Merry Christmas!

Taking the day off to spend with friends and family. Happy holidays, everyone. 

A comfortable Victorian Christmas collection

The general public may think that Christmas carols have been around forever. Music lovers know that the Victorian Era is the source for most of the evergreen carols we still sing today.

Carols for Victorian Christmas captures some of the charms of the era. The disc presents both sacred and secular carols as they might have been heard in the late 1800’s. The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford performs favorites such as “We Three Kings,” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “Good Christian Men, Rejoice.”

The Harrogate Choral Society’s rendition of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” is charming in its directness and sincerity.

The Fine Arts Brass Ensemble perform “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Landlord fill the Flowing Bowl.” Martin Souter, organist contributes a Brahms chorale prelude, “O Holy Night,” and other selections. The mix of organ and choir reinforces the impression of a Victorian church service.

But the disc also includes a player piano plunking out "Auld Lang Syne." Vintage turn of the century disc players (large-scale music boxes) give us favorites such as “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “Good King Wenceslas.” And they also give us a sense of what holiday music might have sounded like in a comfortable upper-class home.

And comfortable, I think, is the word that best describes this collection. Many of the selections are more than familiar. And they’re performed in a way that would have been familiar to Victorians – even those who never attended a classical music concert.

Carols for a Victorian Christmas was originally released in 2004.

Carols for a Victorian Christmas
The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford; Martin Souter, organ; Fine Arts Brass Ensemble; Lesley Echo Ross, soprano; Harrogate Choral Society
The Gift of Music

Daquin Livre de noëls - Baroque Holiday Bonbons

Excerpts from Daquin's Livre de Noëls often turn up in Baroque Christmas music releases. They're short, appealing gems of French Galant writing. Hearing all twelve of these pieces in one sitting, though, made me revise my impression of them.

Daquin was a virtuoso organist, and his settings of these French Noëls shows the extent of his talent. There's nothing routine about these arrangements. Every one exploits some aspect of keyboard artistry, and each one does so in an original fashion.

Daquin was also mindful of the overall effect of these Noëls. Heard in sequence they form a charming suite of Christmas classics (of their time).

My only complaint about this release is the lack of liner notes. It sounds like Adriano Falconi is playing an organ voiced for the French baroque, but I can't be sure.

Nevertheless, Falconi does a fine job with this material. And the instruments, wherever it is, is well-recorded. I particularly enjoyed Falconi's selection of stops, which include some bells and bird calls.

Even if you're not familiar with the carols Daquin bases his music on, there's much to enjoy here. And now that I've heard all twelve Noëls together, I have a greater appreciation of Daquin's skill.

Daquin: Complete Livre de noëls, Op. 2
Adriano Falconi, organ
Brilliant Classics

Raunächte - The Twelve Nights after Christmas in Pastels

For Americans, the Twelve Days of Christmas means turtledoves, drummers drumming and five golden rings. But for Northern Europeans, that time between Christmas day and Epiphany (January 6) is when winter weather is often its harshest. And yet it's also a time of hope.

Raunächte collects twelve works that exemplify that spirit of hope "in the bleak midwinter." If the carol "The 12 Days of Chrismas" evokes bright, primary reds and greens, these compositions conjure up images in soft pastels. Even works such as John Rutter's "Gabriel's Message" and Edward Elgar's "The Snow" seem more muted.

The LaCapella-Family is a group of five ensembles that present a varied program. The contemporary selections are especially strong. Ola Gjeilo's "Tundra" depicts the windswept landscape with a hauntingly beautiful melody set against rustling strings and piano. "The Piece of Wild Things" by Joan Szymko for female choir and piano glistens like moonlight reflections on snow. I love it.

Also of note in this album of extraordinarily beautiful works is Franz Herzog's luminous arrangement of "Es wird scho glei dumpa" for a capella choir. The album concludes with a joyful "Magnificat" by Agneta Skjöld.

If you're looking for something different this holiday season, consider Raunächte. It's seasonal music drawn in pastels, yet with an amazing variety of emotions and tonal colors. 

Raunächte - The Twelve Nights after Christmas
Music by John Rutter, Ola Gjeilo, Joan Szymko, Wilhelm Nagel, Morten Vinther Sørensen, Cesar Bresgen, Edward Elgar, Gjendine Slålien, Felix Mendelssohn, Agneta Skjöld  
LaCapella
Rondeau Productions ROP6149

In Dulci Jubilo - Music for the Christmas by Buxtehude and Friends

I've been burnt out on Christmas music for some time -- even classical Christmas music. But In Dulci Jubilo promised something fresh -- seasonal music from Dieterich Buxtehude and his colleagues. And it was recorded by Paul Hillier and the Theater of Voices. I wasn't disappointed.

In Dulci Jubilo is a time capsule of Christmas and Advent music from Northern Germany in the late 1600s. The Protestant Reformation had established its own musical voice.

Dietrich Buxtehude, Heinrich Scheidemann, Franz Tundar, Johann Christoph Bach (J.S. Bach's great uncle) laid the foundation composers of the High Baroque would build on.

Paul Hillier is a meticulous director, and his attention to detail shows in the performances and the program. The Theatre of Voices has an exceptionally seamless blend. And they're all top-notch soloists as well. The program takes the listener through the liturgical season, from Advent through Epiphany with selections to match. And the works are nicely balanced between choral and instrumental.

Some selections are familiar, such as In Dulci Jubilo and Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (How Brightly Shines the Morning Star). Others, such as Buxtehude's Das neugeborne Kindelein and J.C. Bach's  Merk auf, mein Herz were new to me.

But familiar or not, there's a consistency that runs through all these works. Luther was all about clarity, and these works deliver their message in a straightforward fashion. The pulse is always clear, and no matter how artful the counterpoint, the words are never obscured.

In Dulce Jubilo is a well-sung, well-organized program that effectively captures a moment in time. A moment that more than hints of the grandeur that was to come with Bach, Handel, and Telemann.


In Dulci Jubilo
Music for the Christmas Season by Buxtehude and Friends
Theater of Voices, Paul Hillier, director
Dacapo 6.220661 SACD

A welcome reissue of Heinrich Schütz's Weihnachtshistorie

Christophorus brings back this 2003 recording of Heinrich Schütz's Weihnachtshistorie, first released on the French label K617. It's an excellent performance.

Both the Choeur de Chambre de Namur and La Fenice have a warm ensemble sound. Soprano Claire Lefilliâtre and tenor Hans-Jörg Mammel deliver well-balanced performances, singing in clear, unaffected fashion.

Jean Tubéry uses his performers effectively, bringing out the inherent drama in Schütz's oratorio while keeping within the bounds of 17th Century performance practices. The Magnificant anima mea seems to bounce with joy. Herod's aria sounds suitably regal. And Der Engel zu Joseph, where Joseph is told to flee with his family to Egypt, has a sense of urgency about its quick 16th note figures.

Those are but three examples. At its premier in the 1640s, Schütz's oratorio was considered a masterwork. And this performance demonstrates why that still holds true.

The recording is filled out with other Schütz choral works appropriate for the season. If you missed it the first time around, be sure to grab a copy now.

Heinrich Schütz: Weihnachtshistorie SW 435
Claire Lefilliâtre, soprano; Hans-Jörg Mammel, tenor; Choeur de Chambre de Namur; La Fenice; Jean Tubéry, conductor
Christophorus CHR 77404

James Whitbourn - Carolae refreshes old favorites

I usually don't like choral works that try to incorporate traditional Christmas carols. My issue is that the original tune usually sounds like it's been shoehorned into a setting without becoming a part of it.

Not so with James Whitbourn's "Missa Carolae." Yes, the recognizable tunes are there -- "Patapan," "God rest ye merry gentlemen," "In Dulci Jubilo" and so on -- and they're recognizable when they appear. But these carols are part of a larger musical tapestry.

Whitbourn takes his source material and blends it seamlessly together, letting his original contributions flow from the structures and motifs of the carols themselves. To my ears, it makes these overly-familiar carols sound fresh again.

That freshness extends to Whitbourn's original choral works, some of which are also included on this release. These are richly textured, robust works that should appeal to both the casual listener (as most parishioners are) or the classical devotee who wants music of substance and depth.

The Westminster Williamson Voices is a large choir, so there's a certain softness to their sound. But the ensemble has a warm, creamy blend that's well-suited to the music. And their articulation is virtually flawless.

I don't need yet another by-the-numbers setting of Christmas standards. When I auditioned "Carolae, Music for Christmas," I realized this was a disc I needed.

James Whitbourn: Carolae
Music for Christmas
Westminster Williamson Voices; James Jordan, director
Eric Rieger, tenor; Daryl Robinson, organ
Naxos 8.573715

Nowell We Sing - Imaginative program, beautiful performances

Robert Quinney and the Choir of New College Oxford build on the success of their release, "John Blow: Symphony Anthems." While this is indeed a collection of seasonal music, the selections are more varied in style and show just how capable this choir and director are.

Traditional favorites such as Praetorius' "In dulci jubilo" and Bennet's "In the bleak midwinter" are included, as well as David Willcocks arrangements of "Of the Father's heart begotten" and "O come all ye faithful."

But rather than making up the entire program, these familiar selections are interspersed as leavening for a more adventuresome fare.

I especially liked the inclusion of more contemporary works. Charles Ives' "A Christmas Carol" was a welcome addition, and the pieces by Francis Pott, Peter Warlock, and Matthew Martin added some freshness and spice to the program.

Love the English choral tradition but are tired of the same old traditional selections? Me, too. That's why I recommend this disc. It's thoughtfully programmed and beautifully performed.

Nowell Sing We!
Advent and Christmas at New College
Choir of New College Oxford; Robert Quinney, director
Novum NCR 1390

Novitas Nativitas

Last night I hosted the contemporary classical music show on WTJU. It's currently entitled "Novitas." The contrast of the very old Latin word meaning "new" as the title for a new music show wasn't lost on me -- especially as I was doing a Christmas Adam show.*

While we tend to thing of Christmas carols as being timeless, they're mostly a Victorian invention. That's not to say there's not a rich repertoire of seasonal classical music. From the 10th century on, liturgical texts have been set to music. But it was always designed for worship, not singing door-to-door.

So what about the modern era? In my two-hour show, I tried to balance original and traditional works -- and in all cases avoiding the trite and cliche. Here's the run down:

Daniel Pinkham: Christmas Cantata
 - This short, three-movement work from 1958 is somewhat thorny, but still leans toward the tonal. If nothing else, it shows that seasonal music doesn't have to be pretty to be emotionally moving.

Lars-Erik Larsson: Four Vignettes to Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale"
 - I know not everyone celebrates Christmas. My definition of "sound of the season" include music inspired by winter. In this lush, post-romantic work Swedish composer Lars-Erik Larsson encapsulates the inherent drama of the play in a shimmering orchestral context. The Vignettes were completed in 1938, which may be a little outside the bounds of a "contemporary" music program. But what the heck.

Jake Heggie: On the Road to Christmas
 - Heggie's 1996 work for mezzo-soprano and string orchestra has eight movements that range from the completely original to arrangements of traditional carols. Frederica von Stade was the original soloist, and contributed text for two of the movements, including the titular section. It describes her impressions as a young girl riding to grandma's -- on the road to Christmas.

David Del Tredici: Wollman Rink, from "Gotham Glory"
 - This is another work for those who want to pass on Christmas. Del Tredici's 2004 piano work "Gotham Glory" has four movements; each a study of a different aspect of New York City. The final movement, "Wollman Rink" references the famous ice-skating rink in Central Park. Subtitled "Grand Fantasy on the Skaters' Waltz" is a 17-minute knuckle-busting tour-de-force. And Del Tredici's inviting neo-romantic style lets you enjoy every note.

Jean Belmont: Nativitas
 - I couldn't resist the opportunity to air "Nativitas" on "Novitas." This 1981 work is an exciting and challenging work for a capella choir, with plenty of shifting meters and extended passages in the extremes of the register. Belmont does quote from medieval and renaissance sources, but there's no mistaking this for anything but a contemporary work.

This didn't make the cut.

Samuel Barber: Die Natali, Op. 37
 - The Boston Symphony commissioned Barber for this seasonal work in 1960. Barber took many beloved carols and wove them together to create an entirely new work. I don't know why this work isn't played more often -- and neither did several listeners who called in while it was airing.

John Tavener: Magnificat and Nunc dimittis
 - John Tavener may have grown up in the English choral tradition, but his conversion to the Eastern Orthodox church opened him up to an entirely different world of liturgical music. His settings of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (key Advent texts) combine both eastern and western Christian music in a way that's uniquely Tavener. It's serene, deeply spiritual, and totally original.

Kevin Oldham: Silent Night, from Three Carols, Op. 20
 - Whenever I have a Christmas or Christmas eve show, I end with this work. Oldham's 1992 setting of Silent Night is for soprano, flute, and harp. He kept the words, and created an entirely new melody for them. It's a delicately beautiful work that I think should be better known. And so I air it -- year after year...

*Since Adam came before Eve, it only makes sense that the day before Christmas Eve would be called Christmas Adam.

Walter Saul a welcome discovery

I have to admit I'd not heard of American composer Walter Saul before this CD landed on my desk. I'm glad it did. Saul's music has a directness to it that I find refreshing. Saul writes in a post-tonal style that's extremely accessible, yet avoids triteness and cliche.

Case in point, Saul's 1992 Christmas Symphony. This is no medley of holiday tunes, but a tightly-organized four-movement symphony that uses oblique elements of the Christmas story (Gabriel, the Star, Simeon, and heavenly Glorias) to document an emotional journey. It's one of those works that may be inspired by the season, but could be played any time of the year.

"Overture for the Jubilee" and "From Life to Greater Life" - like virtually all of Saul's music --draw on the composer's deep-seated religious convictions for inspiration. The Overture is an uplifting, yet restrained, concert opener. "From Life" moves from chaos to order as it progresses (thus illustrating its theme of ascending from life to afterlife).

The Violin Concerto is the most adventurous work on the album, with a snarling twelve-tone middle movement that resolves eventually into some beautiful lyrical passages in the finale.

"Kiev 2014" is an engaging work for oboe and orchestra. Its relentless energy keeps driving the music forward. According to the composer, it "reflects on the history, challenges and hope for Ukraine in the 21st century." And that perhaps explains the restless nature of this work.

The album is warmly recorded, with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine under Theodore Kuchar delivering straight-forward no-nonsense performances.

Walter Saul: Kiev 2014; Violin Concerto; Overture for the Jubilee; A Christmas Symphony; Metamorphosis
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine; Theodore Kuchar, conductor
Rong-Huey Liu, oboe; James Buswell, violin; Walter Saul, piano
Naxos 8.559791

Respighi: Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore

Now this is my kind of Christmas album. While all the works were written for the season, they aren't part of the classical Christmas top 40 (with one exception -- sort of). And they're all beautifully performed and recorded. The Rundfunkchor Berlin has a rich, creamy sound with an almost seamless blend of voices.

The program opens with Sven-David Sandstrom's arrangement of Praetorious' "Es is ein ros entsprungen" (that's the exception I was talking about). Sandstrom stretches this well-known carol out, creating long, sinuous taffy-like strands polyphony.

Morten Lauridsen's "O magnum mysterium" benefits from the choir's smooth sound. This delicate, lyrical work almost shimmers in this heartfelt performance.

Francis Poulenc wrote his "Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël" in a madrigalist manner. That is, he uses the music to illustrate the actions of the words as well as the underlying emotions. The Rundfunkchor Berlin performs these motets in a clean, clear fashion -- even if you don't understand the words they sing, the emotions come through loud and clear.

Respighi's "Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore" is (for me), the high point of the album. The choir, combined with the Polyphonia Ensemble Berlin shows Respighi at his best. The rich harmonies, the imaginative orchestrations, and the wonderfully simple (but not simplistic) melodies all come together for a seasonal work that in my opinion just isn't heard enough.

If you -- or someone you know -- is looking for something out of the ordinary in seasonal recordings, I highly recommend this release.

Ottorino Respighi: Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore; Sven-David Sandstrôm/Michael Preaetorius: Es ist ein Ros estprungen; Heinrich Kaminksi: Maria durch ein Dornwald ging; Morten Lauridsen: O magnum mysterium; Günther Raphael: Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland; Francis Poulenc: Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël  
Yeree Suh; Kristrine Larissa Funkhauser; Krystian Adam; Rundfunkchor Berlin; Polyphonia Ensemble Berlin; Nicolas Fink; Maris Sirmais, directors 
Carus 83.473

Christmas Music The New Old-Fashioned Way - 2

On Christmas Eve I hosted "Gamut" on WTJU, which aired from 6-9am. As I outlined in part 1, I played what I hoped was an engaging program of music for the season. Here's what I aired -- and why.

Francesco Manfredini, "Concerto 12 in C, Op. 3 "Pastorale per il Santissimo Natale"
Les Amis de Philippe; Ludger Remy (CPO)

Corelli's "Christmas" Concerto Grosso is fairly well-known, but he wasn't the only composer writing instrumental music for liturgical use. Francesco Manfredini was a contemporary of Vivaldi, and this concerto is on par with Corelli's.

I programmed it for two reasons. First, to show that there's more baroque Christmas music than the few that are continually programmed. Second, for listeners who don't like Christmas music, it's a work that can just be enjoyed without any seasonal context.

Rutland Boughton: "Bethlehem, Part 1"
Holst Singers; City of London Sinfonia; Alan G Melville (Hyperion)

Rutland Boughton is one of the lesser-known composers of the Second English Renaissance of the early 1900's. His choral drama "Bethlehem" was written for the first Glastonbury choral festival in 1914, and was performed every year until the festival was discontinued in 1926.

I like Boughton's blend of traditional carols and original music. His music for the shepherds cast them as simple English country folk, and is just delightful to listen to (at least, I think so).


Anon. 15th C., "A Wassail Suite"
The Waverly Consort (Virgin Classics)

The Waverly Consort released a Christmas album featuring music from 13th-century East Anglia to 18th-century New England and Appalachia. The "Wassail Suite" includes some variations on "Greensleeves," played on a variety of renaissance and folk instruments.

I programmed it because the instrumental combinations sounded fresh (compared to traditional orchestras and chamber groups). Also, this is a lively, uptempo performance that's just plain fun to listen to.


Victor Hely-Hutchinson: "Carol Symphony"
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra; Gavin Sutherland, conductor (Naxos)

Victor Hely-Hutchinson wrote his Carol Symphony for a 1929 BBC concert. The work is actually a set of four preludes, each one taking a carol and setting it in a different compositional style (Bach for the first, Balakirev for the second, and so on).

I programmed it because it was a different type of Christmas carol orchestral arrangement. Although not an entirely serious work, Hely-Hutchinson's music is well-written and stays true to the styles it emulates. In a world of paint-by-number orchestral arranging, the Carol Symphony stands out for its originality.


Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia: "Laudate Pueri"
L'Ensemble Turicum; Luiz Alves da Silva, director

Jose Garcia was one of Brazil's earliest composers. A contemporary of Mozart and Haydn, Garcia wrote in a similar classical style with more than a hint of Brazilian rhythm.

I programmed it for two reasons. First, I hadn't aired that much sacred Christmas music. Second, the Brazilian influences in Garcia's music give it an exotic sound -- and one I think folks not that enamored of classical music might find attractive.


Percy Grainger: "The Sussex Mummer's Christmas Carol"
Joel Smirnoff, violin; Stephen Drury, piano (Northeastern)

Sure, you've heard the Coventry Carol a million times. But how about the Sussex Mummer's Carol? It's a beautiful, poignant melody, effectively arranged by Percy Granger.

I programmed it because it was unfamiliar -- and a lovely piece of music.


Miklos Rozsa: "Ben-Hur - Star of Bethlehem","King of Kings - Overture and Nativity"
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra; Erich Kunzel, conductor (Telarc)

Three scores by Miklos Rosza defined the musical vocabulary religious movie soundtracks would use for decades: "Ben-Hur," Quo Vadis," and "King of Kings." Two of those movies had sequences involving the Nativity. The music Rozsa wrote for those scenes tell the story without words.

I programmed these simply for that reason. Rosza's music effectively paints the picture of the Nativity without resorting to cliche. And it's music that just isn't aired.


Georg Philipp Telemann: "Ouverture a la Pastoralle"
Capella Savaria; Pal Nemeth, conductor (Capriccio)

The Christmas Cantatas of Bach are standard fare. But the Christmas music of his contemporary (and sometime rival) Telemann can be just as compelling. The Ouverture a la Pastoralle is an instrumental work in four movements.

I programmed it because it's well-written music, and it is a nice alternative to Bach's seasonal offerings.

Judith Lang Zaimont: "December: The Carols"
Elizabeth Moak, piano (MSR) [2011] 

Judith Lang Zaimont is a contemporary composer, and writes in an accessible, tonal-based style. This work was from her work "Calendar Set: 12 Virtuosic Preludes."

I programmed it because I think it's important to air living composers (it belies the notion that classical music is a dead art form). And this work had an amazing display of pianistic fireworks, and some sly references to familiar carols presented in an unfamiliar way.


Ralph Vaughan Williams, "Fantasia on Christmas Carols"
Steven Varacoe, baritone; Cambridge Singers; City of London Sinfonia; John Rutter, conductor (Collegium)

Ralph Vaughan Williams set a number of traditional English carols in his fantasia. Vaughan Williams was a master at reworking traditional material in a way that was both true to the source and personally expressive.

I programmed it because it's Ralph Vaughan Williams. 'Nuff said.

 
William Sandys, "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day"
John Bull, "Carol: Een Kindeken is ons geboren"
Bramley & Stainer, "The Bellman's Carol"
Anon. 15th C., "Ding Dong Merrily on High"  - The Baltimore Consort  (Dorian)

The Baltimore Consort album "Bright Day Star" is a collection of seasonal music from the renaissance and early America.

I programmed it because of the variety. The three selections were all from different time periods, and played on different combinations of instruments. Plus I've always been a fan of Custer LaRue's smokey, yet pure singing tone.


Kevin Oldham, "Silent Night" from Three Carols, Op. 20" - Pamela Williamson, soprano; Lyra Pringle Pherigo, flute; Wesley  (Nimbus)

Kevin Oldham did more than just arrange "Silent Night." He rewrote it, keeping only the lyrics.

I programmed it because of its originality, and the blending of flute, harp, and soprano voice make this an ethereal and delicately beautiful work.

Christmas Music The New Old-Fashioned Way - 1

Let's be clear -- I enjoy Christmas music as much as anyone. But the time it takes me to burn out on the same old same old diminishes every year. Even in the field of classical music, playlists tend to be fairly conservative. Selections from the "Nutcracker," the Hallelujah chorus from "Messiah," "Winter" from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and (perhaps)" Corelli's "Christmas" Concerto. With some traditional hymns in orchestral settings for filler, of course.

This genre called classical music has been around for a very long time -- like a millennia. Since the Middle Ages composers have been writing advent and Christmas hymns, masses, chorales, and instrumental music inspired by the season. Sure, Christmas is a time of tradition, which gives those works resonance as they're heard year after year.

But there's so much more out there. Composers have writing music for this season for centuries -- including this one. There are many viewpoints and many forms of expression.

You can find Corelli's baroque Christmas Concerto stodgy and dull, but be electrified by Daniel Pinkham's contemporary Christmas Cantata. If you get to hear it, that is. It's likely Corelli will be broadcast, but not the Pinkham.

"Gamut," my Wednesday morning classical music show airs Christmas Eve this year, and I intend to use that time to present some unusual (but not totally alien) music. At worst, it should provide a break for listeners weary of the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. At best, it might be the moment when a listener discovers a seasonal work that speaks to them directly.

I'll report back tomorrow with what I aired, and why.

Thoughts on Christmas Eve

One of the things I like to do Christmas Eve is contemplate the strange blending of present and past that happens this time of year (Dickens had it right).

As I write this, I'm looking at our creche set up on the table. It represents many things, some obvious, some not. Of course, it's foremost an expression of our faith. As a Christian, I do believe in the miraculous birth of Christ as told in Scripture.

The Sacred

Our creche has all the traditional elements -- a shepherd, three Wise Men, stable animals, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. But being somewhat familiar with Scripture, I know that this scene is actually a composite, that probably never existed, and technically, we're putting it up at the wrong time, anyway. (Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem for the Roman tax census. Tax time for the Romans, like for us, took place in April, not December.)


Although a creche traditionally has them gathered together, the Wise Men and the shepherds didn't really arrive at the same time. According to Luke, the shepherds came shortly after the birth. In Matthew, the Wise Men arrive sometime within the first two years.

How do we know?

Matthew 2:13-23 tells of how Herod, based on what the Magi had told him, had every male child two and under killed. If Jesus was a new-born, then most likely Herod would have just have his soldiers look for one, or kill males six months or under. (The Slaughter of the Innocents is a part of the Christmas story that often gets overlooked -- but it's important.)


Tradition says that there were three Wise Men (or Magi), that one was African, and that their names were Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar. But Scripture doesn't say any of that -- Matthew just mentions Wise Men, plural. Could have been any number from two on up. There are no names, and no nationalities -- only that they came from the East.

So our creche represents not only the Christmas story at it appears in the Gospels, but also as its been modified by two centuries of tradition.

The Secular

Our creche also represents some things for our family, too. When we first moved to Orange, the town's summer Street Festival featured many local craftsman. This creche was purchased from a woodworker who lived in the area. The Street Festival has long since degenerated to out-of-town food vendors and purveyors of cheap novelty items. So this display reminds us of a time now past.

The design is sparse, and even new the colors were muted, suggesting age. Twenty years after the fact, the wood and paint have accumulated an authentic patina of age, making the set even more appealing (in my opinion).

One of the reasons we purchased this particular creche was because we had young children. We knew they would be tempted to play with a creche, and so we wanted a set that was durable enough for young hands. The creche is still here, intact, and it sparks fond memories of Christmases past in our now-grown children.

It's a pretty simple decoration -- and one that's probably not worth more than we paid for it all those years ago. But for what it represents, our primitive wooden creche is priceless to us.

Clackety-Clack Train

One of the new decorations this year is anything but new. It's a wooden toy train made by my grandfather. Recently my dad ran across the original plans Grandpa used from a handyman magazine in 1957.

What's interesting is what differences there are between the magazine plans and the final process.

First take a quick looks at the plans (click on the images to enlarge).

 

As you can see, there are some minor changes -- the car is a little shorter than the plan, and the tender is (mercifully) turned the right way. Note the smokestack.

The directions call for a turned dowel, but Grandpa didn't have a lathe. So instead, he used the handle from an old rubber stamp.

And finally, for reasons unknown, rather than a metal clacker, Grandpa used a stiff piece of cardboard.

Still, as a home-made toy it worked fine. I remember pulling it along behind me as it clacked away. It's good to have it back, and nice to know the story behind it.

Mutable Traditions

We tend to think of traditions as unchangeable, but they're really not. They provide a certain continuity, but they do change over time. Take Christmas lights, for example.

When we first set up housekeeping, we were given some vintage Christmas lights to trim our first tree. They were similar to the ones I grew up with -- large and wired in sequence (so when one goes out, they all go out). It wasn't long before replaced them with minilights. And this year, we replaced them with LED lights.

The tradition of stringing the tree with lights didn't change, but the type of lights did. Each change brought a different type of illumination to the tree. So the tree we have now has a substantially different appearance than the ones from Christmases past.

These were obvious changes, but each year there are other more subtle differences that we don't always notice.

Its a wonderful time of year, and for me part of the appeal is that it's never quite the same as it was before.

Christmas Time Capsule

Part of what gives Christmas it's emotional weight (at least for me) is the accumulated history of tradition. I thought about that as we decorated this past weekend.

For us, just about every ornament has its own story, and recalling those stories is part of what makes this season special.

Take the picture at right, for example. This hand-carved set of a mother cat and kitten drinking milk we purchased back in 1987. It was made in East Germany -- a country that no longer exists. I believe this set cost us about $15.00 (after Unification, the price jumped to $45.00).

We purchased the ornament at the Persimmon Corner, a boutique gift shop in downtown Charlottesville, VA. The store closed in the 1990's when the owner retired. But it was a great place to find the small wooden ornaments we needed for our Scandinavian tree.

The tree was given to us shortly after we were married by a good friend. It's made of wooden paddles that fan out to hold the ornaments, which are all less than an inch tall (or significantly smaller for the upper parts of the tree). She's long since moved away, but her gift remained. And after 25 years, we finally found enough ornaments to fill it.

So there's a lot of memories wrapped up in this little wooden set -- the shopping trips to one of our favorite store, good times with our friend, decorating in years past with toddlers, young children, and teens, and it's something of a historic artifact at this point.

And that's just one ornament on one tree.

Traditions are a way to help us remember. So what memories do your holiday traditions hold?

Evolving Holiday Traditions

In our family (as in many others) holiday traditions are important. It's not written down anywhere, but when we start to decorate, what order the decorations are put up, what foods are (or aren't) candidates for the Christmas day menu, and many other details just have to be a certain way.

What I try to keep in mind, though, is that these aren't rituals handed down from time immemorial. Rather, they're things that have evolved in response to circumstances and continue to evolve year to year. Yet while changing over time, they offer a comforting continuity to the past.

Case in point: The first year we were married, someone gave us a small bound notebook. We received some special ornaments for our first Christmas tree and decided to use the notebook to record who gave us the ornaments.

That first entry was back in 1977, and it's a tradition that we've kept up ever since. Before decorating the tree, we record the new ornaments into the book. But it's an evolving tradition.

When we started, my wife did the recording. As time went on, our children sometimes took over the task, and a season or two I did it as well. While the early years record additions, in time we started to record losses as well. Some ornaments didn't survive storage (like the handmade cookie dough star), and recently we've given some to our children as they begin setting up their own housekeeping.

It's a good thing we wrote things down when we did! There are ornaments from family members long since departed, and friends and colleagues who have moved away. Some were souvenirs of trips, others gifts for special occasions (some not related to Christmas), and some just fortuitous finds. I might remember a few of the stories attached to different ornaments (like the batik blue felt dove a friend made), but certainly not all.

So now part of the tradition is thumbing through the notebook, recalling good times and dear friends both present and past. As far as I know, we're the only family with such a book, but that doesn't matter. It's something that has meaning for us.

And that, in my opinion, is what the holidays should be about. Traditions that help you enjoy them on a deeper level. When we first got married, we had to combine two different family Christmas traditions -- not everything made the cut. We kept the ones that meant something to us and ditched the rest.

What holiday tradition means a lot to you? And how has it evolved over the years? Leave a comment and let me know!

- Ralph

Day 171 of the WJMA Web Watch.