This time of the year, I feel like everywhere I go there is "Christmas Music" playing. Many stores will begin to display its holiday spirit the day after Halloween, and for many, that means a nonstop playlist of holiday favorites like "Let it Snow," "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree," or "All I want for Christmas" by Mariah Carey.
While the Bryan Symphony Orchestra does not have a Christmas concert, many of our musicians are in their busiest time of the year. With countless performances of The Nutcracker by Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky, or Handel's Messiah, the holidays are full of classical live music. I can remember as a young child just starting to learn the violin, Christmas time meant I had to perform a concert for visiting family members. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now in my thirties, after gaining a degree in music, did I really take a deeper dive into the history of the music of the holidays. This is going to be a super abridged version:
From ancient pagan songs to modern classics, Christmas music has a rich history. Influential figures, such as St. Francis of Assisi and the Victorian revival, have left a lasting impact on the evolution of Christmas carols. Originally sung in Latin, these songs were sung in order to tell the story of Nativity plays. At the bequest of St. Francis of Assisi, choruses began to be sung in vernacular languages so audience members could join in. This gained wide popularity throughout Europe and fast forward hundreds of years, Christmas Carols are commonly sung by people not affiliated with the Church.
From concert halls to street corners, these holiday songs are a part of the musical canon we see around this time of the year. While some are not performed regularly, and others I feel like I am sick of hearing, here are some fun facts about some of these classics.
While we associate "Jingle Bells" with Christmas, the song was written by James Lord Pierpont to celebrate Thanksgiving.
"Jingle Bells" was the first Christmas carol performed in outer space.
The first Christmas song to mention Santa Claus was Benjamin Hanby's "Up on the Housetop." Written in 1864, Hanby was inspired Clement Moore's 1823 poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas."
Thurl Ravenscroft, the singer responsible for How the Grinch Stole Christmas' classic song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," also famously voiced Tony the Tiger, the mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.
Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas" is the highest-selling single of all time.
In 1906, a violin solo of "O Holy Night" was the second piece of music to ever be broadcast on radio.
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "Joy to the World" are two of the oldest English language Christmas hymns, originating in the 1700s.
Many modern Christmas Carols were written by Jewish songwriters.
What is your favorite holiday song? Comment below.
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