Caroling, caroling, near and far: Sharing the gift of song
Historians may disagree about when the first Christmas carol was composed, but all agree that music has long been a holiday gift worth giving.
“Carols often have special memories attached,” said Jessica Sanzotti, volunteer caroling coordinator for the Musical Theatre Guild of Butler. “It’s a way everyone can share the joy and tradition of the holidays.”
Ranging in age from young adult through their 80s, Musical Theatre Guild carolers spread the holiday spirit with caroling and sing-along events at the South Butler Community Library, Butler Area Public Library and Vintage Coffeehouse — and everyone can join the fun.
“We love it when people show up and sing along, and when the children dance,” she said.
The tradition of “caroling, caroling through the town” became popular during Britain’s Victorian era, and the time-honored familiarity of holiday music is one reason carols are easily remembered and shared.
Most of today’s popular carols were written in the 19th and 20th centuries, though some carols date back to medieval times and even earlier.
“Joy to the World,” written in 1719 and set to its familiar tune in 1848, and “Silent Night,” or “Stille Nacht,” composed in 1818, are beloved by churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike.
Not all holiday classics foster such deep religious sentiment, however.
“Carols may be rooted in family or religious traditions, but they can also be light and fun,” Butler County Symphony Orchestra executive director Edward DeSantis said.
What would the holidays be without Gene Autry’s “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” or Mariah Carey’s jaunty “All I Want for Christmas is You?”
But some of America’s favorite holiday songs might make the medieval choristers blush: “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” written in 1952; Eartha Kitt’s sultry 1953 “Santa Baby”; and Elmo and Patsy’s irreverent 1979 “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” to name a few.
“Holiday music speaks many traditions, languages and cultures,” DeSantis said. In fact, the symphony offers outreach concerts that provide holiday music not only for Christmas but for Kwanzaa and Hanukkah as well, he said.
Traditional carols, rerecorded each year by popular artists, and iconic pieces like the “Nutcracker Suite” can be reinterpreted to speak to new audiences. Duke Ellington’s 1960 album “The Nutcracker Suite,” for example, is a jazz interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s 1892 classical ballet.
Members of the Jewish faith celebrate the holidays with traditional songs like “Ma'oz Tzur,” composed in the 12th or 13th century; “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah,” composed in 1912; and a 1982 tune, “Light One Candle” by Peter, Paul and Mary. Like Christian carols, these pieces range from sentimental to jazzy and fun.
It’s well-known that Jewish composers wrote some of the best-known Christmas carols and holiday songs, such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “A Holly, Jolly Christmas” by Johnny Marks, “I’ll be Home for Christmas” by Walter Kent and Buck Ram, and most famously, “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin.
The Musical Theatre Guild will perform Christmas songs at noon Saturday, Dec. 14, at Vintage Coffeehouse, 209 S. Main St. in Butler.
Butler County students also get a chance to share the gift of song with each other and with the community.
Younger students, like those in Emily Donatelli’s music classes at Moraine Elementary School in Prospect, build community by singing and sharing holiday music at holiday concerts.
Older students can take their caroling act on the road.
Slippery Rock Area High School’s Chamber Choir performs for veterans at the Abie Abraham VA Health Care Center on Duffy Road in Center Township and for parishioners at area churches.
“When we go into the community for the holidays, we share joy, love and hope, and we do that through song,” said choral director Heather Groves-Edwards, who directs the group.
Students at Knoch High School and Middle School perform a mix of winter and holiday music for their community, according to choral director Michael Sypien.
“The High School Chamber Singers have an annual Caroling Field Trip that begins with singing for the students at our elementary schools and then continues throughout the community,” he said. Audiences include the Saxonburg Golden Agers, residents of the Embassy of Saxonburg and Concordia, and the patients at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital.
“Carols mean so much to so many people,” he said.
Students in grades 6 through 12 are encouraged to participate in an annual Caroling Competition to raise funds for the Knoch Music Boosters to help support upcoming trips and other musical opportunities throughout the year, he said.
In addition to school performances and neighborhood celebrations, carols are a key feature of the Butler County Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Traditions concerts, held this year on Saturday, Dec. 7. The event featured a variety of music, including selections from “The Nutcracker,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “The Festive Sounds of Hanukkah.”
With melodies that echo through the years, the gift of song proves that the most memorable holiday gifts can’t always be found in a store.
