Issue 05: Of Jingles & Jangles
From your "dashing through the snow" to "deck the halls with boughs of holly", I'm here to inject a little history into your general holiday merriment and mischief-making!
If you read the byline, you might be looking askew at your screen, wondering if I’m off my rocker. It’s quite possible I am, let’s be honest. But in the general spirit of the season, I wanted to share the history behind some of my favorite Christmas tunes! So grab your hot cocoa, turn up the radio, and settle in for another rousing edition of Musings!
Ye Olde History
Most of us are familiar with the gentle crooning and vocal stylings of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Bing Crosby, and so many more talented artists who have graced radio waves since the middle of the twentieth century. But many songs actually pre-date the radio (I mean, they had to come from somewhere, right?).
Let’s dive right in!
1: Jingle Bells
No Christmas is complete without singing “Jingle Bells” at least once. James Lord Pierpont, an American songwriter and composer, wrote what would become one of the most recognizable Christmas songs in 1857. Originally entitled “One Horse Open Sleigh”, Pierpont purportedly wrote the song for a Thanksgiving Sunday school class (though this apparently hasn’t been proven). It became more popular in the 1860s and 1870s as a parlor song and in college anthologies.
Fun fact: “Jingle Bells” was one of the first songs broadcast from space, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
2: Deck the Halls
Like many Christmas songs, “Deck the Halls” has gone through many iterations over the years. Jack Goldstein, in his book 10 Amazing Christmas Songs - Volume 2, recounts that the song draws its melody from an old Welsh ditty called "Nos Galan" ("New Year's Eve") and may date back to the sixteenth century.1 Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant wrote the lyrics in 1862.
3: Sleigh Ride
“Sleigh Ride” has always been one of those songs that makes me picture nostalgic Victorian Christmases with families taking, well, sleigh rides through the countryside while children pelt each other with snowballs and dogs frolic amongst snowdrifts. Interestingly, however, “Sleigh Ride” actually originates in the mid-century. Leroy Anderson composed the song between 1946 and 1948, and Mitchell Parish wrote the lyrics in 1950. Ever since then, it’s been one of the quintessential holiday tunes.
4: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
One of the most common holiday greetings is “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”. The greeting itself was first recorded in a letter from Sam Goodman in 1710. The carol’s origins lie in the English West Country, though the specifics are unclear. Bristol-born Arthur Sydney Warrell is credited with arranging the song as we know it today in 1935, but the words and music themselves are most likely much older.
There are certainly more stories and history to discover about Christmas songs and the holiday in general. I encourage you to learn more about whatever it is that makes Christmas magical for you!
Bookish
There’s not much going on here on this front. During the break next week, I plan to beta read a couple of novels sent to me and write a blog post naming some books I’m excited to read next year! One of them I’m very interested in is The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites by historian Libby H. O’Connell.
Wishing you the merriest of Christmases, the happiest of holidays, and the happiest of New Years! Have a safe and wonderful holiday season with your friends and loved ones! I may have one more letter next week, but until then…
Cheers,
-Amy
Jack Goldstein, 10 Amazing Christmas Carols - Volume 2 (United Kingdom: Andrews UK Limited, 2013.