Carols, again

Every year, Christmas reawakens my interest in music. The melodies of the carols, and their often beautiful language, are compelling to me. I know parts of dozens of carols, in several languages, and have used them year-round as lullabies for D. In high school, I entertained myself on the long walks there and back (2.4 miles each way) by quietly singing carols. They are also my strongest connection to religion (although Christian -- Protestant -- by heritage, my theology is actually Jewish*, and my spirituality tends to incline towards the sentimental neo-pagan). One can hardly sing carols without reflecting on the religious meanings of perfect innocence and goodness born humbly in the darkest and coldest time of the year. (And yet, of course, the Nativity stories were added "late" to the Bible and have nothing to do with Jesus' actual teachings, but rather have the functions of helping to "market" him to the Jews as fulfillment of various passages in the writings of the Hebrew prophets, and providing extenuating circumstances by which a man of unknown paternity could claim to speak as an authority figure, since in his culture the observable facts of his parentage would alone invalidate the legitimacy (pun) of his message.)

Anyway, I need to learn some new carols this year. I'm thinking of learning the second through fifth verses of "Good King Wenceslas," the lyrics to "Once in Royal David's City," and something else new, maybe a Catalan "Carol of the Birds."

The other thought I was having is that maybe I should be thinking in terms of getting and learning a new instrument. I like woodwinds best, but I (a) can't play them when I have my frequent winter colds, and (b) can't sing along with them. I'm finally getting my piano this spring, but something smaller and more traditional would be better for this purpose. liadanlj has a harp, and last year kudzita mentioned playing handbells during the Christmas services in her Catholic church. (I've loved the idea of handbells for carols ever since the scene where Crispin plays them in To Serve Them All My Days.) So this is something new to think about. Maybe something like a xylophone or hammered dulcimer appeals more than something like a guitar. Hmm.

I was interested in going to the Eugene Sacred Harp Singers concert and shape-note sing-along (and cookie feast) this evening at the Episcopal church, but decided against sharing this cold with them (and am too hoarse to sing anyway). I should look up what "shape note" means.

Updated half an hour later: Okay, interesting. There's no harp in "sacred harp" singing; it's an a cappella tradition dating back to Renaissance polyphony.

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