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Across the Fence: Caroling

December 11, 2020 By Susanne Bacon

I come from a musical family. We were all singers, and wherever we traveled, we sang traditional songs and, in Christmas season, carols. My father and I improvised harmonies. Advent Sundays were a foursome, sometimes with guests, singing along to my father’s guitar strumming. And, of course, as a semi-pro soloist, I sang on stages and on church galleries galore. It never occurred a bit to me to research caroling history – until now.

Sheet music has been around for centuries – this is probably the most Christmas international carol ever. (Photo: Thomas Galler @ unsplash.com/)

The very first church hymns were some austere affairs, and to today’s habits of musical consumption these 4th century pieces are nowhere near the upbeat, groovy melodies that we are listening to in stores and singing in modern church music. Rhymed stanzas came only around the 10th century; and the 12th century revolutionized church music by introducing popular music into church hymns. I guess, some people must have been shocked! Indeed, I remember hearing that Bach’s “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” used to be a dance only a few centuries earlier; slowed down and harmonized differently, with a serious text in addition, it has become one of the best-known passion tide hymns.

Apparently, France, Germany, and Italy were on the forefront when it came to the tradition of Christmas carols, which started to develop strongly in the 13th century. England hopped on the band wagon a century later – the delay might have been caused by the separating Channel. Who knows? And with the Lutheran reformation – Luther being one for church music big time – Christmas carols and hymns gained even stronger impact.

My very first co-production at Christmas at the Orr Home with fabulous musician Jan Lucas at the historical baby grand.

What I didn’t know, was that there had been caroling long before – in the pagan times. Caroling was a combination of song and dance – all around the year, by the way. The Roman Catholic church simply embraced this tradition to gather and convert non-believers in its folds. And as Latin became less and less understood outside the church, and the music had mostly been restricted to the use by the clergy, the introduction of national or regional language and popular music was a necessity to keep church (and Christmas) popular!

In Britain, Christmas caroling came to a grating halt under the Puritans and Oliver Cromwell, though. And no, I didn’t know this either until I read an internet article titled “The History of Christmas Carols” by Les Hewitt. Even the celebration of Christmas was banned. Why? I guess because the British were a bit over the top, celebrating twelve days of Christmas with debauchery, dance, plays, wassailing, masquerades, in short anything secular that comes to one’s mind. So, officially, the festivities were knocked of the calendar. Also, some of the carols were deemed to have Catholic secret messages – and Catholic belief was also banned. But thanks to an ever-growing underground movement, the tradition of caroling was secretly kept up all across the board, and thus we still have all these beautiful old carols along with what has been created ever since, from “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” to “Adeste Fideles”, “What Child is this”, and “Silver Bells”.

Ever since I have come to the United States, caroling has been something I have been relying on outside home. Though my husband is very musical, we somehow rarely perform music together. So, I was more than happy to sing carols, hymns, and arias in Christmas services at what back then was called Oberlin Church (no, not the one in my novels, the real one in Steilacoom). Also, it became a marvelous tradition to perform with incredibly versatile pianist Jan Lucas (indeed, Steilacoom’s Mayor Ron Lucas’ wife) at Christmas at the Orr Home. And not to forget The Wagon Shop Warblers at the Steilacoom Historical Museum’s own annual Magical Night at the Wagon Shop, an impromptu choir that sings popular carols without any previous rehearsals.

My very first year, caroling with the Steilacoom Wagon Shop Warblers – sing-along always welcome!

This year, alas, no singing, no caroling, no performances. None? My CDs are on every day, and I post Christmas music on my Facebook pages on a daily basis, like an advent calendar. And I sing. Of course, I do! These carols need to be aired before they are put away into the closet for another year. The glorious old ones, and the groovy new ones. Do you sing? Or hum? Now you know you’re not alone in this, as somebody else does it, too.

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About Susanne Bacon

German-American journalist Susanne Bacon is also the author of the Wycliff novel series (available in local bookstores or on Amazon). The latest, published in 2020, is Suddenly Snow. Her Suburban Times column “Home from Home” is also available as a book now. Its German title is “In der Fremde daheim". She lives with her husband in Lakewood, Washington. You can contact her at Facebook. If you are interested in an express delivery of Susanne's columns, subscribe to her Bacon's Bits email, delivery free to your inbox. Click here to sign up.

Comments

  1. Alyce Gatlin says

    December 12, 2020 at 8:41 am

    One of my best memories from childhood is my best friend’s mom singing in the kitchen while baking Christmas cookies. Norma, sang soprano in the church choir and O’ Holy Night was part of her repertoire. I loved that hymn and I loved her voice. When she sang “fall on your knees” I honestly wanted to fall to my knees. It was absolutely beautiful.

    I often go about my day humming and sometimes singing, I’ve even been known to break into a little dance while waiting in store lines. My husband says I “come with a soundtrack”

    Thanks for sharing your story of singing.

    Merry Christmas

    • Susanne Bacon says

      December 12, 2020 at 9:06 am

      I love your husband’s words! And I feel you. I have sung “O holy night” many a time, and it gives me the goose bumps. And I hum under my breath in supermarkets. Saar’s in Parkland always has soundtracks that make me do that and (almost) dance 😀
      Merry Christmas to you, Alyce!

  2. Jackie Lownie says

    December 12, 2020 at 9:12 am

    Thank you for this story, Suzanne. How nice at this time of this year to read a story of joy! Frohe Weinacht to you!!

    • Susanne Bacon says

      December 12, 2020 at 12:46 pm

      Thank YOU, Jackie! We can still find joy, I’m sure, if we are only looking for it.
      Frohe Weihnacht!

    • Jaynie Jones says

      December 12, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      Hello, Jackie!

      It made me happy just to see your name again after all these years since I had the privilege of knowing you through the United Methodist Church of Lakewood.

      Charles still laughs about the time when you asked him to go to the compounding pharmacy over near 19th & Union to pick up a prescription for your dog “Teeny Weenie” and when he called out the name to the pharmacist how the other customers looked at him strangely — as if it was a ‘condition’ he was being treated for. LOL

      I hope you are doing well! And likewise for everyone at the United Methodist Church. Great people!

      Again, it was nice just to see your name again.

      Have a blessed Christmas!

  3. Sandy Mazzei says

    December 12, 2020 at 11:58 am

    Thanks for the nice story on caroling, Suzanne. Hope there are opportunities for television sing-a-longs in the near future. For me, the start of the Christmas season has always been the sing-a-long of the Messiah at the Christ Lutheran Church the first week of December. I really miss it this year. Our Normanna Male Chorus for years have sung Christmas programs at many locations in Tacoma, Dupont, Puyallup, etc. but since the pandemic we haven’t even been able to rehearse. Hopefully, with the vaccine on its way, next year will be more joyous musically.

    • Susanne Bacon says

      December 12, 2020 at 12:48 pm

      The loss of performing music in a crowd is certainly a dire one. It will be a more pensive Christmas this year, for sure. But maybe, we sometimes have to miss something to realize how much it means to us.
      Merry Christmas, Sandy!

  4. Jaynie Jones says

    December 12, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Susanne, not only your talent as a writer but the breadth of your other talents — including as a vocalist — are humbling. What an inspiring read this was! It evoked happy memories. Ours was a musically-gifted family, too. It wasn’t a get-together, if both food and music were not included. Thank you also for making the extra effort to add a bit of the history for us about caroling. Sheer delight!

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