Gabriel’s Message
We sang this Basque carol in choir practice last night and it will be our introit this Sunday. Sting recorded this some years ago, and many people think he wrote it. Nope. He popularized it, but it was written […]
Comfort, Comfort, O My People
One of my favorite advent hymns is this one by Johann Olearius. 1 “Comfort, comfort ye my people; speak of peace,” so says our God. “Comfort those who sit in darkness, groaning from their sorrows’ load. Speak to all Jerusalem […]
First Sunday of Advent, 2021
“I Was Glad” is a big, bold way to start Advent. The words are from Psalm 122: I was glad when they said unto me : We will go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall […]
Feliz Navidad
I have never been a fan of this song, but this year marks its 50th anniversary. It is in the Top 10 Christmas songs, and has been herd by 3.8 billion people. It contains only 19 words, 6 in Spanish […]
Love Came Down at Christmas
#1 daughter brought the Littles over yesterday and we played for a while. The Littlest made up a hilarious game of putting on and taking off my glasses. It totally cracked her up. A happy song for today, the last […]
Christmas Waltz
I’m sharing “The Christmas Waltz” today as we get ready for the last Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the Christmas festivities. Today I’m volunteering at the church, handing out communion element and accepting food donations. I also hope […]
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
Here’s a sweet song that I used to sing with my daughters in church. It was written by R. Fisher Boyce. It was published in 1940. Boyce and his wife had 11 children, of whom only five lived to adulthood. […]
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas
Continuing with my theme of the songs I don’t like for the pandemic… I guess I had intended to give that up, but the song “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” has been on my mind a lot […]
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
This morning’s Lessons and Carols was wonderful. It included another of my favorite songs, “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming.” I can balance the songs I dislike with beautiful ones. Because, really, it doesn’t make sense to listen to bad […]
Let It Snow
I guess this year I am featuring songs I dislike in the Pandemic Musical Advent Calendar. However, this is Frank Sinatra, which definitely improves the experience. “Let It Snow” was written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, during a California […]