IT SEEMS TORONTO IS NOT GOING TO HAVE A WHITE CHRISTMAS… Still, Ill take a green Christmas to an ice storm any day. Here are some songs that take me back to my childhood — when snow was common at Christmas and throughout the winter. Lots of snow. Regardless, to this day, it doesnt feel like the festive season has arrived until I hear the 1958 album Merry Christmas by Johnny Mathis. Ive never grown tired of his interpretation of these seasonal classics. Give them a listen; perhaps youll feel the same. Seasons greetings. WINTER WONDERLAND by Johnny Mathis: youtube/watch?v=DJTmadAABkI WHITE CHRISTMAS by Johnny Mathis: youtube/watch?v=X_kfUed9O84 FULL ALBUM - MERRY CHRISTMAS by Johnny Mathis: youtube/watch?v=DJTmadAABkI&list=PL31T3kgeapGProWTt3ZX3_dbgFRqDtyhh INFO - MERRY CHRISTMAS by Johnny Mathis: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Christmas_(Johnny_Mathis_album) The following text is borrowed from a YouTube post that describes the album and the song Winter Wonderland: Merry Christmas is the seventh album and first Christmas album by Johnny Mathis. Released in 1958 by Columbia Records (CL 1195/CS 8021), it was also the sixth original studio album by Mathis. The album ranks highly among the many holiday albums released throughout the years due to its skillful blend of traditional Christmas carols (Silent Night, Holy Night, O Holy Night and The First Noel) with popular Christmas songs (The Christmas Song, White Christmas and Silver Bells). As with a number of Mathiss previous albums, Percy Faith provided the albums musical direction. Winter Wonderland is a winter song, popularly treated as a Christmas time pop standard, written in 1934 by Felix Bernard (composer) and Richard B. Smith (lyricist). Richard was reportedly inspired to write the song after seeing Honesdales Central Park covered in snow. Mr. Smith had written the lyrics while in the West Mountain Sanitarium, being treated for tuberculosis. The original recording was by Richard Himber and his Hotel Ritz-Carlton Orchestra on RCA Bluebird in 1934. At the end of a recording session with time to spare, it was suggested that this new tune be tried with an arrangement provided by the publisher. This excellent studio orchestra included many great New York studio musicians including the legendary Artie Shaw. Due to its seasonal theme, Winter Wonderland is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere, although the holiday itself is never mentioned in the lyrics. There is a mention of sleigh-bells several times, implying that this song refers to the Christmas period. Parson Brown The bridge of the song contains the following lyrics: In the meadow we can build a snowman, then pretend that he is Parson Brown. Hell say Are You Married? Well say No man, but you can do the job when youre in town! In the period when this song was written, parsons (now known as Protestant ministers) often traveled among small rural towns to perform wedding ceremonies for denominational followers who did not have a local minister of their own faith. Childrens Lyric The original bridge, about a couple who make a spur-of-the-moment decision to get married, was supposedly considered inappropriate for children. A 1953 version of the sheet music contains the following replacement bridge: In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that hes a circus clown. Well have lots of fun with Mister Snowman, until the other kiddies knock im down! When it snows, aint it thrillin? Tho your nose, gets a chillin Well frolic and play, the Eskimo way, Walkin in a Winter Wonderland. In addition, the fact that (as noted above) the circuit-traveling country Parson trekking from village to village is no longer part of the American cultural scene has also contributed to the circus clown replacing Parson Brown. However, some musicians have performed and even recorded the song with both stanzas — Parson Brown and Circus Clown.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 12:18:27 +0000
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