Carol of the Day: Dec 7th · 3:51am Dec 8th, 2019
Going a little nostalgic today.
Not many people can name many artists of yesteryear. There are some names that only comes up this time of year. Burl Ives is among them.
Probably best remembered for voicing Sam the Snowman in Rankin/Bass's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", Burl was a folk singer whose career spanned much of the mid twentieth century.
One of, arguably, his most popular albums was "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" which featured the song of the same name.
Today, we're going to look at another song from that album: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day".
It's somewhat interesting how many American songs come out of wars. This Christmas hymn is no different. Written in 1863 (that's about the middle of the American Civil War for all you other folk), "Christmas Bells" was a lament on how the meaning of the Christmas season is overshadowed by hate--in this context, being the war. In the end, the narrator is remembered of the hope of the season and all things will be right in the end.
While not the first to produce a recording, it was through Burl Ives that I first learned of this song. Hence, this will always be the version that resonates with me.
If you've never heard this album, I suggest you seek it out and give it a listen.
... and maybe play it for the old person in your life.
Jump to other days:
December 1st - Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
December 2nd - Joy to the World
December 3rd - Mele Kalikimaka
December 4th - Gospel Hallelujah!
December 5th - Good King Wenceslas
December 6th - Zie Ginds Komt de Stoomboot
December 8th - Huron Carol
December 9th - The Marvelous Toy
December 10th - What Child is This?
December 11th - Christmas 1915
December 12th - Let's Have a Christmas Celebration
December 13th - No Time to Diet
December 14th - Twelve Days of Christmas
December 15th - Adeste Fidelis
December 16th - Circle of Steel
December 17th - I Saw Three Ships
December 18th - Green the Whole Year Round
December 19th - The Holly and the Ivy
December 20th - Google Translate Sings Christmas Carols
December 21st - Vivaldi's Winter
December 22nd - Wizards of Winter
December 23rd - Here We Come A-Caroling
December 24th - Christ is Born
December 25th - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
