CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE

Let's break away from the Christmas shopping frenzy to the tune of contemporary versions of Christmas hits oozing from speakers in every store and mall.

Where did these songs come from, who sang them for the first time and under what circumstances? The queen of the Christmas repertoire is undoubtedly the song White Christmas, which in times of global warming can further frustrate us. It is worth recalling that it was first sung by Bing Crosby in the movie The Holiday Inn. Fred Astaire and Virginia Dale also provided the festive mood there.

The song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was first sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis. The anthem Joy to the World has a much longer history, originating in 18th-century England and popularized in the 20th century in the United States. Today it is difficult to determine who is the author of the melody; it is assumed that it could have been composed by Georg Friedrich Händel.

His merits in building the festive mood should also not escape our attention, because in many countries there is no preparation for Christmas without the oratory of the Messiah and the famous Alleluia. And then we all get together to sing in our native language the most famous carol in the world, which was created in Oberndorf, Austria in 1818.

Neither Father Joseph Mohr (author of the lyrics) nor the local organist Franz Xaver Gruber could have guessed how popular their joint work — Stille Nacht (Silent Night) — would become.

photo: Ilona Stenyk