Nadya Miryanova explores the stories behind some of the nation’s most loved Christmas carols
by Nadya Miryanova Tuesday December 22 2020
Christmas carols carry a distinctive kind of midwinter magic, conjuring images of snow-tipped forest trees and candle-lit beginnings. They’ve undoubtedly become a central part of the festive season, ringing out in churches and homes while brightening Christmases all round the nation.
With Christmas fast approaching, what better time is there to reflect on their origins? Many themes swirl round their mystical beginnings, from dubious author attributions to continuously evolving traditions. Much is unknown, yet there is much to be found.
A decade later, the American minister John Sullivan Dwight translated the lyrics into English.
As an abolitionist, Dwight was struck by the lyrics of the second verse. “Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother… And in his name, all oppression shall cease.”
Almost 60 years later, on Christmas Eve in 1906, the Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden created the world’s first radio broadcast, mostly heard by radio operators and cargo ships in the Atlantic.
Fessenden read the story of the nativity from the gospel of Luke and played “O Holy Night” on his violin, making it the first Christmas song ever broadcast on the radio.
McBrayer: Chains shall he break
Ronnie McBrayer
It was Advent 1843, and the French village of Roquemaure was preparing to celebrate both the season and the restoration of the church’s pipe organ. The parish priest asked a local wine distributer who had a reputation as a poet, Placide Cappeau, to write a poem in honor of the dual celebrations.
By Cappeau’s claim, he began working on the poem in a stagecoach. He was on his way to Paris while imagining the first Christmas. His final work, “Minuit, Chrétiens” was a masterpiece of Nativity wonder, and upon hearing it recited a few years later, Cappeau’s friend, Adolphe Adams, put the poem to music.
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I love Christmas music and movies. As soon as December arrives, I tune in to my playlists or Pandora, Netflix and Prime to the new and classics. This year, they feel even more important than ever before.
My son is now old enough to enjoy these holiday favorites with me, so we just finished watching “Home Alone.”
Not having paid much attention to it before, on this viewing I noticed that the theme of redemption runs throughout the film. The particular moment I locked into was in the character of Old Man Marley, who always seems to be shoveling.
KEEPING THE FAITH: He came to break our chains, to set people free
Ronnie McBrayer
It was Advent 1843, and the French village of Roquemaure was preparing to celebrate both the season and the restoration of the church’s pipe organ. The parish priest asked a local wine distributer who had a reputation as a poet, Placide Cappeau, to write a poem in honor of the dual celebrations.
By Cappeau’s claim, he began working on the poem in a stagecoach. He was on his way to Paris while imagining the first Christmas. His final work, “Minuit, Chrétiens” was a masterpiece of Nativity wonder, and upon hearing it recited a few years later, Cappeau’s friend, Adolphe Adams, put the poem to music.