Friday, December 15, 2006

Christmas Music

What's your favorite?

I'm torn between a couple of songs...Wachet Auf (Wake, oh Wake!) as an Advent carol that I adore. Also, The Linden Tree Carol is excellent. Then there's The Cherry Tree Carol which is probably my absolute favorite (AKA When Joseph went a walking).

The Cherry Tree Carol is an American carol, oddly enough, and it is about Mary asking Joseph to gather cherries, wherupon Joseph says "Let the Father of the Baby" gather cherries for you. Then Jesus speaks out of Mary's womb commanding the trees to bow down.

Mary does not rebuke Joseph, but simply rejoices in the miracle, and draws his attention to it "Oh, look now Joseph, I have cherries at command".

Then I've heard two different endings. One just repeats the opening phrase (When Joseph was an old man, he married virgin Mary...etc)

another has Joseph breaking down, and asking forgiveness of God.

I go back and forth between which I like better.

What are your favorites, and why? I would love to hear about them.

1 comment:

Socialist Christian Hippie said...

Yet, it was the King, or the head of state who led by example. I'd like to see Bush traipsing through the snow to a humble cottage.

It is a great carol, though. No matter how you interpret it.

Happy New Year, thanks for your comment.