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Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas
Behind the Christmas songs we love to sing lie fascinating stories that will enrich your holiday celebration. Taking you inside the nativity of over thirty favorite songs and carols, Ace Collins introduces you to people you’ve never met, stories you’ve never heard, and meanings you’d never have imagined. The next time you and your family sing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," you’ll have a new understanding of its message and popular roots. You’ll discover how "Angels from the Realms of Glory," with its sublime lyrics and profound theology, helped usher in a quiet revolution in worship. You’ll learn the strange history of the haunting and powerful "O Holy Night," including the song’s surprising place in the history of modern communications. And you’ll step inside the life of Mark Lowry and find out how he came to pen the words to the contemporary classic "Mary, Did You Know?"Still other songs such as "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" trace back to mysterious origins--to ninth-century monks, nameless clergy, and unknown commoners of ages past. Joining hands with such modern favorites as "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song," they are part of the legacy of inspiration, faith, tears, love, and spiritual joy that is Christmas. From the rollicking appeal of "Jingle Bells" to the tranquil beauty of "Silent Night," the great songs of Christmas contain messages of peace, hope, and truth. Each in its own way expresses a facet of God’s heart and celebrates the birth of his greatest gift to the world--Jesus, the most wonderful Christmas Song of all.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2001
About the author
Ace Collins
96 books214 followersCiting his Arkansas heritage, Christy Award winner Ace Collins defines himself as a storyteller. In that capacity, Collins has authored more than eighty books for 25 different publishers that have sold more than 2.5 million copies. His catalog includes novels, biographies, children’s works as well as books on history, culture and faith. He has also been the featured speaker at the National Archives Distinguished Lecture Series, hosted a television special, been featured on every network morning TV show and does college basketball play-by-play. He is married to Kathy Collins, Chair of the Education Department at Ouachita Baptist University, and the couple has two grown sons. Collins lives in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
June 16, 2009
I'm a Christmas music FREAK. I'm one of those annoying people who listen to it all year long (although, in private. I never subject others to my addiction).I was excited when I bought this book. I initially enjoyed reading the stories behind the Christmas songs. However, however I became suspicious when I read three stories that I knew to be false, or poorly researched.
The first is where he says Irving Berlin had little faith in his song "White Christmas." Having just finished Jody Rosen's book, White Christmas--the story behind Berlin's perennial favorite--I knew this to be untrue. Quite the contrary, Berlin considered it not only the the greatest song he'd ever written, but the greatest song every written, period.
The second red flag came with his recounting of the supposed story behind "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (easily the in the world's top ten most annoying Christmas songs. Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmas Time is number one). Collins appears to have just pulled from the Internet the story that the song is about teaching young Catholic children, Catholic doctrine in England at a time when Catholicism was outlawed. The problem with this theory is that none of the doctrines this is supposed to teach is actually exclusive to Catholicism. Again another book I own on Christmas carols edited by Ian Bradley, says this type of pattersong/memory song was very common throughout Europe at the time, and a French version of this carol (A very Catholic country) exists.
Finally, there is Collins' statement that in the days of the song "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", the term "merry" meant strong. Again, I had recently heard different, so I went to the library and spent an hour studying the Oxford English Dictionary, and couldn't find a single meaning of the term merry to have ever been "strong."
While Collins may have the great access to living composers and such, these three errors, made me wonder just how many other factual errors exist in the boo, that I didn't know about.
So, while I keep this as a reference, I toss a shaker of salt over my shoulder everytime I use it.
The first is where he says Irving Berlin had little faith in his song "White Christmas." Having just finished Jody Rosen's book, White Christmas--the story behind Berlin's perennial favorite--I knew this to be untrue. Quite the contrary, Berlin considered it not only the the greatest song he'd ever written, but the greatest song every written, period.
The second red flag came with his recounting of the supposed story behind "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (easily the in the world's top ten most annoying Christmas songs. Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmas Time is number one). Collins appears to have just pulled from the Internet the story that the song is about teaching young Catholic children, Catholic doctrine in England at a time when Catholicism was outlawed. The problem with this theory is that none of the doctrines this is supposed to teach is actually exclusive to Catholicism. Again another book I own on Christmas carols edited by Ian Bradley, says this type of pattersong/memory song was very common throughout Europe at the time, and a French version of this carol (A very Catholic country) exists.
Finally, there is Collins' statement that in the days of the song "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", the term "merry" meant strong. Again, I had recently heard different, so I went to the library and spent an hour studying the Oxford English Dictionary, and couldn't find a single meaning of the term merry to have ever been "strong."
While Collins may have the great access to living composers and such, these three errors, made me wonder just how many other factual errors exist in the boo, that I didn't know about.
So, while I keep this as a reference, I toss a shaker of salt over my shoulder everytime I use it.
March 28, 2011
I had high hopes for this selection. I love Christmas carols and thought that having the stories behind them would be fun. However, of the first three "chapters" that I read (I'll be Home for Christmas, White Christmas, and the Twelve Days of Christmas), the research is sloppy, incorrect, and incomplete.
A simple search on the Urban Legend dubunking site of snopes.com will show problems with the Twelve Days of Christmas writeup. And then there's my favorite, I'll be Home for Christmas. While the story is nice, adding yet one more error (assuming that lyricist "Kim Gannon" is female) to the list already detailed causes one to question the validity of anything in the entire book. The lyrics for this song were written by James "Kim" Gannon (male).
This book would have benefited from better research AND better proofreading. Luckily I picked it up for free for the Kindle. If it's still available for free, it's maybe worth the download for some of the stories, but before passing on any information to others, it's best to do a quick google search to validate that you are not just perpetuating a legend.
A simple search on the Urban Legend dubunking site of snopes.com will show problems with the Twelve Days of Christmas writeup. And then there's my favorite, I'll be Home for Christmas. While the story is nice, adding yet one more error (assuming that lyricist "Kim Gannon" is female) to the list already detailed causes one to question the validity of anything in the entire book. The lyrics for this song were written by James "Kim" Gannon (male).
This book would have benefited from better research AND better proofreading. Luckily I picked it up for free for the Kindle. If it's still available for free, it's maybe worth the download for some of the stories, but before passing on any information to others, it's best to do a quick google search to validate that you are not just perpetuating a legend.
December 22, 2022
3.5⭐️
I found the stories behind many of the songs to be quite interesting, but after reading some reviews and doing a little research, it seems like several of the songs back stories were not a well researched as they could have been and legend was sometimes quoted as fact. Overall enjoyable, just not sure if everything was true.
I found the stories behind many of the songs to be quite interesting, but after reading some reviews and doing a little research, it seems like several of the songs back stories were not a well researched as they could have been and legend was sometimes quoted as fact. Overall enjoyable, just not sure if everything was true.
December 27, 2010
“Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas” by Ace Collins (Website) is a short book, divided into sections, each corresponding to a beloved Christmas song. The book is arranged alphabetically and includes lyrics to most of the songs.
The book tells about 31 Christmas songs and carols including “Do You Hear what I Hear”, “G-d Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, “Jingle Bells’, “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and more. The titles are arrange alphabetically and most of the songs also include the lyrics.
I was looking forward to read “Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas”, not only to get into the holiday spirit but also because I love this type of books since my childhood. These short stories filled with charming facts and little unknown tidbits were always fascinating to me.
Not to mention a great resource in case I’ll be on “Jeopardy” one day.
The premise of this book is quite interesting, that is telling the history of each carol or Christmas song. Mr. Collins is a good writer and makes the stories he writes about engaging and easy to read, but he lacks some serious research. The core fact of what the author is describing are woven with information which cannot be verified (such as putting thoughts in people’s heads) or is simply misleading (I did some fact checking and found conflicting information). If the information is not wrong well, the reader is out of luck because there are absolutely no sources at the end.
I will grant the author that most of the stories he tells are legitimate and verifiable when one checks up on them but to mix fact and fiction only undermines the authors credibility.
For example, the author’s take on “Good King Wenceslas”, he mixes facts and legends into a simple narrative which could easily be taken as all pure fact and worst – be quoted from in the future. The piece about “Twelve Days of Christmas” (which accidentally I happen to look up) was taken out of an Internet page without any reasonable research. The author claims that the “Twelve Days of Christmas” was some sort of coded reference but a 2 second search on Google using the term “Twelve Days of Christmas Origin” brought me to a Snopes page claiming it is false.
For more book reviews please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
The book tells about 31 Christmas songs and carols including “Do You Hear what I Hear”, “G-d Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, “Jingle Bells’, “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and more. The titles are arrange alphabetically and most of the songs also include the lyrics.
I was looking forward to read “Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas”, not only to get into the holiday spirit but also because I love this type of books since my childhood. These short stories filled with charming facts and little unknown tidbits were always fascinating to me.
Not to mention a great resource in case I’ll be on “Jeopardy” one day.
The premise of this book is quite interesting, that is telling the history of each carol or Christmas song. Mr. Collins is a good writer and makes the stories he writes about engaging and easy to read, but he lacks some serious research. The core fact of what the author is describing are woven with information which cannot be verified (such as putting thoughts in people’s heads) or is simply misleading (I did some fact checking and found conflicting information). If the information is not wrong well, the reader is out of luck because there are absolutely no sources at the end.
I will grant the author that most of the stories he tells are legitimate and verifiable when one checks up on them but to mix fact and fiction only undermines the authors credibility.
For example, the author’s take on “Good King Wenceslas”, he mixes facts and legends into a simple narrative which could easily be taken as all pure fact and worst – be quoted from in the future. The piece about “Twelve Days of Christmas” (which accidentally I happen to look up) was taken out of an Internet page without any reasonable research. The author claims that the “Twelve Days of Christmas” was some sort of coded reference but a 2 second search on Google using the term “Twelve Days of Christmas Origin” brought me to a Snopes page claiming it is false.
For more book reviews please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
December 24, 2017
While there are critical reviews of this book, my opinion is opposite. I enjoyed reading about the 31 featured religious and secular Christmas songs. I am a big fan of Christmas music and found it fascinating to learn a bit more about the person who wrote the song (when known) and the context of the times. My favorite chapter was on the background of the more recent, well loved song, "Mary, Did You Know?" Actually, were many chapters that were my "favorites."
The criticism of the book is related to inaccuracies and/or lack of scholarly research. As a casual reader on this topic, I was not concerned about details. I was satisfied with pickng up a general understanding of how some of these much-loved songs came into being.
I plan to pass the book on to a couple of friends who will enjoy it.
My rating is 4 stars.
The criticism of the book is related to inaccuracies and/or lack of scholarly research. As a casual reader on this topic, I was not concerned about details. I was satisfied with pickng up a general understanding of how some of these much-loved songs came into being.
I plan to pass the book on to a couple of friends who will enjoy it.
My rating is 4 stars.
November 21, 2021
3.5 stars
January 5, 2012
What I enjoyed most about this book was that it got me interested in researching the background of some of my favorite Christmas songs. What I did not enjoy was that it was so clearly written with..."schmaltz" (for lack of a better word). I'm sure some of what's in this volume is true, but it's easy to pick up on the rose-colored tint the writer is putting on every story. The stories are heart-warming (like Hallmark movies) but not always real.
December 26, 2014
Since we use so many of these songs in our worship services around Christmas, shouldn't we Christians learn the origins and intended meanings of the songs? There is so much history, including church history, embedded into the hymns we sing at Christmas, and we are often so ignorant of it. Even non-Christians can appreciate the historical contexts of the hymns. I finished this book the day of my church's Christmas Eve service, when many carols are sung. It gave me a greater appreciation and understanding of each one.
The most interesting part of the book, for me, was the story of John Mason Neale and his translation of the 9th century hymn/poem "O Come Emmanuel" from Latin into English in 1851. When we sing this song, we reconnect with the early church. I'd never examined the verses of the song before, it is a seven-part tale of Advent. Neale is an interesting character, a polyglot whose desire to share the Gospel with outcasts as well as his interest in non-Anglican church history led to his quasi-exile to Africa where he set to work translating ancient Latin texts. The stories behind the lyrics, and the music the lyrics were later set to, make for interesting reading.
Collins, however, skips over Neale's work on Good King Winceslas and Good Christian Men Rejoice. This looseness and errors discovered by various fact-checking reviewers drives this book down to a 3-star rating. Critics have found him to be incorrect about Irving Berlin's thoughts on White Christmas, the "true meaning" of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and his published interpretation of the meaning of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. This makes me skeptical of other things in the book, but a little research finds that the histories behind many songs are quite complicated and historians differ frequently.
Another example of an ancient hymn is Good Christian Men Rejoice, the text of which dates back to at least 1400. Collins credits this work to the German mystic and Dominican monk Henrich Suso, although it's Neale who popularized the work in English.
Here is what else I gleaned from the book:
Many of the Christmas songs traced back to 18th and century England were unusual in that they were written by laypeople in the vernacular and were not accepted by the Church, which already had its centuries-long established hymns that were usually in Latin and quite somber. Some songs were written by dissidents like Isaac Watts and took decades to be appreciated or celebrated.
Angels from the Realm of Glory was originally a poem published in a newspaper, which brought embattled Irish and English some peace. It helped start a movement of new songs in the church instead of the traditional, Latin hymns mandated by the church.
Angels We Have Heard on High has unknown origins but could be from a monastery or even have roots in the first centuries.
Away in a Manger is American, not written by Martin Luther.
Chestnuts Roasting on a Open Fire is by Mel Torme, not Nat King Cole. But the hit attributed to Cole opened the door for more African-American hits in the mainstream.
The First Nowell was probably from England, written by someone with poor language grasp and perhaps illiterate (hence shepherds follow the star). It was likely a folk song for 300 years before being formally written down.
Do You Hear What I Hear was written during the Vietnam war by a French immigrant, who was both a former Nazi soldier and resistance fighter.
Go Tell It on the Mountain is a Negro spiritual.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen was either from the 15th century (as Collins claims) or the 1760s (as Snopes suggests). Collins holds it up as an example of work by laypeople who wanted to express their faith musically in a different way than the somber, Latin tunes mandated by their parishes. Collins claims that a modern translation would be "God keep you great/mighty, Gentlemen." According to Snopes, the Oxford English Dictionary does not support Collins' claim that "merry" means "mighty."
Longfellow wrote I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day after his son was injured in Civil War, trying to make sense of the madness.
Likewise, O Little Town of Bethlehem came out of a sabbatical to Palestine taken by the distraught minister who officiated Abraham Lincoln's funeral.
Oh Holy Night was the collaborative work of men including an atheist Jew and a Unitarian Socialist. The atheist wrote a poem that was put to music, and later edited and translated into English by a Unitarian Minister in Boston. The verse including "the slave is our brother" was intentionally making a statement in favor of abolition, circa 1855. It was the second piece of music ever to be broadcast over radio.
The precise origins of Silent Night were unclear until about 1995. Silent Night was basically an accident. After the organ in an Austrian parish was damaged by mice, the minister, Joseph Mohr, enlisted the help of a parishioner (Franz Gruber) to write a melody for one of Mohr's poems, "Stille Nacht." Gruber used a guitar and wrote a four-part harmony that was performed at the church on Christmas Eve in 1818. Collins neglects to mention that this version is more lively than the somber one translated into English in the 1850s that we sing today. That song is probably the most widely known worldwide.
I Wonder as I Wander was discovered and published by a Kentuckian, John Jacob Niles, who chronicled American folk music. He happened across a young girl in North Carolina singing the song and was never able to determine its origin. He edited it into a full song and the rest is history.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing was originally composed by John Wesley, who was incensed when it was then re-written and published by George Whitfield.
The musician/comedian Mark Lowry wrote Mary Did You Know.
The more modern Hollywood-created songs covered in this book also have some interesting stories which are covered in this book:
Silver Bells was almost "Tinker Bells" and its authors also wrote the theme song for Mr. Ed.
Judy Garland was instrumental in re-writing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to be more hopeful, as she had seen the importance of songs like Somewhere Over the Rainbow to troops as she performed in the USO.
In all, I recommend this book for an important look at the history of hymns we sing. But don't cite it as authoritative and be sure to fact-check everything. I had to do a lot of searching as I wrote this review.
The most interesting part of the book, for me, was the story of John Mason Neale and his translation of the 9th century hymn/poem "O Come Emmanuel" from Latin into English in 1851. When we sing this song, we reconnect with the early church. I'd never examined the verses of the song before, it is a seven-part tale of Advent. Neale is an interesting character, a polyglot whose desire to share the Gospel with outcasts as well as his interest in non-Anglican church history led to his quasi-exile to Africa where he set to work translating ancient Latin texts. The stories behind the lyrics, and the music the lyrics were later set to, make for interesting reading.
Collins, however, skips over Neale's work on Good King Winceslas and Good Christian Men Rejoice. This looseness and errors discovered by various fact-checking reviewers drives this book down to a 3-star rating. Critics have found him to be incorrect about Irving Berlin's thoughts on White Christmas, the "true meaning" of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and his published interpretation of the meaning of God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen. This makes me skeptical of other things in the book, but a little research finds that the histories behind many songs are quite complicated and historians differ frequently.
Another example of an ancient hymn is Good Christian Men Rejoice, the text of which dates back to at least 1400. Collins credits this work to the German mystic and Dominican monk Henrich Suso, although it's Neale who popularized the work in English.
Here is what else I gleaned from the book:
Many of the Christmas songs traced back to 18th and century England were unusual in that they were written by laypeople in the vernacular and were not accepted by the Church, which already had its centuries-long established hymns that were usually in Latin and quite somber. Some songs were written by dissidents like Isaac Watts and took decades to be appreciated or celebrated.
Angels from the Realm of Glory was originally a poem published in a newspaper, which brought embattled Irish and English some peace. It helped start a movement of new songs in the church instead of the traditional, Latin hymns mandated by the church.
Angels We Have Heard on High has unknown origins but could be from a monastery or even have roots in the first centuries.
Away in a Manger is American, not written by Martin Luther.
Chestnuts Roasting on a Open Fire is by Mel Torme, not Nat King Cole. But the hit attributed to Cole opened the door for more African-American hits in the mainstream.
The First Nowell was probably from England, written by someone with poor language grasp and perhaps illiterate (hence shepherds follow the star). It was likely a folk song for 300 years before being formally written down.
Do You Hear What I Hear was written during the Vietnam war by a French immigrant, who was both a former Nazi soldier and resistance fighter.
Go Tell It on the Mountain is a Negro spiritual.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen was either from the 15th century (as Collins claims) or the 1760s (as Snopes suggests). Collins holds it up as an example of work by laypeople who wanted to express their faith musically in a different way than the somber, Latin tunes mandated by their parishes. Collins claims that a modern translation would be "God keep you great/mighty, Gentlemen." According to Snopes, the Oxford English Dictionary does not support Collins' claim that "merry" means "mighty."
Longfellow wrote I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day after his son was injured in Civil War, trying to make sense of the madness.
Likewise, O Little Town of Bethlehem came out of a sabbatical to Palestine taken by the distraught minister who officiated Abraham Lincoln's funeral.
Oh Holy Night was the collaborative work of men including an atheist Jew and a Unitarian Socialist. The atheist wrote a poem that was put to music, and later edited and translated into English by a Unitarian Minister in Boston. The verse including "the slave is our brother" was intentionally making a statement in favor of abolition, circa 1855. It was the second piece of music ever to be broadcast over radio.
The precise origins of Silent Night were unclear until about 1995. Silent Night was basically an accident. After the organ in an Austrian parish was damaged by mice, the minister, Joseph Mohr, enlisted the help of a parishioner (Franz Gruber) to write a melody for one of Mohr's poems, "Stille Nacht." Gruber used a guitar and wrote a four-part harmony that was performed at the church on Christmas Eve in 1818. Collins neglects to mention that this version is more lively than the somber one translated into English in the 1850s that we sing today. That song is probably the most widely known worldwide.
I Wonder as I Wander was discovered and published by a Kentuckian, John Jacob Niles, who chronicled American folk music. He happened across a young girl in North Carolina singing the song and was never able to determine its origin. He edited it into a full song and the rest is history.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing was originally composed by John Wesley, who was incensed when it was then re-written and published by George Whitfield.
The musician/comedian Mark Lowry wrote Mary Did You Know.
The more modern Hollywood-created songs covered in this book also have some interesting stories which are covered in this book:
Silver Bells was almost "Tinker Bells" and its authors also wrote the theme song for Mr. Ed.
Judy Garland was instrumental in re-writing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to be more hopeful, as she had seen the importance of songs like Somewhere Over the Rainbow to troops as she performed in the USO.
In all, I recommend this book for an important look at the history of hymns we sing. But don't cite it as authoritative and be sure to fact-check everything. I had to do a lot of searching as I wrote this review.
December 23, 2014
I'm sure my co-workers loved my running commentary today regarding all I learned about Christmas carols after finishing this book last night.... :-) I would have liked this book more, but there was too much information in it. Needs some editing. Like take out about 1/3 of it! More is not always better!
December 19, 2011
This was a good book, but I have learned that some of the stories aren't as true as the author would have the reader believe and that knocked down my review a bit. I'm sorry when something is listed as nonfiction, it should be nonfiction. That is all I have to say about it.
December 1, 2017
It was lovely reading about the origins of Christmas carols. The author is respectful of Christian beliefs and traditions and made the stories feel as meaningful as the carols themselves.
November 19, 2018
If you love Christmas music, you'll love the stories behind these classics. Very informative.
September 4, 2024
I know it might be slightly odd to read a Christmas book in September, but it was on my to-read stack and met the "holiday book" objective on my reading bingo card. ;) And it was the perfect book. I'd just come off of a reread of the entire LOTR trilogy so this lighter book on a completely different subject was a great fit for transition.
Y'all: this was such a good read! Each chapter is a different Christmas song. I learned a lot while reading it and could hear all the songs playing in my head as I read. The oldest songs (the ones out of copyright) were reprinted in full in the book. A lot of our beloved Christmas songs were born out of times of war. And some are nearly as old as Christ Himself. Others were newer... and composed in the middle of summer. Two weren't even written as Christmas songs at all. And you'll have to read the book to learn which song is which! ;)
Y'all: this was such a good read! Each chapter is a different Christmas song. I learned a lot while reading it and could hear all the songs playing in my head as I read. The oldest songs (the ones out of copyright) were reprinted in full in the book. A lot of our beloved Christmas songs were born out of times of war. And some are nearly as old as Christ Himself. Others were newer... and composed in the middle of summer. Two weren't even written as Christmas songs at all. And you'll have to read the book to learn which song is which! ;)
December 9, 2019
I did enjoy reading this little book. I see that some people have pointed out that some of the stories are not completely true. Regardless, I found it fascinating. I was already familiar with the story of the creation of "Silent Night" and always loved it. My only criticism is the style of writing. It's a bit over the top with the sugary emotions. And the hyperbole. Not every Christmas song is one of the most beloved ever. Not every person who wrote a famous Christmas song was a saint. One little thing that I liked was that he pointed out that there should be a comma in the title "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen" I agree. That's always been a pet peeve of mine. I always pause there when I sing that carol. I don't agree that "merry" originally meant "strong" though.
December 28, 2018
I have looked for years for a book that tells the stories about our most loved Christmas carols but couldn't find exactly was I was looking for until now. This is perfect. 31 carols. There was only one that I had never heard of. I loved the history of each carol and the attention to detail of how these beloved carols came to be. It is amazing to me that some of these carols have lasted as long as they have.
December 14, 2020
Solid, intriguing and interesting storytelling. You learn so many new things about the Christmas songs you have known your whole life. The stories, history, and origins surrounding Christmas songs open your eyes to the lyrics, bringing a freshness to them when you listen to them again for what feels like the first time.
November 29, 2022
Good way to get myself into the Christmas spirit!
December 1, 2023
THE POPULAR AUTHOR’S FIRST (OF THREE) BOOKS ABOUT CHRISTMAS SONGS
Author ‘Ace’ (Andrew) Collins wrote in this 2001 book of ‘The Christmas Song,’ “Yet had it not been for a friend of [Nat King] Cole’s named Mel Torme, who happened to drop by Cole’s house with the song, Cole would never have had the chance to record it.” (Pg. 30) He continues, “No one thought about it at the time, but Cole’s cut of Torme’s song became the first American Christmas standard introduced by an African American. The success of that cut helped open the door for Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, and Ethel Waters to put their own spins on holiday classics. It gave black audiences a chance to hear their favorite stars sing the carols that they love as deeply as all other Christians.” (Pg. 34)
Of ‘The First Noel,’ he explains, “When ‘The First Noel’ was written [16th century], there were very few Bibles in circulation… Common people rarely saw a Bible in person… This was probably the case with the composer of ‘The First Noel.’ With no ready Bible to guide him, the writer drew from the stories he had been told about the events of Christ’s birth. Most he recounted accurately, but he erred when he depicted the shepherds following the star to Christ’s birthplace. The Bible does not mention the star with the shepherds, only with the wise men.” (Pg. 42)
He says of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,’ “today … the word ‘merry’ means ‘happy.’ When [the song] was written, ‘merry’ had a very different meaning… [it] meant ‘great’ and ‘mighty’… So when the English carolers of the Victorian era sang the words ‘merry gentlemen,’ they meant great or mighty men… The word ‘rest’ in [the song] simply means ‘keep’ or ‘make.’ And to completely uncover the final key to solving this mystery of meaning, a comma needs to be ¬placed after the word ‘merry.’ Therefore, in modern English, the first line … should read,’ God make you mighty, gentlemen.’” (Pg. 56)
Of ‘Good King Wenceslas,’ he comments, “Kiong Wenceslaus was a real member of European royalty… And Wenceslas loved Christmas. Centuries before gift giving became a part of the holiday tradition, [he] embraced the joy of sharing his bounty with others… each Christmas Eve [he] sought out the most needy of this subjects and visited them… Wenceslas brought food, firewood, and clothing… Like a tenth century Saint Nick, the kindly young man made the night before Christmas special for scores of families.” (Pg. 64-66)
Of Charles Wesley’s ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing,’ he reports, “In 1737… Wesley was working on a new Christmas composition… However, when his old college friend, George Whitefield, finally published the song, Wesley’s benevolent pride turned to rage… Whitefield was not as well educated as Wesley and so his interpretation of the Scriptures was … not so literal… when Whitefield published Wesley’s Christmas song, he changed the words without consulting the writer. When Wesley read the new first line, ‘Hark! the herald angels sing,’ he was incensed. Nowhere in the Bible did angels sing about the birth of Christ. Yet because of Whitefield’s change in one line, today most people believe that Luke 2:13 refers to singing angels rather than ‘a great company of the heavenly host… praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest…”. (Pg. 71-72)
He states of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,’ “As moving as Judy [Garland’s] performance of the song in the film [‘Meet Me in St. Louis’] was, the Decca single that was released for Christmas 1944 was just as touching. Garland’s rich voice revealed the full range of emotions found in the song’s lyrics. In an era when Christmas songs seemed to mean more than they ever had before, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ was one of the best. When Judy sang it to soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. When battle weary men in Europe and the Pacific heard it, they clung to the song as if their dreams were carried on each word and note.” (Pg. 79)
He recounts, “in the midst of the war, ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ received more airplay and generated more sales than did the Crosby hit [‘White Christmas’] of the previous year. It quickly became the most requested song at Christmas U.S.O. shows in both Europe and the Pacific. Some historians have said that for service personnel and their families the only inspirational patriotic song that was its equal was ‘God Bless America.’” (Pg. 94)
He explains, “‘Jingle Bells’ is perhaps the most well-known, most sung Christmas carol in America… Yet in one of the season’s greatest ironies, ‘Jingle Bells’ does not contain a single reference to the holiday with which it is associated and was actually written for a completely different day of celebration… James S. Pierpont … combined his ‘jingle’ with his observations of the day’s sled races and his memories of racing horse-drawn sleighs… James taught his ‘One Horse Open Sleigh’ to the choir at the Medford Church. The fully harmonized arrangement was then presented at the annual Thanksgiving service. Since Thanksgiving was the most important holiday in New England at the time, there was a large audience when [the song] debuted. The number went over so well that many of the church members asked James and the choir to perform it again at the Christmas service… scores of Christmas visitors to the Medford sanctuary took it back to their own communities… [Since] they had heard it on the twenty-fifth of December, they taught it to their friends and family as a Christmas song.” (Pg. 103-104)
He asks of ‘Joy to the World,’ “It remains a mystery how this hymn became known as a Christmas carol. Inspired by Old Testament Scripture---with no worlds alluding to the birth of Jesus other than the phrase, ‘The Lord is come’---‘Joy to the World’ would seem to be a song for all seasons… .Nevertheless, for some reason Americans embraced ‘Joy to the World’ as a holiday standard. Perhaps, because of its jubilant spirit, it just ‘felt’ like a Christmas song.” (Pg. 113)
He explains about ‘Mary Did You Know?,’ “Mark Lowry is … A singer with they Gaither Vocal Band, a humorist, and a songwriter… Mark had been with the band for two years when Buddy Green joined them… Mark decided to share [the lyrics of] ‘Mary Did You Know?’ with Buddy… the song … was originally cut by Christian sensation Michael English… Scores of other acts quickly took the song into the studio … thanks to this exposure, [the song] was soon adopted by choirs and soloists… For the first time in decades, a new Christmas song had become an important facet of traditional holiday celebrations. For the first time ever, southern gospel music had given the world a Christmas carol.” (Pg. 116-119)
He notes, “‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ is probably the oldest Christmas carol still sung today. This popular hymn dates back to the ninth century and represents an important and ancient series of services celebrated by the Catholic church. It also presents the different biblical roles that the church believed Jesus fulfilled.” (Pg. 126)
He turns to ‘O Holy Night’ (based on Placide Cappeau’s poem, ‘Cantique de Noel’), and reports, “Cappeau determined that his ‘Cantique de Noel’ was not just a poem, but a song in need of a master musician’s hand… the poet turned to one of his friends, Adolphe Charles Adams, for help… [Adams was] a man of Jewish ancestry, [and] these words represented a holiday he didn’t celebrate and a man he did not view as the Son of God. Nevertheless, moved by more than friendship, Adams … went to work… It was performed three weeks later at a midnight mass on Christmas Eve… Initially… the song quickly found its way into various Catholic Christmas services. But when Placide Cappeau … became a part of the socialist movement, and church leaders discovered that Adolphe Adams was a Jew, the song---which had quickly grown to be one of the most beloved Christmas songs in France---was suddenly and uniformly denounced by the church… Yet even as the church tried to bury the Christmas song, the French people continued to sing it, and a decade later a reclusive American writer [John Sullivan Dwight] brought it to a whole new audience [in America].” (Pg. 132-134)
This book (and the other two in the series) will be of great interest to anyone (particularly Christians) wanting to know more about the background of these songs.
Author ‘Ace’ (Andrew) Collins wrote in this 2001 book of ‘The Christmas Song,’ “Yet had it not been for a friend of [Nat King] Cole’s named Mel Torme, who happened to drop by Cole’s house with the song, Cole would never have had the chance to record it.” (Pg. 30) He continues, “No one thought about it at the time, but Cole’s cut of Torme’s song became the first American Christmas standard introduced by an African American. The success of that cut helped open the door for Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, and Ethel Waters to put their own spins on holiday classics. It gave black audiences a chance to hear their favorite stars sing the carols that they love as deeply as all other Christians.” (Pg. 34)
Of ‘The First Noel,’ he explains, “When ‘The First Noel’ was written [16th century], there were very few Bibles in circulation… Common people rarely saw a Bible in person… This was probably the case with the composer of ‘The First Noel.’ With no ready Bible to guide him, the writer drew from the stories he had been told about the events of Christ’s birth. Most he recounted accurately, but he erred when he depicted the shepherds following the star to Christ’s birthplace. The Bible does not mention the star with the shepherds, only with the wise men.” (Pg. 42)
He says of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,’ “today … the word ‘merry’ means ‘happy.’ When [the song] was written, ‘merry’ had a very different meaning… [it] meant ‘great’ and ‘mighty’… So when the English carolers of the Victorian era sang the words ‘merry gentlemen,’ they meant great or mighty men… The word ‘rest’ in [the song] simply means ‘keep’ or ‘make.’ And to completely uncover the final key to solving this mystery of meaning, a comma needs to be ¬placed after the word ‘merry.’ Therefore, in modern English, the first line … should read,’ God make you mighty, gentlemen.’” (Pg. 56)
Of ‘Good King Wenceslas,’ he comments, “Kiong Wenceslaus was a real member of European royalty… And Wenceslas loved Christmas. Centuries before gift giving became a part of the holiday tradition, [he] embraced the joy of sharing his bounty with others… each Christmas Eve [he] sought out the most needy of this subjects and visited them… Wenceslas brought food, firewood, and clothing… Like a tenth century Saint Nick, the kindly young man made the night before Christmas special for scores of families.” (Pg. 64-66)
Of Charles Wesley’s ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing,’ he reports, “In 1737… Wesley was working on a new Christmas composition… However, when his old college friend, George Whitefield, finally published the song, Wesley’s benevolent pride turned to rage… Whitefield was not as well educated as Wesley and so his interpretation of the Scriptures was … not so literal… when Whitefield published Wesley’s Christmas song, he changed the words without consulting the writer. When Wesley read the new first line, ‘Hark! the herald angels sing,’ he was incensed. Nowhere in the Bible did angels sing about the birth of Christ. Yet because of Whitefield’s change in one line, today most people believe that Luke 2:13 refers to singing angels rather than ‘a great company of the heavenly host… praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest…”. (Pg. 71-72)
He states of ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,’ “As moving as Judy [Garland’s] performance of the song in the film [‘Meet Me in St. Louis’] was, the Decca single that was released for Christmas 1944 was just as touching. Garland’s rich voice revealed the full range of emotions found in the song’s lyrics. In an era when Christmas songs seemed to mean more than they ever had before, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ was one of the best. When Judy sang it to soldiers at the Hollywood Canteen, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. When battle weary men in Europe and the Pacific heard it, they clung to the song as if their dreams were carried on each word and note.” (Pg. 79)
He recounts, “in the midst of the war, ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ received more airplay and generated more sales than did the Crosby hit [‘White Christmas’] of the previous year. It quickly became the most requested song at Christmas U.S.O. shows in both Europe and the Pacific. Some historians have said that for service personnel and their families the only inspirational patriotic song that was its equal was ‘God Bless America.’” (Pg. 94)
He explains, “‘Jingle Bells’ is perhaps the most well-known, most sung Christmas carol in America… Yet in one of the season’s greatest ironies, ‘Jingle Bells’ does not contain a single reference to the holiday with which it is associated and was actually written for a completely different day of celebration… James S. Pierpont … combined his ‘jingle’ with his observations of the day’s sled races and his memories of racing horse-drawn sleighs… James taught his ‘One Horse Open Sleigh’ to the choir at the Medford Church. The fully harmonized arrangement was then presented at the annual Thanksgiving service. Since Thanksgiving was the most important holiday in New England at the time, there was a large audience when [the song] debuted. The number went over so well that many of the church members asked James and the choir to perform it again at the Christmas service… scores of Christmas visitors to the Medford sanctuary took it back to their own communities… [Since] they had heard it on the twenty-fifth of December, they taught it to their friends and family as a Christmas song.” (Pg. 103-104)
He asks of ‘Joy to the World,’ “It remains a mystery how this hymn became known as a Christmas carol. Inspired by Old Testament Scripture---with no worlds alluding to the birth of Jesus other than the phrase, ‘The Lord is come’---‘Joy to the World’ would seem to be a song for all seasons… .Nevertheless, for some reason Americans embraced ‘Joy to the World’ as a holiday standard. Perhaps, because of its jubilant spirit, it just ‘felt’ like a Christmas song.” (Pg. 113)
He explains about ‘Mary Did You Know?,’ “Mark Lowry is … A singer with they Gaither Vocal Band, a humorist, and a songwriter… Mark had been with the band for two years when Buddy Green joined them… Mark decided to share [the lyrics of] ‘Mary Did You Know?’ with Buddy… the song … was originally cut by Christian sensation Michael English… Scores of other acts quickly took the song into the studio … thanks to this exposure, [the song] was soon adopted by choirs and soloists… For the first time in decades, a new Christmas song had become an important facet of traditional holiday celebrations. For the first time ever, southern gospel music had given the world a Christmas carol.” (Pg. 116-119)
He notes, “‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ is probably the oldest Christmas carol still sung today. This popular hymn dates back to the ninth century and represents an important and ancient series of services celebrated by the Catholic church. It also presents the different biblical roles that the church believed Jesus fulfilled.” (Pg. 126)
He turns to ‘O Holy Night’ (based on Placide Cappeau’s poem, ‘Cantique de Noel’), and reports, “Cappeau determined that his ‘Cantique de Noel’ was not just a poem, but a song in need of a master musician’s hand… the poet turned to one of his friends, Adolphe Charles Adams, for help… [Adams was] a man of Jewish ancestry, [and] these words represented a holiday he didn’t celebrate and a man he did not view as the Son of God. Nevertheless, moved by more than friendship, Adams … went to work… It was performed three weeks later at a midnight mass on Christmas Eve… Initially… the song quickly found its way into various Catholic Christmas services. But when Placide Cappeau … became a part of the socialist movement, and church leaders discovered that Adolphe Adams was a Jew, the song---which had quickly grown to be one of the most beloved Christmas songs in France---was suddenly and uniformly denounced by the church… Yet even as the church tried to bury the Christmas song, the French people continued to sing it, and a decade later a reclusive American writer [John Sullivan Dwight] brought it to a whole new audience [in America].” (Pg. 132-134)
This book (and the other two in the series) will be of great interest to anyone (particularly Christians) wanting to know more about the background of these songs.
January 4, 2011
This is a fairly short novel detailing the history of some of the most well known Christmas songs, covering both hymns, such as Joy to the World and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and sentimental favorites like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Silver Bells. It was a quick read and a nice way to pass the time, but certainly nothing ground-breaking. I was, however, really surprised by the stories surrounding some of these songs. It ran the gamut from tragedy to deception, the sentimental to the bizzare. Who knew that The 12 Days of Christmas was written as a way to teach Catholicism to young English children at a time that such knowledge was punishable by death. Or that God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, the phrase itself, meant, in the language of the time, something quite different than it does now. As for Silent Night, it was once banned by the Catholic church for being irreligious. The book was clearly written by someone deeply religious, and this permeates the book thoroughly, but as many of the songs are spiritual in nature that does not distract from the intent at all. I do know that I will never look at many of these songs in the same way again and that makes this book well worth a look.
Addendum to Review: Since writing this review, I have learned that at least one of the stories included is completely false. It didn't even take that much effort to discover that the history given for The 12 Days of Christmas was not that presented by the author. If it was that simple for me to discover, I'm sure the author could have just as easily done a little more digging to try and find the truth. This makes me wonder how many more of these stories are nothing more than unresearched heresay and unfortunately completely destroys my opinion of the book.
Addendum to Review: Since writing this review, I have learned that at least one of the stories included is completely false. It didn't even take that much effort to discover that the history given for The 12 Days of Christmas was not that presented by the author. If it was that simple for me to discover, I'm sure the author could have just as easily done a little more digging to try and find the truth. This makes me wonder how many more of these stories are nothing more than unresearched heresay and unfortunately completely destroys my opinion of the book.
December 31, 2020
The book makes for fun gossipy reading though the accuracy of the research involved is often questionable as others have noted.
Unlike the gals who wrote Happy Birthday Anon is not around to collect his royalties. Did Henry write What Child is This for Anne some time before he had her head chopped off? Did Luther write Away in a Manger? I know three tunes uses for those verses. The true background of many carols is lost to antiquity. Many were popular carols sung while the choristers danced round the bonfire and most had dozens of verses.
Many of those that have made it into hymnals are heavily freighted with theology which few attend while they toss off those lines.
One of my favourites, Of the Father’s Love Begotten, not covered here, began as a Latin Chant--Divinum mysterium.
You’ve doubtless read one of those movie reviewers who give every movie they got a free ticket to review a glowing five-star rating. After a while their evaluations become meaningless. The same applies here, each carol he writes about is the most joyous, most effecting song ever written.
I will confess that I’d not heard of the folk song collecting work of John Niles. I do have collection of CD’s documenting the work of Alan Lomax whose work was partially funded by the WPA.
How many times have I sung The First Noel and it never occurred to me that the star appeared to the Magi, not the shepherds.
Unlike the gals who wrote Happy Birthday Anon is not around to collect his royalties. Did Henry write What Child is This for Anne some time before he had her head chopped off? Did Luther write Away in a Manger? I know three tunes uses for those verses. The true background of many carols is lost to antiquity. Many were popular carols sung while the choristers danced round the bonfire and most had dozens of verses.
Many of those that have made it into hymnals are heavily freighted with theology which few attend while they toss off those lines.
One of my favourites, Of the Father’s Love Begotten, not covered here, began as a Latin Chant--Divinum mysterium.
You’ve doubtless read one of those movie reviewers who give every movie they got a free ticket to review a glowing five-star rating. After a while their evaluations become meaningless. The same applies here, each carol he writes about is the most joyous, most effecting song ever written.
I will confess that I’d not heard of the folk song collecting work of John Niles. I do have collection of CD’s documenting the work of Alan Lomax whose work was partially funded by the WPA.
How many times have I sung The First Noel and it never occurred to me that the star appeared to the Magi, not the shepherds.
December 10, 2014
This book is a great read for:
1. The holidays
2. Those who a need a short book with quick chapters
3. Those who are interested in where the things we take for granted came from.
Although some sections are a little dry (not every Christmas song has a glamorous history) the book as a whole still kept my interest. The author does wax poetic a bit more often than is necessary but he makes up for it by including the full lyrics to every song in the book (many of these songs had stanzas I'd never even heard before!)
The most intriguing chapters are those for "The 12 Days of Christmas", "Do you Hear What I Hear", "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" and "The Christmas Song", "Silent Night" and "Silver Bells", at least in my opinion.
There are other books by the same author that follow onto this one: A follow-on volume with more stories behind Carols as well as a book with stories behind Christmas Traditions and Christmas Great Hits. After finishing this book I find myself wanting to purchase the others as well!
1. The holidays
2. Those who a need a short book with quick chapters
3. Those who are interested in where the things we take for granted came from.
Although some sections are a little dry (not every Christmas song has a glamorous history) the book as a whole still kept my interest. The author does wax poetic a bit more often than is necessary but he makes up for it by including the full lyrics to every song in the book (many of these songs had stanzas I'd never even heard before!)
The most intriguing chapters are those for "The 12 Days of Christmas", "Do you Hear What I Hear", "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" and "The Christmas Song", "Silent Night" and "Silver Bells", at least in my opinion.
There are other books by the same author that follow onto this one: A follow-on volume with more stories behind Carols as well as a book with stories behind Christmas Traditions and Christmas Great Hits. After finishing this book I find myself wanting to purchase the others as well!
November 29, 2010
Do you love to play Trivial Pursuit? Is Jeopardy your favorite television show? Do obscure facts and feel good stories tickle your fancy? Does knowing the story behind the story (or in this case, behind the song) make your day? If the answer to any or all of these questions is yes, then Ace Collin's book Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas should appeal to you. Filled with informative little tid-bits, Greatest Hits is a book just brimming with sometimes funny, sometimes moving stories about the genesis of your personal holiday favorites. The who and why behind the music are all spelled out for you.
While the writing style would definitely put this book into the category of a "lite read" versus great prose, it is still a perfect little stocking stuffer. Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas is sure to be a hit with the musical trivia buff in your life.
While the writing style would definitely put this book into the category of a "lite read" versus great prose, it is still a perfect little stocking stuffer. Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas is sure to be a hit with the musical trivia buff in your life.
January 16, 2017
As Christmas approaches, we tend to immerse ourselves in Christmas carols, and Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins makes these songs much more meaningful in teaching us about the heritage of some of our most beloved carols. Here is a sample of some of the songs addressed in this book:
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
December 23, 2010
An interesting book, it's always fun to learn where now common-place things come from.
I can't imagine a Christmas without Rudolph, Silver Bells, and the like. But this book made me realize such staples have been around a very short time.
The only complaint with this book is how religious and preachy it gets. I will admit my eyes started to glaze over in several places due to the heavy-handed religious tone throughout the book.
Still, it's a fun read especially around the holidays.
I can't imagine a Christmas without Rudolph, Silver Bells, and the like. But this book made me realize such staples have been around a very short time.
The only complaint with this book is how religious and preachy it gets. I will admit my eyes started to glaze over in several places due to the heavy-handed religious tone throughout the book.
Still, it's a fun read especially around the holidays.
December 31, 2015
31 popular Christmas Carols are included with history and brief bios of composer/lyricists. With lots of fun, interesting facts, this book covers centuries from very early carols to modern day hits. Arranged in alphabetical order with lyrics included for most of the songs but no music. A quick Christmas read and would be a great gift.
January 7, 2012
This was a gift from my daughter, Sarah,about Christmas 2004, and I like to read this every year.
November 23, 2013
I actually only read a small bit of this before I found out that multiple stories are incorrect. if I can't trust the info, then I'll look elsewhere.
November 28, 2022
Each year, I pull this off the shelf and reread most of this book. I know some people didn't give it a very high review, but I enjoyed it. Especially the stories of some of the most popular Christmas stories, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Rudolph was written by a copywriter named Bob May who worked for Montgomery Wards (1938). Bob wrote the story for his four-year-old daughter, Barbara, while his wife was dying of cancer. Christmas was pretty bleak for them, and the Rudolph story became the way he and his daughter bonded, while offering her an escape from that dreadful reality.
What happened was that the president of Montgomery Wards heard the Rudolph story at a Christmas party, bought it from Bob, had it printed into a little booklet, and handed it out to all his customers for free for several of years. By 1946, Wards had given away six million copies of the story, and publishers came calling. In a magnanimous move, the president gave the rights of the story back to Bob who was then able to sell the story to the publishers. Bob made a fortune from this.
The story of the rights to record the song was equally as interesting--I recommend you read the book if you'd like to know more.
Another great story is of the song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," written for and recorded by Judy Garland. She intervened when she heard the song's first lyrics, which were originally written as: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas; it may be your last; next year we'll be living in the past..." Judy objected mightily and changed it to, "Let your heart be light, next year all our troubles will be out of sight..."
This book has many stories like this, and I have bookmarks in mine to help me remember the ones I liked best. I pull it out each year, reread those, and I enjoy relating them at parties--everyone loves to learn! Fun and entertaining book.
Rudolph was written by a copywriter named Bob May who worked for Montgomery Wards (1938). Bob wrote the story for his four-year-old daughter, Barbara, while his wife was dying of cancer. Christmas was pretty bleak for them, and the Rudolph story became the way he and his daughter bonded, while offering her an escape from that dreadful reality.
What happened was that the president of Montgomery Wards heard the Rudolph story at a Christmas party, bought it from Bob, had it printed into a little booklet, and handed it out to all his customers for free for several of years. By 1946, Wards had given away six million copies of the story, and publishers came calling. In a magnanimous move, the president gave the rights of the story back to Bob who was then able to sell the story to the publishers. Bob made a fortune from this.
The story of the rights to record the song was equally as interesting--I recommend you read the book if you'd like to know more.
Another great story is of the song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," written for and recorded by Judy Garland. She intervened when she heard the song's first lyrics, which were originally written as: "Have yourself a merry little Christmas; it may be your last; next year we'll be living in the past..." Judy objected mightily and changed it to, "Let your heart be light, next year all our troubles will be out of sight..."
This book has many stories like this, and I have bookmarks in mine to help me remember the ones I liked best. I pull it out each year, reread those, and I enjoy relating them at parties--everyone loves to learn! Fun and entertaining book.
December 27, 2023
2.5 stars? I'm not sure what to give it.
I liked parts of this book, but I don't think it was as well-researched as it could have been. Also, some of the writing is too cheesy/schmaltzy for my taste. I enjoyed learning more about some of the songs, especially about Good King Wenceslaus/Wenceslas. I also love the story (which I'd read about already in Mel Torme's bio) about how "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts roasting...) was written on a hot Los Angeles summer day, while sitting around the pool. Torme and his pal came up with as many cold, Christmasy images that they could think of, and the words and music came together quite quickly. It was introduced to Nat King Cole (a great story there) and the rest is history.
Anyway, the book is okay, but I'd rather learn more about these Christmas songs and carols from a more skilled writer. Sorry, Ace Collins.
I liked parts of this book, but I don't think it was as well-researched as it could have been. Also, some of the writing is too cheesy/schmaltzy for my taste. I enjoyed learning more about some of the songs, especially about Good King Wenceslaus/Wenceslas. I also love the story (which I'd read about already in Mel Torme's bio) about how "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts roasting...) was written on a hot Los Angeles summer day, while sitting around the pool. Torme and his pal came up with as many cold, Christmasy images that they could think of, and the words and music came together quite quickly. It was introduced to Nat King Cole (a great story there) and the rest is history.
Anyway, the book is okay, but I'd rather learn more about these Christmas songs and carols from a more skilled writer. Sorry, Ace Collins.
December 21, 2017
A great holiday read that is written for an American audience from a Christian perspective. Each of the thirty-one selections offer the story of how the carol came into existence and prominence. Furthermore, the author’s voice is warm, sentimental and well-informed.
There are several surprises (e.g., the religious background for the Twelve Days of Christmas) that encourage the reader to start the next chapter. Hearing how famous artists influenced the songs they sung was another intriguing feature. Lastly, having an upbeat narrative that states the religious and cultural wealth of 31 beloved Christmas songs makes this a great holiday read.
There are several surprises (e.g., the religious background for the Twelve Days of Christmas) that encourage the reader to start the next chapter. Hearing how famous artists influenced the songs they sung was another intriguing feature. Lastly, having an upbeat narrative that states the religious and cultural wealth of 31 beloved Christmas songs makes this a great holiday read.
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