Category Archives: General

Christmas Music: In The Dark Streets Shineth: a 1941 Christmas Story

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One of my favorite books of all time is “In the Dark Streets Shineth: A 1941 Christmas Story” by David McCullough. It’s a short book and mostly pictures, but it tells the story of Christmas 1941, right after the US had been attacked at Pearl Harbor. It was a very dark time in our nation’s history. This book also tells the story of how the Christmas hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” came to be and how that song, written in the 1850s, had a part in the Christmas of 1941. I think I also want to nominate David McCullough to narrariate the Ken Burns 9 part documentary on my life (haha).

Some of my other favorites by David McCullough are: 1776, John Adams, Harry Truman, The Great Bridge, and The Wright Brothers. Go HERE to see all of his books.

You always feel smarter after reading a David McCullough book. But seriously, I really hope you enjoy this short clip of Mr. McCullough telling this story.

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

Christmas Music: Songs from Handel’s Messiah

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Happy Sabbath! The perfect Christmas music for today is Handel’s Messiah. These are just a few of the selections from the First Movement, which talks about the prophecies of Christ’s birth and the miracle of His birth. I have many happy memories of singing the Messiah at Christmas and Easter times — in our stake choir growing up, and in college. A few years ago we had a Messiah sing-a-long here in my very small Northern New Mexico town. The choir and orchestra were made up of people from all over the community. I was blown away by the level of talent in our little town. For me singing the Messiah — whether it’s in a choir, or just singing along to youtube videos — never fails to uplift my spirit and helps to sink into my soul the love our Heavenly Father has for us, and how the birth of our Savior is a true miracle.

Here is a good article about Handel and a short history of the Messiah. “The Glorious History of Handel’s Messiah”.

If you click over to this Wikipedia page, you will find all of the songs from the Messiah with their accompanying scriptures.

Click here, for the full Messiah directed by Sir Colin Davis on the BBC. And I have to mention how much I love the BBC, they announce concerts like it was a sporting event. We seriously need to do this in the United State.

O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion

Isaiah 7: 14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Matthew 1: 23, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his cname Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Isaiah 40: 9, “O Zion, that ringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Isaiah 60: 1, “Arise, shine; for thy blight is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”

Click HERE for a totally amazing rendition in German.

Continue reading →

First Man: Discussion with Singer and Hansen

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My family was excited to see the film about Neil Armstrong’s moon landing. But as we emerged from the theatre in October, my husband commented:

“That wasn’t a feel good movie. That was a feel nothing movie.”

Despite the technical excellence of the film, I agreed that the overwhelming sense was of loss and isolation. Not being intimately familiar with Neil Armstrong, I chalked things up to 2018-era existential angst.

Yesterday I was given the chance to attend a screening of First Man at the National Air and Space Museum, with Q&A following the film with Armstrong biographer, Dr. James Hansen, and Academy Award-winning screen-writer of First Man, Josh Singer. Jeffrey Kluger, the author whose book inspired the film Apollo 13, rounded out the panel.

If you are a fan of history and space and film, First Man: The Annotated Screenplay is a fantastic look into all three topics.

Whether watching First Man for the first time or considering a return, here are a few things you really should know to properly understand the brilliance of the film created by Singer and director Damien Chazelle[ref]Damien Chazelle won an Academy Award for La La Land and was the driving force behind transforming Hansen’s biography into a film.[/ref] based on Hansen’s book. Continue reading →

Christmas Music: Once in Royal David’s City

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In Luke 2:4 we read, “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)” Bethlehem means house of Bread. It’s fitting that Christ, who proclaimed himself as “the Bread of Life” was born there.

This hymn was written as a poem by Dubliner, Cecil Frances Alexander. It was first published in 1848 in Miss Cecil Humphreys’ hymnbook Hymns for little Children”. English organist, Henry John Gauntlett, set the poem to music the next year. This version is the Henry Mann arrangement, and is always the first song on the program at King’s College every Christmas.

On a personal note, this is my favorite Christmas hymn from the LDS Hymn book. In my ward, at least, we usually don’t sing this at all over the Christmas season. One year we sang Christmas songs before Sacrament meeting started each week. Each week we sang every song, but this one. It’s #205 in the hymn book if you’re wondering — if we have any ward music people reading this post, please, oh please, put this song into the rotation! Continue reading →

Christmas Music: Songs from Ireland

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Yesterdays’ post of songs from Spain, Catalonia, and Mexico gave me an idea to highlight beloved Christmas songs that come from different countries. Today we have two carols from Ireland. This year, while clicking backwards on my FamilySearch.org profile, I discovered that my family has Irish ancestors — ancestors that escaped the potato famine of the 1840s no less. I have some reading and study to do for 2019 to learn more about Ireland.

Don Oiche Ud I mBeithil by the Chieftains featuring Burgess Meredith. Yes, that Burgess Meredith, the Penguin from the 1960s Batman TV show, and of course The Chieftains are a great traditional Irish folk music band. But I love this song because of the narration in English, and then the song following in Gaelic. It tells the story of Christmas with beautiful simplicity.

I sing of a night in Bethlehem
A night as bright as dawn
I sing of that night in Bethlehem
The night the Word was born
The skies are glowing gaily
The earth in white is dressed
See Jesus in the cradle
Drink deep in His mother’s breast
And there on a lonely hillside
The shepherds bow down in fear
When the heavens open brightly
And God’s message rings out so clear
Glory now to the Father
In all the heavens high
And peace to His friends on earth below
Is all the angels cry

The Wexford Carol by Alison Krauss feat. Yo-yo Ma on the cello. This song originated in the 12th Century in County Wexford from the town of Enniscorthy. Traditionally it’s sung by men, but in the last few years, women have begun to sing and record it. I love the invitation that the first phrase extends, “Good people all, this Christmas time, consider well, and bear in mind what our good God, for us hath done, in sending His beloved Son.” Consider the good God has done for us, in sending Jesus Christ.