Songs of the Season
Event production by
Sasha Soren (Random Magic)
Dec. 10-25, 2011
Welcome to the Songs of the Season music hop! You're invited to join us every day from December 10-25, to enjoy a virtual round of caroling. You can visit a different blog each day to find another wonderful music selection, handpicked by a great host.
Everyone picked such cool, personal and interesting music that Songs of the Season has been a real pleasure. For visitors, thanks for dropping by to visit with everyone, and hope you had a wonderful time this month. Here's our selection for your enjoyment:
Title: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Artist: Casting Crowns
Available at: Amazon
Commentary: This is an excellent live rendition, everything works together to create an exceptional performance. It's a lovely song, and it also has interesting back story.
The carol is based on a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, called 'Christmas Bells.' Longfellow wrote the poem during one of the dark times in his life.
Longfellow was familiar with suffering; he'd been widowed early in life and found a life partner in later years, Frances Appleton, only to lose her after she was burned to death when her dress caught fire. Longfellow never recovered from the loss, writing some 18 years later about the gentle ghost that still haunted him, in the sonnet, 'The Cross of Snow.' (1879). [Read this poem]
He wrote 'Christmas Bells,' during the American Civil War. He'd lost Frances in 1861, just after the war started. Although Longfellow supported abolitionism, he forbade his eldest son to join the Union army, not wishing to lose him, too. His son ran away and joined the army against Longfellow's wishes.
Three years into the war, there was no hope of peace in sight, and Longfellow received word that his son had been severely injured in a battle and wasn't expected to live.
This was the backdrop for a simple but poignant moment of clarity, which inspired Longfellow to write a poem which defied the reality of war and personal loss, and lasted beyond his lifetime to continue to lend strength to the weary.
Standing with head bowed in contemplation of this latest news and with nothing but darkness and despair all around him, he was suddenly aware of a simple but transcendent sound - he heard the sound of bells ringing, to announce the arrival of Christmas Day.
The poem was later adapted into a carol. Some 140 years later, we have this modern version of the traditional carol. The lead singer of the group that recorded it, Mark Hall of Casting Crowns, explains how he came to choose this carol to include on one of their albums:
And that's the story of the bells!
You might also like...
Shown above: Clip from Joyeux Noël, a film based on the real-life story of the Christmas truce of 1914, during World War I.
About: Joyeux Noël captures a rare moment of grace from one of the worst wars in the history of mankind, World War I. On Christmas Eve, 1914, as German, French, and Scottish regiments face each other from their respective trenches, a musical call-and-response turns into an impromptu cease-fire; the men spend a few hours in peace, trading chocolates and champagne, playing soccer. But when Christmas ends, the war returns... (Summary via Amazon)
Find this film: Amazon | UK | DE | FR
Shown above: Brief video clip on the Christmas truce of 1914, excerpted from a much longer PBS series, The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century
Find this series: Amazon
Additional notes on this unusual historical event:
The WWI Christmas Truce | The Christmas Truce | Christmas 1914 | Songs
And, now, for a bit of luck for the upcoming new year, and some light in the darkness as a send-off - some sparkly things. You might like the Holdman Christmas lights show, which can also be seen on another stop on Songs of the Season, at Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf - it's an entertaining light show and one of the best examples of synced light-and-music displays:
Please note: There are several series of flashing lights in this video. Any viewers known to suffer from photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) would probably be better off skipping this clip.
If you've already seen the spectacular light show clip above at Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf or elsewhere, then here's a simpler and shorter one to check out, with a mellow and quirky ending:
You can have fun guessing what's going to happen and what the designer's going to do with this string of lights! Or, for anyone who's out there walking and walking on long road - hopefully it just makes you smile to see how the story ends up...
Shown above: Clip from Joyeux Noël, a film based on the real-life story of the Christmas truce of 1914, during World War I.
About: Joyeux Noël captures a rare moment of grace from one of the worst wars in the history of mankind, World War I. On Christmas Eve, 1914, as German, French, and Scottish regiments face each other from their respective trenches, a musical call-and-response turns into an impromptu cease-fire; the men spend a few hours in peace, trading chocolates and champagne, playing soccer. But when Christmas ends, the war returns... (Summary via Amazon)
Find this film: Amazon | UK | DE | FR
Shown above: Brief video clip on the Christmas truce of 1914, excerpted from a much longer PBS series, The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century
Find this series: Amazon
Additional notes on this unusual historical event:
The WWI Christmas Truce | The Christmas Truce | Christmas 1914 | Songs
And, now, for a bit of luck for the upcoming new year, and some light in the darkness as a send-off - some sparkly things. You might like the Holdman Christmas lights show, which can also be seen on another stop on Songs of the Season, at Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf - it's an entertaining light show and one of the best examples of synced light-and-music displays:
Please note: There are several series of flashing lights in this video. Any viewers known to suffer from photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) would probably be better off skipping this clip.
If you've already seen the spectacular light show clip above at Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf or elsewhere, then here's a simpler and shorter one to check out, with a mellow and quirky ending:
You can have fun guessing what's going to happen and what the designer's going to do with this string of lights! Or, for anyone who's out there walking and walking on long road - hopefully it just makes you smile to see how the story ends up...
Goodies
Through Dec. 31, 2011: Win a pretty box of stationery, featuring quotes by writer Charlotte Brontë and her sisters, who were also novelists. Browse details
Through Dec. 31, 2011: Win a book-and-DVD set of a romantic drama set in New York during the Gilded Age. Browse details
Available starting Dec. 25, 2011: Win a book-and-DVD set of great classic film, Little Women, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. Film trailer shown below.
A chance to win this delightful gift will be available at the Dec. 25 session of Bookie Brunch, hosted by Jennie (@JoanieFontana) of Jennie's Corner.
Event production by Random Magic Tour
If you have a favorite song, feel free to share in the comments. Thanks for stopping by, and hope you have a chance to enjoy a cup of cider or hot cocoa on the way to your next stop on the hop - or anywhere you may be headed for the day. If you need a break, feel free to drop in at Bookie Brunch for a relaxing discussion: Bookie Brunch at Jennie's Corner - Dec. 25
For all the delightful bloggers who were such good company on Songs of the Season - hey, that was fun! What a great event and a wonderful treat seeing all the beautiful posts and all kinds of amazing tunes - spiritual, edgy, quirky, unexpected and comfortingly familiar, they were all great picks and wonderful surprises.
It's a perfect gift to have been able to enjoy such a great event with such nice people - may you look forward to a new year filled with happiness and wonderful things.
For all the delightful bloggers who were such good company on Songs of the Season - hey, that was fun! What a great event and a wonderful treat seeing all the beautiful posts and all kinds of amazing tunes - spiritual, edgy, quirky, unexpected and comfortingly familiar, they were all great picks and wonderful surprises.
It's a perfect gift to have been able to enjoy such a great event with such nice people - may you look forward to a new year filled with happiness and wonderful things.
(Source: Pinterest)
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