christmas art and music
DESCRIPTION
A look at some of the less-familiar traditions of Advent and Christmas, as seen through folksong and art. Co-presented with Jenny Callison. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Oxford, OH, December 2009. PDF format of a Kwynote original.TRANSCRIPT
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Christmas Art and Music
Holy Trinity Adult ForumDecember 13, 2009
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Christmas Carols
• Oxford Concise Dictionary: a “religious song . . . associated with Christmas”
• Fr. carole -- ring dance with stanzas and ‘ringmaster’
• Grew up alongsidecomposed, literary works
• Magnificat -- 1st century
• Old words often setto new music to new music
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The Carol Tradition#
• Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, 1833
• Hymns Ancient and Modern 1861-1874 has several
• Truro Cathedral, Cornwall1880: 9 Lesson and Carols
• Oxford Book of Carols,1928
• “Sheffield Carols”
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Coventry Carol
• Hymnal 247 assigns to Holy Innocents
• Often associated with Christmas
• Old combination of English words & music
• Words & music 1591
• Based on medieval MysteryPlays -- Pageant of theShearmen and Tailors
John Roberts andTony Barrand
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Visions of the Annunciation
Simone MartiniDante G.
Rossetti
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Baptismal Anthem
• Setting of a Biblical text
• Composer is B.F. White, co-author of The Sacred Harp
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Visions of the Annunciation
Flemish
Jan Van Eyck
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The Midnight Cry
• NOT Bach, but ‘Wachet auf ’ tells the same story of the wise and foolish virgins
• American version, 18th century
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Visions of the Annunciation
Bartholome
Esteban
Murillo
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The Holly and the Ivy
• ‘Least Christianized’ of common carols
• References to holly and ivy in 15th century
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Madonna and Child
Lucas van Leyden
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The Bitter Withy
• Collected in 19th Century, but much older
• Apocryphal Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and others
• Myth-making: explanation of natural phenomena
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Madonna and Child
Luis de Morales
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The Joys of Mary
• Didactic intent
• Many versions of joys in medieval legend
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Madonnaand Child
Sandro Botticelli
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While Shepherds Watched
• Poem text by by Nahum Tate, 1700
• Only non-psalm authorized for Christmas use before 1700
• Many different settings
• Hymnal # 94, 95
• English and American settings
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Adorationof theMagi
Gentile da Fabriano
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Green Grow the Rushes, O
• Widespread folk song in the English-speaking world
• Unusual mixture of Christian and other (pagan?) elements
• Several verses obscure
• Cumulative song
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Adoration of the Magi
Unknown Flemish Master
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The Boar’s Head Carol
• Ancient (probably pagan) elements -- sacrifice of boar
• Macaronic verse -- combination of English and Latin
• Still celebrated at several colleges and churches in England (and elsewhere)
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Adoration of the Magi
Andrea Mantegna
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The King(The Cutty Wren)
• Wren hunting tradition
• Similar to wassailing
• December 26th (St. Stephen’s Day, Boxing Day)
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Dives and Lazarus
• Parable in Luke’s Gospel
• Not Lazarus of the 4 days
• First written record in 1557
• Collected by Francis Child -- Ballads (19th cent.)
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Awake, and Join
• Anonymous 4
• West Gallery style, 18th-19th centuries
Awake, and join the cheerful choir
Upon this joyful morn
And glad hosannah loudly sing
For joy a Saviour born.