Santa Lucia

"Santa Lucia" is a Neapolitan song written in honor of Saint Lucy, the patron saint of Syracuse, light, eyesight, and probably at least a half a dozen more nouns. The song was made famous from recordings by Enrico Caruso and Elvis.  Her feast day is on December 13th and tradition dictates that any community who honors this saint, must sing the Neapolitan folk song bearing her name. Strictly speaking, "Santa Lucia" is not a Christmas carol, nor does the feast of Saint Lucy have anything to do with Christmas other than its proximity to December 25th.  But since the feast of Saint Lucy occurs during Advent, it has become in certain cultures an integral part of the Christmas season.

The feast of Saint Lucy is a big deal in Sicily and a few communities of mainland Italy.  Interestingly, it is a very big deal in Scandanavian countries too.  Up north, where the nights are extra-long in mid-December, the promise of light is especially prized and if paying homage to Saint Lucy holds the promise of more light, so be it.

In Scandanavian countries, there is a tradition where the eldest daughter of the house dresses like Saint Lucy.  The costume calls for a white dress and a wreath on their heads with four lit candles. They'll bake special "S" shaped buns that derive a distinctive flavor and aroma from saffron.  When the buns are ready, they carry a tray full to the sleeping family.  They wake the family with the famous song, and temper what I must imagine is nothing shy of contempt with hot coffee and oven fresh buns.  The arrival of the buns, the song, and the young lady of the house dressed as Saint Lucy signals the slow return of longer days after the winter's solstice (the solstice was celebrated on December 13 before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar; this gives you an idea of just how old Saint Lucy celebrations are).

The reason why I know this, is that several years ago my mother thought this would be a fun thing to do with our daughter.  My mom found a lovely white dress, fashioned a wreath out of plastic holly and small battery operated candles, found a good recipe for Saint Lucy buns from an American Girl book, baked the buns with her granddaughter and forced our daughter to wake us up at 5am to the tune of "Santa Lucia."  As annoying as that was, it was also precious.  We have great photos too.  Our daughter no longer fits in the dress or wreath, and no one wants to wake up at 5am, but she still tries to make Saint Lucy buns every year.

So in and of itself, "Santa Lucia" is not one of my favorite Christmas Carols, but it has become an integral part of our Christmas season.

"Santa Lucia" is an old Neapolitan folk song with no known author, but it was "transcribed" by Teodoro Cottraou in 1849, and his name often appears on publications.


Here is a clip of a lovely ensemble of young ladies in the traditional costume of the holiday singing Santa Lucia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk0FyZqNp5Q

The following sources were referenced when writing  this post:

http:www.yourguidetoitaly.com/santa-lucia-celebration-in-italy.html?platform=hootsuite

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Lucia

and my Mother


Here are the lyrics:

Neapolitan lyrics

Comme se frícceca
la luna chiena!
lo mare ride,
ll'aria è serena...
È pronta e lesta
la varca mia...
Santa Lucia,
Santa Lucia!

Stu viento frisco
fa risciatare:
chi vo' spassarse
jenno pe' mmare?
Vuje che facite
'mmiezo a la via?
Santa Lucia,
Santa Lucia!

La tènna è posta
pe' fa' 'na cena;
e quanno stace
la panza chiena
non c'è la mínema
melanconia.
Santa Lucia,
Santa Lucia!

Italian

English

Sul mare luccica l’astro d’argento. Placida è l’onda, prospero è il vento. Sul mare luccica l’astro d’argento. Placida è l’onda, prospero è il vento. Venite all’agile barchetta mia, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Venite all’agile barchetta mia, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Con questo zeffiro, così soave, Oh, com’è bello star sulla nave! Con questo zeffiro, così soave, Oh, com’è bello star sulla nave! Su passegieri, venite via! Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Su passegieri, venite via! Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! In fra le tende, bandir la cena In una sera così serena, In fra le tende, bandir la cena In una sera così serena, Chi non dimanda, chi non desia. Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Chi non dimanda, chi non desia. Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Mare sì placida, vento sì caro, Scordar fa i triboli al marinaro, Mare sì placida, vento sì caro, Scordar fa i triboli al marinaro, E va gridando con allegria, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! E va gridando con allegria, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! O dolce Napoli, o suol beato, Ove sorridere volle il creato, O dolce Napoli, o suol beato, Ove sorridere volle il creato, Tu sei l'impero dell’armonia, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Tu sei l'impero dell’armonia, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia! Or che tardate? Bella è la sera. Spira un’auretta fresca e leggiera. Or che tardate? Bella è la sera. Spira un’auretta fresca e leggiera. Venite all’agile barchetta mia, Santa Lucia! Santa —Lucia! Venite all’agile barchetta mia, Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

On the sea glitters the silver star Gentle the waves, favorable the winds. On the sea glitters the silver star Gentle the waves, favorable the winds. Come into my nimble little boat, Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! Come into my nimble little boat, Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! With this breeze, so gentle, Oh, how beautiful to be on the ship! With this breeze, so gentle, Oh, how beautiful to be on the ship! Come aboard passengers, come on! Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! Come aboard passengers, come on! Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! Inside the tents, putting aside supper On such a quiet evening, Inside the tents, putting aside supper On such a quiet evening, Who wouldn't demand, who wouldn't desire? Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! Who wouldn't demand, who wouldn't desire? Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! Sea so calm, the wind so dear, Forget what makes trouble for the sailor, Sea so calm, the wind so dear, Forget what makes trouble for the sailor, And go shout with merriment, Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! And go shout with merriment, Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! O sweet Naples, O blessed soil, Where to smile desired its creation, O sweet Naples, upon blessed soil, Where to smile desired its creation, You are the kingdom of harmony, Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! You are the kingdom of harmony, Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! Now to linger? The evening is beautiful. A little breeze blows fresh and light. Now to linger? The evening is beautiful. A little breeze blows fresh and light. Come into my nimble little boat, Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy! Come into my nimble little boat, Saint Lucy! Saint Lucy!

lyrics from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Lucia



c. Martin Blanco December 2015

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Depending on your mood and who's singing, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" can either be great fun or an exasperating exercise in tedium. It is an excellent example of a "cumulative song," that is to say a song whose verses become longer by adding new lyrics to the previous lyrics.  The verses become absurdly long as lyrics are repeated over and over. . . and over.

The eponymous "twelve days" refer to the twelve days of celebration from Christmas to the Epiphany on January 6. This elongated Christmas feast began as 8 days of Christmas celebration in the 6th Century by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian.  Three centuries later it was extended to 12 days by England's Alfred the Great.  The feasting for twelve days fell in and out of favor during the many English revolutions and restorations, but this song remains a tenuous connection to ancient customs and perhaps the first Christmas wish list.

The lyrics were first published in 1780 in an English book called Mirth Without Mischief. The lyrics have been sung to different music through the years, but the music that has become accepted as the standard was arranged by Frederick Austin, an English composer, just over a hundred years ago in 1909.  For certain, Austin used a popular folk melody, but he made an important adaptation.  It was his idea to give special attention to the "five gold rings" by elongating the music that accompanies that particular gift. I couldn't say what inspired this, but I think it is the most important element with respects to increasing the fun factor.

For as much as I enjoy the song, there was something peculiar about it that used to irritate me, and eventually compelled me to embark on this project writing about Christmas carols.  I was annoyed that the lyrics varied from source to source.  As a kid, I couldn't wrap my head around this and I wanted to know why there was a discrepancy from one edition to another.

 Here are my major complaints:  First and foremost, while the gifts from the first day through the eighth day are consistent, the order in which the last 4 gifts are proffered differs widely.  You never can tell whether you'll have 9 ladies dancing or 9 drummers drumming.  The chaos is unacceptable. It seems to me this should have been resolved hundreds of years ago, but alas Christmas carols are nothing if not mutable.

Also there seems to be some discrepancy about the type of bird given on the fourth day.  I grew up singing "four calling birds," but apparently, they should be four "colly" birds.  A modest amount of research suggests that "colly" birds were the original gift.  The colly is a black bird known for both its sweet chirping and delicious taste.  Colly bird was presumably served during the twelve day feast.  It is too bad our ancestors didn't use the even more rare and delicious ortolan (four ortolans, three french hens, two turtledoves etc.).  Perhaps the ortolan was represented in a French version.  In any event, four colly birds, not calling birds, is the proper gift for the fourth day.

Finally, there is a discrepancy for the gift on the fifth day.  Sometimes five gold rings are presented, but at other times, they are five golden rings.  Big difference.  If given the choice, I'll take gold rings over golden ones.

There is an interesting story about the "secret" meaning of the lyrics.  A Hugh D. McKellar wrote an article in 1979 about how the gifts of the twelve days were actually code for various aspects of the Roman Catholic catechism.  He claimed the code was devised to instruct Catholics in secret during times of persecution.  That is an intriguing story, unfortunately one without any merit.  McKellar never offered any support of this bizarre claim, because there is none to be had.  Eventually, McKellar copped to inventing the entire story.  Even though this is a complete fabrication, the story has been repeated and republished many times over and eagerly, if not regrettably, accepted by the credulous.

I think the song is interesting enough without fictitious embellishments about Catholic persecution.   It remains an important part of Christmas celebrations both secular and religious and a whimsical connection to our ancient traditions.

Here are the lyrics to the song as set forth by Frederick Austin in 1909.  Spoiler alert:  Austin prefers the calling birds.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming
Eleven pipers piping
Ten lords a-leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a-milking
Seven swans a-swimming
Six geese a-laying
Five gold rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree

In case you live in a cave and never heard this song, enjoy the following clip featuring Leonard Bernstein, The New York Philharmonic and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  The recording was produced by A&P Supermarkets and was presumably offered as a bonus for purchasing let's say a case of Underwood's Deviled Ham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fog-nbJlW-w 

The following sources were referenced in writing this post:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)

Twelve Days of Christmas A Celebration and History; Grant Leigh, published by Harry N. Abrams Incorporated, New York 1995

c. Martin Blanco December 2015

Personent Hodie

If there is a more beautiful song than "Personent Hodie" from any musical genre, I have yet to hear it.  It’s difficult not to be entranced by its simple melody and rhythm.  It has a quality that captures the inherent beauty and innocence of childhood,  while specifically celebrating the Christmas Holiday.  Say what you want about the late Middle Ages, but they knew how to write a tune.

"Personent Hodie" has a long and interesting history.  The song comes from the 1582 Finnish book Piae Cantiones, a collection of Medieval songs in Latin.  The book was the product of Swedish Lutheran cleric Jaakko Suomalainen, who may have come across its contents during his clerical studies in Prague.  Apparently there was a great tradition of Finnish and Swedish students going to Prague for their ecclesiastical training. Even so, there are some indications that the melody dates back to 1360 from a town called Moosburg in Bavaria.

The lyrics have a long history too.  The most common lyrics date to the 1582 Finnish song book and it is thought to have been written to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents on December 28.  Those lyrics, in Latin, are included in this post.  Some historians believe, that these lyrics may have been written as a parody of an older song "Intonent Hodie," written in 1360 for the December 6 Feast of St. Nicholas.  It is worth noting that St. Nicholas was not associated with Christmas or the figure Santa Claus at that time.

The song was popular in Finland through the 19^th century and at some point caught the attention of English speaking people.  There is no shortage of English translations, but the most common one is credited to a protégé of Gustav Holst, James M. Joseph.  It is much used today and as often as not, the song will be renamed to reflect the first line of this translation:  "On this Day Earth Shall Ring."

By the way, James M. Joseph is a woman who used a masculine pseudonym.  I can’t imagine why.  Her real name is Jane M. Joseph.  She had a distinguished career as a composer and was actively involved with the preparation of the “Neptune” portion of Holst’s tone poem The Planets.

In 1916, Holst himself made an arrangement for orchestra and uniform voices which is still in use today.

It is interesting to see the differences between a literal English translation and Jane Smiths.  I am including a link to Wikipedia where you can read, side by side, the lyrics to "Personent Hodie," a literal English translation, Jane Smith’s translation, and "Intonent Hodie."  This will not be on the midterm; it’s just for your own enjoyment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personent_hodie#cite_note-OBC-5

If you don’t have time for all of that, just listen to a recording of this wonderful song.  There are many excellent recordings of many distinctive arrangements from full choirs with organ, to small period instrument ensembles, to Wayne Shorter’s jazz rendition.  I have yet to come across one that I didn’t enjoy, but my favorite may be an arrangement for harp and girl’s choir.  The following link will take you to a clip from Rick Steve’s European Christmas show.  "Personent Hodie" performed by the Norweigan Girls Choir at the Aker Church, will begin about 20 seconds into the clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umId4Hoq97s&list=RDumId4Hoq97s#t=8

Lyrics to "Personent Hodie"1582

1. Personent hodie voces puerulæ
Laudantes iucundė qui nobis est natus,
Summo Deo datus, et de vir-vir-vir, 
et de vir-vir, et de virgineo ventre procreatus.

2. In mundo nascitur, pannis inuoluitur,
Præsepi ponitur stabulo brutorum,
Rector supernorum, perdidit dit dit

Perdidit dit dit, perdidit, dispolia princeps infernorum.

3. Magi tres venerunt, munera offerunt

Paruulum inquirunt, stellulam sequendo,
ipsum adorando, Aurum, thus, thus,
aurum thus, thus, thus
Aurum thus et myrrham ei offerendo.

4. Omnes clericuli, pariter pueri,
Cantent ut angeli, aduenisti mundo,
Laudes tibi fundo. ideo o, o,

Ideo, o, o, ideo gloria in excelsis Deo.

The following sources were referenced in writing this post:

A Collection of Christmas Carols; selected, transcribed and edited by Benjamin Bloomfield; self-published fifth edition 2013

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personent_hodie#cite_note-OBC-5

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/NonEnglish/personent_hodie.htm

c. December 2015, Martin Blanco

The Wexford Carol

Saint Aidan’s Cathedral, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford ... where the Musical Director and organist, Dr William Henry Grattan Flood (1857-1928), claimed to have discovered ‘The Wexford Carol’ (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2011)

Although it is an old song, it was only a few years ago when I first heard The Wexford Carol.  I've been making up for lost time ever since.  In five verses it tells the familiar story of Christ's birth.  It is a sweet, gentle song, but the melody is rare and haunting (the good kind of haunting).

Although there are many excellent recordings including an Alison Kraus and Yo-Yo Ma collaboration, one by Julie Andrews, and an abundance of female vocalists accompanied by harp or dulcimer, for my money the definitive rendition is by famed Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan (a close runner up is  last year's recording by Mary Fahl).  His voice is as rich as it is ethereal.  The orchestrations, while understated, beautifully service the melody.  The intriguing mix of low woodwinds and flute, with the occasional chime of a bell, create an atmosphere that feels like a long December night many centuries old. 

To that point, no one knows exactly how old this song is. Some historians postulate it is a product of the 12th century, but the editors of The Oxford Book of Carols note that carols, Christmas or otherwise, are a product of the 15th century. "Therefore the carol made its appearance late in Christian history--not, indeed, until the modern spirit of humanism had dawned upon the middle Ages.  It was a creation of the fifteenth century. . .it was not until the fourteenth century that English poetry developed from the homiletic verse, the metrical chronicle, and the melancholy elegiac poetry of the preceding two hundred years into the metrical romance, and Chaucer arrived with his Italian humanism and his new demonstration of the possibilities of verse." (The Oxford Book of Carols p.vii) 

This tradition would eventually spawn Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.  But I digress.

Patrick Comerford  has a fine blog about Anglican culture where he chronicles the song's history.  Comerford writes that a  Dr. William Henry Grattan Flood (there's a name and a half for you), the musical director at St. Aidan's Cathedral Enniscorthy, County Wexford in Ireland, discovers the song from "a local singer."  Dr. Flood put the words and music to paper and submits it to the editors of The Oxford Book of Carols (Percy Dearmer, Ralph Vaughn Williams and Martin Shaw).  It was published in 1928 as Number 14 and named by the editors, Wexford Carol. 

Comerford also writes, "The Wexford Carol is often associated with the Kilmore Carols from Kilmore, Co Wexford, an it is often attributed too to Bishop Luke Wadding of Ferns and his collection of carols, first published in Ghent in 1684. Luke Wadding's little book had a far-reaching influence on the spiritual lives of the people of his diocese in Co Wexford.  The book had the lengthy title: A Small garland of pious and godly songs composed by a devout man, for the solace of his friends and neighbours in their afflcitions.  The Sweet and the Sower, the nettle and the flower, the Thorne and the Rose, this Garland Compose [sic]."

Comeford continues, "A similar carol is found in the Revd William Devereux's A New Garland Containing Songs for Christmas (1728).  William Devereux. . .was Parish Priest of Drinagh, near Wexford, from 1730 to 1771, and wrote several carols.  he called his collection A New Garland to distinguish it from Bishop Luke Wadding's earlier Pious Garland. The carols were first sung in a little chapel at Killiane."

So maybe Bishop Wadding composed it. Maybe William Devereux composed it. Maybe they both accessed music from an earlier tradition.  Let it suffice to say the song is old  and exemplifies the best traditions of European holiday music.

The Wexford Carol

Good people all, this Christmas-time
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His beloved Son.
With Mary holy we should pray
To God with love this Christmas Day:
In Bethlehem upon that morn
There was a blessed Messiah born.

The night before that happy tide
The noble Virgin and her guide
Were long time seeking up and down
To find a lodging in the town.
But mark how all things came to pass;
From every door repelled alas!
As long foretold, their refuge all
Was but an humble ox's stall

There were three wise men from afar
Directed by a glorious star,
And on they wandered night and day
Until they came where Jesus lay,
And when they came unto that place
Where our beloved Messiah was,
They humbly cast them at his feet,
With gifts of gold and incense sweet.

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep
Their flocks off lambs and feeding sheep;
To whom God's angels did appear,
Which put the shepherds in great fear.
"Prepare and go," the angels said,
"To Bethlehem, be not afraid;
For there you'll find, this happy morn,
A princely Babe, sweet Jesus born."

With thankful heart and joyful mind,
The shepherds went the Babe to find,
And as God's angel had foretold,
They did our Saviour Christ behold.
Within a manger He was laid,
And by his side the Virgin Maid,
As long foretold, there was a blessed Messiah born.

I could not find a link to Ronan Tynan's recording, but I'm confident it is available for purchase somewhere on the internet and well worth your time and money.  The following is a link to an excellent rendition by the Clare College Choir that I plan on purchasing later today.  On last note:  midway through this post, something went amiss with the font and text color.   I regret that I can't figure out the problem.  Thank you for your indulgence. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeZifgblGSs


The following sources were referenced in writing this piece:

The Oxford Book of Carols by Percy Dearmer, R. Vaughn Williams & Martin Shaw, Oxford University Press, London, 1928, thirteenth impression 1944

http://www.patrickcomerford.com/2011/12/christmas-poems-1-wexford-carol.html

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/wexford_carol.htm

I hope Patrick Comerford does not mind my use of his excellent work, for which I am grateful. 

Thank you for reading and I hope to see this through with with another Christmas Carol for tomorrow.

c. December 1o, 2015 Martin Blanco