[78-L] The Christmas Songs

[Cary Ginell]

Technically speaking, "Jingle Bells" was written in the FALL. 

A few years ago, I wrote this as part of an essay called "The 12 Songs of Christmas" - true histories of some of our best known holiday songs.


The most well known, most often sung Christmas song in America
actually got its start as a song for Thanksgiving. In 1840, a
Massachusetts-born church organist named James Pierpont was writing special
music for a Thanksgiving service, when he looked out his window and saw some
boys racing their sleds down a hill. A catchy little tune came into his head,
and after putting on his coat, he trudged over to the home of Mrs. Otis
Waterman, who owned the only piano in town. Upon hearing the song, Mrs.
Waterman commented, “that’s a merry little jingle you have there,” adding
further inspiration to Pierpont’s memories of races with sleds drawn by horses.


            Originally
entitled One Horse Open Sleigh, the song was first sung by Pierpont’s
choir at Thanksgiving services, the most important holiday in New
 England at the time. The song was so well received, that he was
asked to have it performed again at the Christmas service. Those who heard it
took it back to their own communities, under the impression that it had been written
specifically for the Christmas holiday. Pierpont published the song as Jingle
Bells in 1857 and it quickly became one of our best-loved holiday songs.
Too bad it is sung only at Christmas. We need more Thanksgiving songs.
Cary Ginell



> From: mbiel at mbiel.com
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:03:33 -0700
> Subject: Re: [78-L] The Christmas Songs
> 
> Tom (no last name ever noted) wrote:
> > If I remember correctly, one of the very first popular secular Christmas
> > songs was the recording of "Winter Wonderland" by Ted Weems and his
> > Orchestra which, I believe, was released in the early 30's. I think it
> > made it to number two or three on the charts of that era.
> 
> Neither "Winter Wonderland" nor "Jingle Bells" are "secular Christmas"
> songs.  They are WINTER songs.  Absolutely NOTHING to do with Christmas.
>  NOTHING.  Just like "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" which goes
> one step further into winter weather into seduction.  
> 
> For a song to be a "secular Christmas" song it would have to reference a
> non-religious aspect of Christmas such as perhaps one of the pagan
> aspects of the holiday such as the tree, or perhaps Christmas presents
> -- and I don't think that being able to keep a woman from going home is
> strictly even a "Christmas" present even if the assignation takes place
> on Christmas Eve or in a manger.  
> 
> Just because a song is played during the "Christmas season" doesn't make
> it a "Christmas song" secular or otherwise.  After all, the season of
> Winter only begins four days before Christmas and continues for almost
> three months after the presents are unwrapped and the tree is dumped
> outside to be picked up in the trash.  And the tribute to the Druids
> results in the coming of Spring, which would arrive anyway.
> 
> 
> Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com
> 
> > Great recording, too. I have it on my Xmas music playlist right now.
> > Otherwise, I'd think Jingle Bells was probably the most popular secular
> > Christmas songs prior to WW II -- again, if I remember correctly, it was
> > written toward the end of the 19th century.   Tom
> 
> 
> --- On Fri, 12/11/09, Royal Pemberton <ampex354 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> From: Royal Pemberton <ampex354 at gmail.com>
> And was the first dance band version, as opposed to such versions as the
> 'American Novelty Orchetra' 1934 recording, the one by Tommy Dorsey (on
> Victor 25145,  with Benny Goodman's 'Jingle bells' on the flip [arranged
> by
> Fletcher Henderson])?
> 
> On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 5:54 PM, Taylor Bowie <bowiebks at isomedia.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > Gotta be Santa Claus Is Coming To Town for dance bands,  right?
> >
> > I have heard an Art Landry (?)  Gennett of Jingle Bells which is pretty
> > damn good and there are plenty of dance records of that...so it's one
> > or the other of those two tunes.   Taylor
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Kristjan Saag" <saag at telia.com>
> > > Which were the most recorded (secular) American and English Christmas
> > > songs before WW II in the jazz and dance band and popular vein?
> > > Kristjan
> 
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