Christmas 2011

Staybrite, that is one of your favorite bands isn't it?

Certainly one of my favortie "new" bands. I just wish they would put out a full albums worth of material instead of just EPs. They have released 3 EPs and one single, for a total of 15 songs since 2008.

I found a new album I love this year--A Very She and Him Christmas. It's kind of a folky/croonery type thing from Zooey Deschannel and some guy.

Staybrite wrote:

Certainly one of my favortie "new" bands. I just wish they would put out a full albums worth of material instead of just EPs. They have released 3 EPs and one single, for a total of 15 songs since 2008.

This was the first time I had heard them. I like the stuff reminds me of the old band Normandy a LOT. Wonder what ever happened to Norm and Mandy??

Right now I am spinning the Vol I of Neil Zaza's One Silent Night and one I picked up at a Pawn Shop called Red hot Christmas Blues. Both are older CD's. I REALLY like the Kutlass version of Mary Did You Know. Wish I could post some links but not yet so---.

Ascension wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

Certainly one of my favortie "new" bands. I just wish they would put out a full albums worth of material instead of just EPs. They have released 3 EPs and one single, for a total of 15 songs since 2008.

This was the first time I had heard them. I like the stuff reminds me of the old band Normandy a LOT. Wonder what ever happened to Norm and Mandy??

It does remind me a bit of Normandy as well (maybe even a bit more rockin'). I have no idea where I heard it (or even if it is completely true), but I heard Norm and Mandy took a break from music when they had their first child. I guess they just haven't felt the call to start record again.

Favorite Christmas song of all time for me has always been "Hark, the herald angels sing". This is the deepest song lyrically, covering our salvation and the nature of our Savior. Read the lyrics, don't sing them, just read them... each line is almost inspired:

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Ok here's one that's always bugged me -

The lyrics go "Haste, haste, to bring Him laud, the babe, the son of Mary"

The whole song rhymes throughout, except here... why say "the son of Mary", when GOD rhymes with LAUD ????

Well, in most early versions of the text the line "the babe, the Son of Mary" is the same for each of the verses while the other lines are different, so I think the author's intent is to emphasize the Virgin Birth. Also the assertion that the whole song rhymes except for this pair of lines is inaccurate. The only consistent rhymes are the 2nd and 4th lines and the 5th and 6th lines of each verse. Lines 1 and 3 and 7 and 8 never rhyme. (abcbddef is the rhyme scheme for each verse)

I must confess I'm having a difficult time getting into my metal Christmas music this year. So far the ones I keep coming back to are She & Him and Sufjan Stevens, which is really odd because I hate sad, depressing Christmas songs and most of his originals are just that. I will say I can always get a metal jolt from Twisted Sister--that seems to be the one I keep going back to.

I like this one.

messiaen77 = yeah, I guess you're right on that... but don't you think it would flow better if the line had "God" to rhyme with Laud ? Idk, just me I guess.

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

messiaen77 = yeah, I guess you're right on that... but don't you think it would flow better if the line had "God" to rhyme with Laud ? Idk, just me I guess.

You would have to sing Go-d instead of God for it to work.


The babe, the son of Ma-ry
The babe, the son of Go-d

Quote :

You would have to sing Go-d instead of God for it to work

I wouldn't be singin anything cuz I cain't sing

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

messiaen77 = yeah, I guess you're right on that... but don't you think it would flow better if the line had "God" to rhyme with Laud ? Idk, just me I guess.

I don't know about musically, but theologically speaking I would rather have God there than Mary.

BTW, I hope I didn't come across as 'gee you idiot...,' if so I'm sorry. It was not my intention at all.

We could take this Mary debate to Catholicism, but… um… how about not.

Anyway, I like how What Child Is This is in 3/4 timing or something. Makes for interesting drumming.

Speaking of Mary, I rather like that CCM song "Mary Did You Know?" I think most people probably consider it a Christmas song.

Quote :

BTW, I hope I didn't come across as 'gee you idiot...,' if so I'm sorry. It was not my intention at all

Not taken that way at all my friend. You're someone who understands music and I find it very interesting to learn about how and why the music is written the way it is.
I don't really have a problem with it theologically, cuz like you said, it's focus is on the virgin birth. I just thought why use an obscure word like LAUD with out rhyming it with GOD. (but that's why the professionals write music and not me)

As far as "Mary did you know?" - I think that song is amazing !! The Christian comedian Mark Lowry wrote that, and we bought it the year he released it. His version to this day is the most beautiful one. I still get chills when I listen to it.

I have both the Gaither Vocal Band (with Mark Lowery singing) and the Kutless version of "Mary Did You Know?".

danielbandfan wrote:

We could take this Mary debate to Catholicism, but… um… how about not.

Anyway, I like how What Child Is This is in 3/4 timing or something. Makes for interesting drumming.

Yeah, no real desire to argue the Mary stuff and I don't think Protestants should get hung up on it since the Virgin Birth is a doctrine we hold as well.

As for the time, it is in 6/8 I believe, which is what we call a compound meter. Anyone not interested in listening to this music theory geek should go ahead and move on to the next post. Don't worry, I won't be offended. Ok, in a nutshell, compound meters divide each beat into three equal parts as opposed to the two equal parts we find in "simple meters" like 4/4, 3/4, etc. So, one measure of 6/8 is composed of the equivalent of 6 eighth notes, but the unit of the beat is the dotted quarter note, so there are only 2 beats in the measure, not the 6 we would expect.

[quote="Guilty/Forgiven"]

Quote :

As far as "Mary did you know?" - I think that song is amazing !! The Christian comedian Mark Lowry wrote that, and we bought it the year he released it. His version to this day is the most beautiful one. I still get chills when I listen to it.

Alldat wrote:

I have both the Gaither Vocal Band (with Mark Lowery singing) and the Kutless version of "Mary Did You Know?".

Ok, I liked that Kutless version so much I actually downloaded the song....so I guess I officially own one Christmas song. (lol)

Staybrite wrote:

Ok, I liked that Kutless version so much I actually downloaded the song....so I guess I officially own one Christmas song. (lol)

We are doing it at w Church next week it's cool is it not??
If you want to play with it here is the chart.



Mary Did You Know








Em D Am Bsus B7


Mary
did you know that your baby boy would someday walk on water





Em D Am Bsus B7


Mary
did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters





Am D G D/F#
Em


Did
you know that your baby boy has come to make you new





Am Am Bsus B


This
child that you've delivered will soon deliver you











Em D Am Bsus B7


Mary
did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man





Em D Am Bsus B7


Mary
did you know that your baby boy will calm the storm with his hand





Am D G D/F# Em


Did
you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod





Am Am Bsus B7


When
you've kissed your little baby then you've kissed the face of God











Em
D Am Bsus B7 Em D Am Bsus B7


Mary did you know Mary did you know








C D Em D
C


The
blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again





Am D Em Bsus
B7


The
lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb











Em D Am Bsus
B7


Mary
did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation





Em D Am Bsus B7


Mary
did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations





Am D G D/F#
Em


Did
you know that your baby boy was heaven's perfect lamb





Am Am Bsus B7 Em
D Am B7 Em


This
sleeping child you're holding is the great "I AM"

messiaen77 wrote:

danielbandfan wrote:

We could take this Mary debate to Catholicism, but… um… how about not.

Anyway, I like how What Child Is This is in 3/4 timing or something. Makes for interesting drumming.

Yeah, no real desire to argue the Mary stuff and I don't think Protestants should get hung up on it since the Virgin Birth is a doctrine we hold as well.

As for the time, it is in 6/8 I believe, which is what we call a compound meter. Anyone not interested in listening to this music theory geek should go ahead and move on to the next post. Don't worry, I won't be offended. Ok, in a nutshell, compound meters divide each beat into three equal parts as opposed to the two equal parts we find in "simple meters" like 4/4, 3/4, etc. So, one measure of 6/8 is composed of the equivalent of 6 eighth notes, but the unit of the beat is the dotted quarter note, so there are only 2 beats in the measure, not the 6 we would expect.

I wasn't sure about the song's timing, but I checked last night and the song is indeed 6/8. I was already aware of what 6/8 consists of

Sorry, I have been out of the classroom since May and it just slipped out of me.