Are there any traditional Irish Christmas songs?

Dewhistle · Post by **Dewhistle** » Wed Aug 14, 2002 1:09 pm

This is iffy since a lot of Irish culture seems to be what Christianity dubbed "Pagan" and stamped on with both feet... but is there some piece that is customarily played at the appropriate time of year, a Winter piece or changing of the year thing or even a real Irish Christmas song?

I'd add that if you have any favorite traditional Autumn music or music that you associate with Autumn, I'll be glad to know them, too.

Apologies if the question is too naive, goofy, or even off-topic somehow.

Mark_J · Post by **Mark_J** » Wed Aug 14, 2002 1:23 pm

To start try:
The Wexford Carols

http://www.jelleyjar.com/ancestor/irish ... arols.html

Lark in the Morning also has a book:

Lark's Catalog Reads:
Wexford Carols The tradition of carol singing in County Wexford dates from the 17th C. and continues as a living tradition today. Repertoire derived from a book of songs published by Luke Wadding in 1684, and from a manuscript collection compiled by Father William Devereux in County Wexford in 1734. First complete collection of these rare texts. BOA096 $14.95

That is actually an excellent price. Most places charge almost twice that for import costs.

The Wexford Carol itself can be found on The Chieftains Celebration CD. It is truely a lovely song.

That should be a good start.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Wed Aug 14, 2002 1:51 pm

There is an excellent CD by Susan McKeon, called Through the Bitter Frost and Snow (with Linsey Horner). It is not strictly ITM by any means, but gorgeous music nevertheless. It has the most gut-wrenching redition of The Coventry Carol, as well as some amazing arangements. Susan's singing is amazing. She does my favorite version of Dun Oiche Ud i mBeithil: There's an Irish Christmas Song for you! (And this CD has the beautiful version of Auld Lang Syne they used to play on NPR's All Things Considered.)

She also has another one, A Winter Talisman, with Johnny Cunnigham (Silly Wizzard, Relativity, Nightnoise), which has bits of reading and poetry I think. I saw them in concert last year (with Aidan Brennan). Nice, a bit less intriguing and perhaps a bit more "celtic".

Both would make good gifts for family/friends who take a benign interest in your musical hobby but who wouldn't last through a Seamus Ennis CD.

You can get info here, incl. tour dates for McKeon/Cunnigham/Brennan:
http://house-of-music.com/susan/smkrec.shtml

_________________
/bloomfield

[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2002-08-14 16:02 ]

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Aug 14, 2002 3:22 pm

Mary Bergin's group Dordan should sort you out. Celtic Christmas is the CD [they have others though]saw it in Cuaty's a few eeks back, even out of season.

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Wed Aug 14, 2002 5:10 pm

Caution required, because in irish song not everything called a carol is necessarily a Christmas event.

Note that Christmas apparently only became a big thing in the then United Kingdom when Vickie married a German who imported his own form of paganism. Much as I'm addicted to mushy concepts of Christmas in the personal sphere, I have to recognise objectively that the Irish Christmas owes more to Dickens and Hollywood/Tin Pan Alley than to fundamental Celtic thingies.

Donning the asbestos suit now.

Dewhistle · Post by **Dewhistle** » Wed Aug 14, 2002 5:48 pm

On 2002-08-14 19:10, Roger O'Keeffe wrote:

Much as I'm addicted to mushy concepts of Christmas in the personal sphere, I have to recognise objectively that the Irish Christmas owes more to Dickens and Hollywood/Tin Pan Alley than to fundamental Celtic thingies.

Donning the asbestos suit now.

Actually, that was what I was getting at. I thought there must be something played in sessions in Ireland around Christmastime. However Christmas arrived in the place, there still may have evolved those songs played especially there, especially then. I wasn't picturing Dickens, heck no. I may like to read his stories around December but I'd hate to think of a place where all Christmases were Dickens style, full of ghosts, soot, miniature puddings and life-long grudges.

Dewhistle · Post by **Dewhistle** » Thu Aug 15, 2002 12:25 am

By the way, thanks, this is all great stuff. The Wexford Carol alone is a great discovery... I already liked it but didn't realize it was Irish, and it would be fun to play on a whistle (no time yet to practice long hours and become great at it, might as well have fun for now) and not too difficult for me at this time.

pixyy · Post by **pixyy** » Thu Aug 15, 2002 6:01 am

You might also want to listen to the Boys of the Lough "The Day Dawn" album.
The whole atmosphere is that of winter and chrismas - very nice album.
It even has Cathal sing a Swedish song on it (Sankt Staffan).

Jeroen

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Aug 15, 2002 8:13 am

There must be a Chieftain's Merry Christmas album by now. Probably in collaboration with Tom Jones or Roger Whittaker or Placido Domingo. *claps hand to mouth and runs out*

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Sun Aug 18, 2002 2:19 am

"Love Came Down at Christmas" is set to an old Irish tune. Words and MIDI are at http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/c/lcamdown.htm

Also see http://www.christmas.com/pe/683 for another Irish Christmas carol.

While it is true enough that Victoria's reign popularised Christmas among British Protestants, who had previously discouraged its celebration, Christmas was always a major feast day among Roman Catholics, including those in Ireland.

_________________
Reasonable Person W a l d e n
Walden is blue at one time and green at another, even from the same point of view. Lying between the earth and the heavens, it partakes of the color of both.—Thoreau

[ This Message was edited by: Walden on 2002-08-18 04:37 ]

janice · Post by **janice** » Sun Aug 18, 2002 2:38 pm

"Bells of Dublin"-Chieftains Cristmas album,came out about 10 years ago........usual Chieftains, mix of some nice stuff, with other cuts that are of questionable musical content..........

computer-mom · Post by **computer-mom** » Wed Aug 21, 2002 1:10 pm

Try "Christmas with the Clancy Brothers", if it's still in print. I bought it from Shanachie about 10 years ago.

The "Wren Song" is a traditional Irish song for St. Stephen's Day (Dec. 26.)

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Thu Aug 22, 2002 8:15 pm

I just checked a few of my holiday music books and found Taladh Chriosta (Christ Child Lulaby)Hebridean,Isle of Eriskay,translated by Seamus Ennis,and The Snow Lay On The Ground is listed as originally Irish. Baloo Lammy and Nova Nova are great sounding tunes to but Scottish, not Irish.