I hope you all had some joy on Christmas Day yesterday. For me, it was basically a Thursday; my actual celebrating will happen tomorrow, when the clan gathers at my brother's house. Three of my four niblings being married now, with in-laws and all, getting us all together on the actual holiday is becoming a scheduling problem. But who cares? My grand-niece doesn't, I bet, being a happy-go-lucky two-year-old.
Maybe this belongs on a music thread, but I did mark Christmas Day as I usually do, by breaking out an old CD of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing Christmas carols. I may be an out-and-out atheist, but I have always said those Mormons can sing. My favorite piece on that CD has always been I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. I always thought they did it beautifully -- until this year when I learned the full story behind it and realized I've been listening to an abridged and prettified version of the original poem all these years. To be fair, it seems they're not the only, or even the first, to confine themselves to stanzas 1,2, and 7 for the lyrics.
My other favorite Christmas carol is Tom Lehrer's, of course. Almost as hilarious as Crucified Santa, you must admit.
Let us hope for a happier new year than the one we have just endured.
I hope you all had some joy on Christmas Day yesterday. For me, it was basically a Thursday; my actual celebrating will happen tomorrow, when the clan gathers at my brother's house. Three of my four niblings being married now, with in-laws and all, getting us all together on the actual holiday is becoming a scheduling problem. But who cares? My grand-niece doesn't, I bet, being a happy-go-lucky two-year-old.
Maybe this belongs on a music thread, but I did mark Christmas Day as I usually do, by breaking out an old CD of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing Christmas carols. I may be an out-and-out atheist, but I have always said those Mormons can sing. My favorite piece on that CD has always been I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. I always thought they did it beautifully -- until this year when I learned the full story behind it and realized I've been listening to an abridged and prettified version of the original poem all these years. To be fair, it seems they're not the only, or even the first, to confine themselves to stanzas 1,2, and 7 for the lyrics.
My other favorite Christmas carol is Tom Lehrer's, of course. Almost as hilarious as Crucified Santa, you must admit.
Let us hope for a happier new year than the one we have just endured.
--TP