the lyrics to them to better connect with their holiday. It's much like what the Pagans of the past 20 years have been doing to Xmas carols.

Check out the lyrics to "Deck the Halls" - Christians never seemed to get around to change those lyrics.

Also - I've heard the argument that most of the songs we know today were written well after Christianity came to the British Isles - that's probably true, but Pagans never completely disappeared and in many cases individuals had double loyalities to the Old Gods and the New God.

By the way - while "A-Soulin'" is most likely a Christian-modified Pagan song, it is actually a Hallowe'en/Samhain song.

Pax yall

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: GUEST,Devi
Date: 18 Dec 00 - 06:53 PM

Thank you Malcolm for your help. You have helped lots of people find music. thank you again devi

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 13 Dec 00 - 11:11 AM

If you were to type let me come in and share your light in the "Digitrad and Forum Search" box on the main Forum page, you would find a link to that song, which was posted here about a year ago.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From:
Date: 12 Dec 00 - 06:34 PM

I am looking for a solstice song that starts off like this: Let me come in and share your light for I'm without a friend tonight Let me come in and share your light and a warm place by your fire.

does anyone know this song and the rest of the verses? It is so beautiful and I want to share it with loved ones this year.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: emily rain
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 07:28 PM

Sionnach, thanks for posting those lyrics! i had completely forgotten about that song, but now i'll have to learn it...

Subject: Lyr Add: PEOPLE LOOK EAST (Eleanor Farjeon)^^
From: Dani
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 04:55 PM

PEOPLE LOOK EAST
(Words: Eleanor Farjeon)


People, look East. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as your are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look East and sing today:
Love, the Guest, is on the way.

Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there.
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look East and sing today:
Love, the Rose, is on the way.

Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim,
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shining beyond the frosty weather,
Bright as sun and moon together.
People, look East and sing today:
Love, the Star, is on the way.

Words: Eleanor Farjeon, used by perm. of David Higham assoc. Ltd. Music: Traditional French carol, harmony by Martin Shaw, used by perm. of Oxford University Press.

The tune is hard to describe, but very bouncy and joyful. Great fun to sing. It can be found in the Unitarian Universalist Hymnal "Singing the Living Tradition".

Dani

Subject: Lyr Add: THE CHRISTIANS AND THE PAGANS (Williams^^
From: Sionnach
Date: 18 Dec 99 - 11:09 AM

Dar Williams (yes, there is a web site for her but I don't know the address) has written a fabulous Solstice/Christmas song that's become a local favorite here. It's called "The Christians and the Pagans":

THE CHRISTIANS AND THE PAGANS
(Dar Williams)


Amber called her uncle, said we up here for the holidays
Jane and I are having solstice and we need a place to stay
And her Christ-loving uncle watched his wife hang Mary from a tree
He watched his son hang candy canes all made with red dye #3
He told his niece, it's Christmas Eve, I know our life is not your style
She said, Christmas is like Solstice and we miss you, and it's been a while

And the Christians and the pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And before the meal was served, hands were held and prayers were said
Sending hope for peace on earth to all their gods...and goddesses.

The food was great, the tree was hung, the meal went off without a hitch
Until Timmy turned to Amber and said, is it true that you're a witch?
His mom jumped up and said, the pies are burning, as she hit the kitchen
And it was Jane who spoke: she said, it's true your cousin's not a Christian
But we love trees, we love the snow, the friends we have, the world we share
And you find magic from your god, and we find magic everywhere

And the Christians and the pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
Where does magic come from? I think magic's in the learning
Cause now when Christians sit with pagans, only pumpkin pies are burning.

When Amber went to do the dishes, her aunt said really, no don't bother
Amber's uncle saw how Amber looked like Tim and like her father
He thought about his brother, how they hadn't spoken in a year
He thought he'd call him up and say, it's Christmas and your daughter's here
He thought of fathers, sons, and brothers, felt his own son tug his sleeve
Saying, can I be a pagan? Dad said, We'll discuss it when they leave...

And the Christians and the pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
Lighting trees with candles, learning new ways from the old
Making sense of history, and drawing warmth out of the cold

Cool, huh?
Bright blessings to all--

Sionnach

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Dec 99 - 09:03 PM

There's more on the full moon in the BS: Moon thread of today.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: T in Oklahoma (Okiemockbird)
Date: 17 Dec 99 - 04:14 PM

There is an Epigram attributed to one of the Latin Epigramatists (Martial, I think, but maybe Juvanal) which speaks of ebria bruma, "tipsy midwinter". A clever writer might set it to music.

The authenticity of the epigram has been questioned, but that doesn't really matter for this purpose.

T.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: Tony Burns
Date: 17 Dec 99 - 04:09 PM

I can't think of any solstice songs off hand but the following just arrived in my email.

This year the Winter Solstice, December 22, 1999....is the longest night of the year, will be extremely special. This is because the solstice will coincide with a Full Moon. O yes, but not any Full Moon. The Moon will be within a few hours of its perigee, its closet point to the Earth. This will make the Moon appear to be about 14 percent bigger than usual. However, it is also only ten days from the Earth's perihelion, its closest point to the Sun. Since the Moon shines with reflected sunlight, then the moon will appear 7 percent brighter than usual. These events occurring together are extremely rare. This is probably the biggest, brightest Moon of the Millennium as well as its last. That makes it a rare night indeed. Whatever you do, get out and look at the sky. You will never see a Moon like this again, even if the world does not end seven days later. December 22 Winter Solstice is at 2:44 am, EST. The Moon is at perigee or 221,614 miles from Earth at 5:55 am, EST. Full Moon is at 12:31 PM, EST. January 2, 2000 the Earth is at perihelion or 91.4 million miles from the Sun, at Midnight EST.

So go out on the 22nd and do something. (Sing, dance, meditate, ...)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: MMario
Date: 17 Dec 99 - 04:06 PM

?? Old King Cole a solstice song?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: Mían
Date: 17 Dec 99 - 03:57 PM

Old King Cole?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Winter Solstice Songs
From: MMario
Date: 16 Dec 99 - 04:45 PM

to be perfectly frank, I don't think I have ever heard a song about the winter solstice that wasn't a christmas carol...

I have seen sites that have "solstice songs" posted, but never any music with them, with the exception of one site where the songs were all (IMHO) bad filks of christmas carols.

If you have some solstice tunes, please share....

Subject: Winter Solstice Songs
From: JB
Date: 16 Dec 99 - 04:33 PM

What are your favorite songs about the Winter Solstice?