Carols are the Songs of the Reason...

So, we’ve been regaled about Christmas SONGS and a few Christmas Carols, but mostly Songs. Wait, what’s the difference? Christmas songs are secular songs about Christmas. “White Christmas” and “Blue Christmas” are Christmas songs. Songs that are rather heartfelt but not religious-religious, though sung properly, by Bing Crosby and Elvis Presley respectively, are as introspective and, well, religious as you can get without being religious-religious. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is a song, about carols, but still a song. "Jingle Bells" and "Winter Wonderland" are also Songs, not Carols.  Still great and wonderful, full of emotion and power, but... not a Carol, or Amber, or Cynthia...  (BEANS!!!!  Not Christmas, NOT Christmas...)

There is a another type of song during this Christmas season, but they aren't Christmas songs. Though the idiots who run radio stations and cable music stations seem to think so. That horrible "Hallelujah" song that has nothing to do with religion, or Christ, or Christmas. Hate that song, once I found out what the lyrics said. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is another, not a Christmas song, and, yes, I've seen the movie and enjoyed the way skeevy Ricardo Montalban tries to use it on his girl and Red Skelton gets it used against him by his girl. But NOT a Christmas song or carol or anything about Christmas.  Winter songs are also not Christmas songs or carols.  Just because it's a song about freezing to death with your family or main squeeze doesn't make it classify as a CS or CC.  Gotta have actual Christmastime references to make it a Song, and must reference Christ to be a Carol.

Carols, on the other hand, in my book, in my mind, are religious-religious. They deal with “The Reason for the Season” and speak about religious matters. "Coventry Carol," "Silent Night" and my favorite, "O Holy Night," which, when you hit the 'Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices." just makes me tear up and, well, fall on my knees, because it is so pretty and powerful and touches me right at that religious spot that almost led me to going to seminary or a monastery.  They invoke the power and majesty of the season.  "Away in a Manger," carol.  Handel's actual "Hallelujah Chorus" (though maybe a stretch, but still, yeah, carolistic, though most carolers can't carol it.) and tons of others that no-one ever hears on the radio because "Santa Baby" screeched by some dingbat is taking up valuable air-time (and I barely classify SB as a Christmas Song, barely.  Hate it, but we're talking about Carols so …)  "Little Drummer Boy" can be either a Song or a Carol, modernish but okay, a carol (it is not just a holiday version of "Bang Your Drum.")

"Ave Maria" is, well, a carol to me.  Also my wedding song, which cheesed the music director at my church when Mrs. Andrew and I told him.  Definitely a carol.  And Shubert's version is just darned glorious.  (Hmmm, maybe there's a bit of a Marian in me, which is also part of the Season.) (Marian being a follower of Mary, not a follower of the cute farm girl from "Gilligan's Island.")

By the way, "Oh Christmas Tree" is often sanitized and turned into a Christmas Song.  But it, in it's full version, is most decidedly a Christmas Carol.  From the Third verse...

Let us all remember

In our gift giving and our merriment

With our family and friends and loved ones

The real and true meaning of Christmas

The birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

See? Do you remember learning those lyrics in school to "Christmas Tree" or did they, those godless socialists, keep that away from you, too? (BEANS!!!!! No Politics, it's Christmas!!!!)  Of course, that's the English version, translated (maybe badly) from the original German. And sung in the original it is very haunting and beautiful, a great example of the message getting across no matter what language is used.

Now that we have that over and done with, there's lots of Christmas Carols out there.  We all know them, the really good and common (as in known) ones.  But there's one I have always liked, since I first heard it.  And learned to sing it, well, at least the background part, not the part the prima donnas always take over and refuse to let anyone else sing.

That would be "Gaudete."  No one really knows where it came from, though the medieval Latin lyrics point to it being, well, medieval.  The music may have been written in the 16th Century, but that's only based on it being published in a Finnish (yes, Finnish, oh, those tricky Finns) or Swedish book of Finnish and Swedish sacred music in 1581.  Like a lot of Church (big "C" there, notice?) music, the song may have existed in a monophonic form before being attached to a 'more' modern structure.

Yes, of course, Steeleye Span, Sarah Brightman and Charlotte Church have all made recordings of this beautiful song.  But most people really don't know about it.

Gaudete

Gaudete, Gaudete! Christus et natus Ex maria virgine, Gaudete!	Rejoice, Rejoice! Christ is born Of the virgin Mary, Rejoice!
Tempus ad est gratiae, Hoc quod optabamus; Carmina laetitiae, Devote redamus. (Gaudete...)	It is now the time of grace That we have desired; Let us sing songs of joy, Let us give devotion.
Deus homo factus est, Natura mirante; Mundus renovatus est A Christo regnante. (Gaudete....)	God was made man, And nature marvels; The world was renewed By Christ who is King.
Ezechiellis porta Clausa pertransitur; Unde lux est orta Salus invenitur. (Gaudete....)	The closed gate of Ezechiel Has been passed through; From where the light rises Salvation is found.
Ergo nostra cantio, Psallat iam in lustro; Benedicat Domino: Salus Regi nostro.  (Gaudete, and then another round of Gaudete!)	Therefore let our assembly now sing, Sing the Psalms to purify us; Let it praise the Lord: Greetings to our King.

See?  Really nice.  Here it is, 'live.'

Pretty, and one of my favorites.  I love the power of the Gaudete lines, I really do.  Love singing them when out just because they're pretty, and powerful.  Though... I need to go learn the non-Gaudete, Gaudete lines...  So I can sing the whole thing.  Maybe work on my falsetto for the non-Gaudete lines... Channel my inner Frankie Valle...  (Do I use "..." to much or is it okay?...)

On a weird note, and not a carol, actually a lullaby, but I've heard people call it a carol but well, not a carol, but it's something, I can also sing the Welsh lyrics to "Ar Hyd y Nos" or "All through the Night" for you English pikers.  And, according to a Welsh friend, my accent is rather good, for a bloody Norman...

So, not a Christmas Song or Carol, but still beautiful in either Welsh or English.  And beauty is kinda religious, isn't it?

So... What are your favorite Christmas Carols? Not songs, not winter pieces.  Carols.  Religious Songs of Christmastime, and maybe why?  Do you like singing them or just listening to them?