Christmas Carols

A minister at a church I regularly attended to told me "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" is naughty because because " comes round the Age of Gold" is not a Christian belief. Like himself, I don't think this matters a dam because it's the feeling that counts and most people don't pay any attention to what hymns actually mean

I was at the beginning of my labour with DS4 on the day of DS3’s school nativity and carols. I made through the entire show, albeit extremely emotional and becoming exceedingly uncomfortable.

Wind on many years, in the same school hall with my GC and wife of DS4, telling the GC the story, they were for once lost for words that Daddy could have been born in their school…

Oh I am so sorry, and apologise for my previous post, I have just read the thread properly.

(((Hugs))) for all bereaved parents, along with those who have lost loved ones at this time of year 💐💐💐

Caleo I thought ‘comes round the age of gold’ was from It came upon the midnight clear’ - a great favourite of mine - rather than Hark the Herald?

Every year I look up the definition of Christmas carol and every year forget. Never mind.

Caleo

A minister at a church I regularly attended to told me "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" is naughty because because " comes round the Age of Gold" is not a Christian belief. Like himself, I don't think this matters a dam because it's the feeling that counts and most people don't pay any attention to what hymns actually mean

Yes, it's from It came upon the midnight clear winterwhite

comes round the Age of Gold
I thought the Age of Gold - the Golden Age, was when peace will prevail on the Earth, surely what Christians should pray for!

For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever circling years
Shall come the age of gold;
When Peace shall over all the earth,
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song,
Which now the angels sing.

Agree, but I think it was written during the “Golden Age”, those early years of the twentieth century before the first world war.

It was written in 1849 and I think the Golden Age of Hollywood was between the two world wars, so Hollywood probably pinched the phrase and used it to promote cinema.

There have been other Golden Ages over the millennia, Greek, Roman, the time of Elizabeth I etc.

'It came upon a midnight clear' is my favourite as it has just the right amount of liveliness for me.
I do enjoy carols from Kings - always my mince pie making time, and I feel that Christmas has properly begun. One year I was cooking away when the window cleaners called, so they came and had a fresh mince pie and listened with me. I didn't know that they were Jehovah's Witnesses! Fortunately they have since become firm friends.

Will be thinking of all those who find carols hard to hear this year.

For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever circling years
Shall come the age of gold;

Is about the Hindu belief (Rig Veda) that history forms four ages that repeat over and over .I copid and pasted the following:-

The cycle of the four ages
Hindus believe that time goes in cycles and that each time period is a long one. Each cycle is called a yuga and there are four different yugas, each of which lasts for a different amount of time. At the end of each yuga, time is destroyed and then a new yuga begins. Hindus are currently in the age of Iron, and when it ends a new Gold age will begin.

YugaLength
Gold1,728,000 years
Silver1,296,000 years
Copper864,000 years
Iron432,000 years

The author of the hymn possibly did not know the Rig Veda is the origin of the phrase 'age of gold'.
I agree with Callistemon, and actually it does not matter where the phrase originated. As I said earlier, it's the feeling and the intention that matter. Anyway, Christianity is based on several older traditions such as Judaism, and Greek stoicism.

Interesting, Caleo, I didn't know all that.

Winterwhite it was indeed It Came Upon the Midnight Clear


and not Hark the Herald Angels!

I too love It Came Upon the Midnight Clear the words make me see pictures.

I also love O Little Town of Bethlehem. It has two tunes and I like the Henry Walford Davies tune as that is the one I learned at school and it takes me right back

While I was making my stuffing earlier (sausagemeat, sage and onion, Bramley apple) , O Come O come Emmanuel was playing on Classic. It was the first we always sang at school, so I felt quite Christmassy. It was a mite too early for a sherry to add to the 🎄mood, and in any case my hands were orrible from squishing everything together, but heigh ho.

O come O come Emm-a-a-anuel and ransom captive I-I-Israelis not really appropriate for this time when I-I-Israel is busy dropping white phosphorus on Palestinians

Oh, dear, there’s always one, ready with the cold water.
I think I’m quite capable of separating the words of a traditional old and well loved carol from dreadful happenings in the news, Caleo.

I don’t have a religious bone in my body, but I like Three Kings from Persian Lands Afar and O Holy Night. Not bothered about the words - I think it’s the melody and depending on the singer, the key change in the latter gives me goosebumps.
Quite fond of Chris Rea in the car and Chris de Burg’s Spaceman.

"I’m quite capable of separating the words of a traditional old and well loved carol from dreadful happenings in the news, Caleo."

I believe you are. You should have said so and explained why because you are capable. The devil does not take a holiday for Christmas .

I love the Three Kings carol too, Georgesgran. Another we sang at school, but you don’t often hear it. I have it on a Kings College CD - but I do wish there were more than two verses!

I think my favourite carol is In the Bleak Midwinter. But I love hearing King's College choir singing carols and the beginning of Once in Royal David's City sung by a soprano gives me chills.

I love hearing Christmas Catols. They remind me of my childhood and we sang them so often, the words are ingrained in my brain. Favourite? Shepherds Pipe Carol, which I misheard as shepherds pie.

Most of the different churches round here have Carol services and if you don’t want to go to a church the local councils put on public ones, followed by fireworks. The Councils tend to add a few ‘ Christmas Songs’ which have nothing to do with Christianity. Jingle Bells doesn’t do it for me,personally.

I love Christmas carols and will listen to Carols from Kings, my favourites are In the Deep Midwinter and O come oh come Emmanuel. Although I’m not religious, I may attend our local Carol service.
I’m also particularly fond of Gaudete sung by Steeleye Span.

Well gransnetters I did get to carol concert. It was held in the local garden centre and it was singers from the salvation army. Was a good turnout and we were given mince pies and mulled wine. Really enjoyed it

Primrose53

I can’t listen to Christmas Carols especially with children because it makes me cry. I lost twin boys many years ago and seeing kids faces and hearing their little voices just sets me off. 😢

So sorry for your loss Primrose53. Big hugs...

Witzend

Oh, dear, there’s always one, ready with the cold water.
I think I’m quite capable of separating the words of a traditional old and well loved carol from dreadful happenings in the news, Caleo.

I agreed, and in any case this isn’t the news and politics threads.

I tend to listen to carols near Christmas time at work in the care home as residents like them playing quietly in the background, there are some really lovely ones.Last year a local primary school sent a group of young ones in to sing to the residents, they were about 5 or 6 years old.They had little quavery voices and got a few things wrong but there wasn’t a dry eye in the lounge afterwards.

Christmas can be an emotional time of year for the bereaved.
Hope anyone feeling sad from their loss manages to get through the festive period, it can be very hard.