I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas/Yule season. I am. Here’s some beautiful Christmas music by the outstanding Celtic singer Loreena McKennit. The Song is very Christian Christ-Mass and the photos on the video are mostly Winter Yule scenes. I think it’s a nice mix – works for me.
If you like/love this music please purchase Miss McKennit’s CDs/DVDs I did.
Link Loreena McKennit “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen”
I send my very Christmas/Yule best to all our great Occidental Dissent readers and also TPC radio show listeners.
Here is also a preview of what looks like an excellent nature documentary about Black Wolves in our Nordic winter lands Link
Merry Christmas everyone.
Merry Christmas Hunter!
Loreena Mckennit is definitely one of my favorites. Merry Christmas!
I’m a resident of those “Nordic Winterlands” where the Black Wolf roams, having seen literally dozens and a few of them “up close and personal.” And the Gray’s and the almost White, all mixed together.
Central Idaho Rockies.
The “Black Ones.”
They seem a bit more “Evil” than the rest, though that’s simply an anthropomorphic delusion. They all kill for a living and that’s simply how it is.
It’s not so “romantic” when not narrated and the background music is all “natural” and you are not in Yellowstone.
When there are 8-10 of these all bunched up “gang style” doing the killing thing. I’ve watched (and once in the pitch black) listened to that unfold right in front of my eyes (and ears) here on the place. The cow elk shrieking as she is being ripped to pieces and the unborn calf torn away from her insides, the snow stained red fifty feet around for days on end until the next storm come by to disappear the evidence.
Seven sets of tracks leaving the scene in two feet of snow, disappeared as well.
They’ll be back, again and again and again.
Between these critters and the mountain lions, when we feed the livestock this time of year at least one of us is armed – heavily. More than once we’ve been at the barn or the hay shed in either slowing waxing or fast waning light, having a stare-down with a pack of Canis Lupus at fifty yards or less. The “law’ protects them far more than it does us.” Once you reached the “harvest limit” you have to prove you were in actual danger, a standard that’s at best, subjective.
And we started listening to McKennit almost thirty years ago, but play no music when the work is to be done. You need all your senses about you, 100% of them, all the time.
Sometimes, the Rockies can be a “bad part of town.”
I really like the Kings College Choir for Christmas carols.
Yule, huh? Pandering to muh pagans HW?
>:(
I see how it is, how the cookie crumbles.
Bad feelz, my guy. Bad feelz.
Thanks for the link to the wolf documentary. Great documentary. Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.
Merry Christmas to men of good will!!
Mr. Wallace, please bump your Christmas posts to the top. The Christmas season goes on. Only in secular America does it end the day after, because there’s not another sale to be made.
My favorite arrangement of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is by Sir David Wilcox. He was the Director of Music of King’s College, Cambridge. The King’s College choir was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI. Here’s the Choir singing this arrangement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kxDur3zdgU
Please allow me to toot my Germanic horn. The King’s College choir is the new kid on the block (as is the Vienna Boys’ Choir, founded 1498). The Leipzig St. Thomas choir (Thomaner Chor) was founded by the Margrave of Meissen in 1212. J.S.Bach was the Cantor there. Here, the choir sings “Maria walked through a thorny wood” (Maria durch ein Dornwald ging). This arrangement is by Erhard Mauersberger, who was a member of the Thomaner Chor from 1914 to 1920 and was Cantor at St. Thomas (the 14th since Bach) from 1961 to 1972.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNHPGp9CyL0&
Speaking of J.S.Bach, here’s one of his choral preludes on “In Dulci Jubilo” – the melody to which we sing “Good Christian Men Rejoice”. This is an early work of his, perhaps composed in his late teens or early 20’s. As a prelude was used to introduce the hymn before congregational singing in the Lutheran service, the melody isn’t exactly easy to pick out – a complaint that was lodged against Bach by the elders at his first position at St. Boniface Church, which he acquired when he was only 18. He was young, had the chops and knew it. 😉
Please indulge me a bit more. Last year was the 200th anniversary of the first performance of “Silent Night” in the humble parish church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria. Here’s the original 6 verses sung to the original melody by the Vienna Choir Boys:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dBKkrD1yL0
Unfortunately, we only get three verses in English. Below is the original German followed by a literal translation of each verse in English. The translation can’t be sung as such, but gives a closer understanding of Father Mohr’s original intent.
1. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Alles schläft; einsam wacht Nur das traute heilige Paar. Holder Knab im lockigten Haar, Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh! Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh!
Silent night! Holy night! All are sleeping, alone and awake Only the intimate holy pair, Lovely boy with curly hair, Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace!
2. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Gottes Sohn! O wie lacht Lieb´ aus deinem göttlichen Mund, Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund`. Jesus in deiner Geburt! Jesus in deiner Geburt!
Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, O how he laughs Love from your divine mouth, Then it hits us – the hour of salvation. Jesus at your birth! Jesus at your birth!
3. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Die der Welt Heil gebracht, Aus des Himmels goldenen Höhn Uns der Gnaden Fülle läßt seh´n Jesum in Menschengestalt, Jesum in Menschengestalt
Silent night! Holy night! Which brought salvation to the world, From Heaven’s golden heights, Mercy’s abundance was made visible to us: Jesus in human form, Jesus in human form.
4. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Wo sich heut alle Macht Väterlicher Liebe ergoß Und als Bruder huldvoll umschloß Jesus die Völker der Welt, Jesus die Völker der Welt.
Silent night! Holy night! Where on this day all power of fatherly love poured forth And like a brother lovingly embraced Jesus the peoples of the world, Jesus the peoples of the world.
5. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Lange schon uns bedacht, Als der Herr vom Grimme befreit, In der Väter urgrauer Zeit Aller Welt Schonung verhieß, Aller Welt Schonung verhieß.
Silent night! Holy night! Already long ago planned for us, When the Lord frees from wrath Since the beginning of ancient times A salvation promised for the whole world. A salvation promised for the whole world.
6. Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! Hirten erst kundgemacht Durch der Engel Alleluja, Tönt es laut bei Ferne und Nah: Jesus der Retter ist da! Jesus der Retter ist da!
Silent night! Holy night! To shepherds it was first made known By the angel, Alleluia; Sounding forth loudly far and near: Jesus the Savior is here! Jesus the Savior is here!
Here’s something for my fratelli – “Gesu Bambino”, composed by Pietro Yon in 1917. Yon was the organist and choir director at St. Patrick’s cathedral, New York (died 1943).
Carnivore,
Your knowledge of choral music surpasses mine by leaps and bounds.
I sang in choirs until I was thirty years old.