Help: In Praise of Christmas

Subject: In Praise of Christmas
From: Kim C
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 10:37 AM

Do any of you perform this song? I have been wanting to learn it for a couple of years now... the only recording of it I have is Loreena McKennit's. Very lovely and mellow, but this seems like a more jolly tune to me, that could be done a little more up-tempo, even like a jig. All ideas and suggestions made in good faith are welcome. Thanks!

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: MMario
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 10:43 AM

I usually hear it more as a drinking tune! and yes, with a good bounce to it

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 10:46 AM

I don't know it, but the lyrics look conducive to "bounce"! After all, you are trying to drive Winter away!

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: Kim C
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 10:47 AM

Oh Boy! Now I have got the wheels turning...........

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 12:16 PM

We tried it a couple of times but it always came out a bit too "dirgy". JohnB

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: MMario
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 12:39 PM

the midi at All hail to the days has a tempo of 100 - we usually sing it closer to a tempo of 275

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: nutty
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 01:20 PM

I have the tune in an old carol book ..... its similar to MMario's MIDI but more upbeat ....... if anyone is interested I can send a scanned image or make a MIDI of it.

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: Kim C
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 01:26 PM

Yeah MMario I think that MIDI is a hair slow... I have a CD by the York Waits that we just got - they do it fairly up-tempo.

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: Tom French
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 09:11 AM

Hi Kim C.

In Praise of Christmas is found in the original Oxford Book of Carols #5 on page 16. It is #138 on pg 484 of the New Oxford Book of Carols, and in the Shorter New Oxford Book of Carols, it is #80 on pg 236. It was recorded by Roberts and Barrand on one of their earlier Nowell Sing We Clear recording, but is not on the CD Best of the first three.
Tom

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: masato sakurai
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 09:26 AM

Also called "To Drive the Cold Winter Away". It's on Sneak's Noyse, Christmas Now Is Drawing Near and St. Geroge's Canzonza, To Drive the Cold Winter Away, too. Both are CDs.
~Masato

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 10:57 AM

I hate Loreena McKennitt's version! Way too slow. Check out Nowell Sing We Clear's version, even if they only chose to sing a few key verses. Chappell (Popular Music of the Olden Time, 2 volumes) has many, many more verses.

I sort of sing it, and we even tried working on it as a performance piece, but sung at tempo it's a lot of work, and the accompaniment is a bear, too. I like it a lot, and we really need to start working on it again and add it to our mid-winter repertoire.

Bat Goddess

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: Kim C
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 11:50 AM

Thanks y'all. Lots of good suggestions. I'm thinking I have Nowell Sing We Clear? Heck, I don't remember. I only get those things out once a year, even though I have the best intentions of learning holiday music all year long...

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 01 - 04:41 AM

Check out the Yetties version. It's good and bouncy and great fun.

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: CapriUni
Date: 30 Dec 03 - 09:12 AM

I heard this carol on Ron Olesko's Traditions last year or the year before, if I recall correctly, and fell in love with it.

I don't remember the name of the performers, but it was definitely an upbeat version.

When I went to search the DT for the lyrics though, I was not only shocked by the dirge like quality of the melody, but also that the number of notes didn't match up with the syllables in the verse. The only way I could make it fit was thusly:

All hail to the days
That merit more praise
Than all the rest of the year
And welcome the nights
That double delights
As well for the poor as the peer!
And welcome the nights
That double delights
As well for the poor as the peer!


But the first "peer" is sung on such a high note that it sounded strident to my ear. Is this doubling more of Loreena McKennitt's "individual" take on the song, or did she only change tempo?

Also, what year is this song from? It sounds like it might be as old as 17th C., but that's just my gut reaction, I dunno.

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 30 Dec 03 - 09:29 AM

one web source says it was in the 1719 edition of 'Pills to Purge Melencholy' - which means it COULD be from earlier...

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: CapriUni
Date: 30 Dec 03 - 10:44 AM

Thanks, MMario!

I've got a one-person campaign going in my LiveJournal to get Christmas/Yule celebrated for the full 12 days, so I'm posting this song there... One can only stand so many partridges! ;-)

Subject: RE: Help: In Praise of Christmas
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 30 Dec 03 - 10:51 AM

a nice variant to the fowl song is to do "children Go where I send thee - using the days of Christmas for #'s 2 through 12.

Since it can be done as a call and response song it can also increase audience participation...