A Christmas Chuckle

This is the Christmas card our son gave his dad last year:

Hallmark Christmas card

©Hallmark Licensing, LLC; Hallmark.com/Shoebox

Posted in cats, Christmas, Humor | Leave a comment

Handbells for Christmas

This is the season that calls out for handbells. Here are some wonderful performances.

Carol of the Bells, Bethel University Handbell Ensemble:

Marche from the Nutcracker Suite, Raleigh Ringers:

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Daejeon Handbell Choir, South Korea:

Silent Night, Andrea Feist:

A Christmas Medley (Hark, the Herald Angels; The First Noel; Away in a Manger; Angels from the Realms of Glory; What Child Is This; O Come All Ye Faithful; all played by a soloist identified only as Mary; also, Good King Wenceslas occurs in the piano accompaniment):

Hallelujah Chorus, Forté Handbell Quartet:

Coventry Carol,  done on handchimes:

Sing We Now of Christmas Played by the Resounding Ringers:

Glory performed by The RingNYC:

Remember the Angels played by Bells Angels. This piece was written in memory of the victims of 9/11:

A Christmas handbell and orchestra concert from South Korea. This is over half an hour long but so good; if you can’t listen to it all now, do yourself a favor and be sure to come back to it:

A Ballade on Auld Lang Syne:

I’ll be playing handbells at one of my church’s Christmas Eve services.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Posted in Christmas, Christmas music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Scripture Break #52

Posted in Scripture | Tagged | Leave a comment

Videos of the Week: Bluegrass Christmas

This is a Christmas playlist from the wonderful Petersen family musicians. There are 20 videos in this playlist; they should play one after another. I hope you will come back and enjoy them all weekend.

Posted in Christmas music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Scripture Break #51

Inv.nr: Gr.XXXII:B.119.
Posted in Scripture | Tagged | Leave a comment

I’d Rather Be Dancing Christmas Dances

These videos make me want to get up and join right in. Some were made by dance studios, some by fitness studios.

There’s still time for you to get together with your siblings and choreograph a dance like this:

We’ve lived in Arizona for 35 years, but I know when we lived in New Jersey I went to the Christmas Show at Radio City Music Hall at least once (though I can’t tell you what year. . .).

Want to watch more Christmas dances?

Posted in Christmas, Dancing | 1 Comment

Video of the Week: Ringing Praise

Our handbell choir opened this service last year with “Advent Celebration.” Enjoy just this song, or watch the entire service. I’m the one leading the processional.

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Johnny Marks, the Christmas Songwriter

The Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago used to give way books to children at Christmas. In 1939, a catalog writer for Montgomery Ward named Robert L. May came up with an idea for a new book and wrote the story of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Montgomery Ward gave away two million copies, which were a great hit with kids, teachers, and store managers.

In 1948, May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, wrote a song based on the book. He offered it to Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, who both passed on it. But Gene Autry recorded it, and it became a huge hit for him. Here is Autry performing “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1953:

Marks went on to write many more Christmas songs, including the music for the TV Christmas Special about Rudolph, which first aired in 1964.

“A Holly Jolly Christmas”:

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, sung by Brenda Lee:

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”:

“The Night Before Christmas”:

Ironically, Johnny Marks never celebrated Christmas–he was Jewish. He passed away in 1985.

Posted in Christmas music | Tagged | Leave a comment

Wordless Wednesday: Stormy Sky

Posted in photography | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Scripture Break #50

Posted in Scripture | Tagged | Leave a comment