In Australia where Christmas falls in our hot and humid summer we sing traditional carols and Christmas songs about snow and mistletoe and open fires with gusto.
My favourite carols are those that are written with our Australian conditions in mind. I recently blogged about Six White Boomers - one of my favourite fun Christmas songs. Another favourite is Aussie Jingle Bells in a Rusty Holden Ute.
We also have some beautiful Christmas carols. One of my favourites, because it conjures up memories of a solo sung by my angelic. blonde six year old son surrounded by classmates in his school's Christmas concert many years ago, is The Silver Stars are in the Sky. There a a few versions of this carol on Youtube, I am posting one by The Phoenix Singers:
In case you feel like singing along here are the lyrics:
The Silver Stars are in the Sky
Words: John Wheeler. Music William G James
The silver stars are in the sky,
The red-gold moon goes riding high,
O, sleep my little one sleep!
Once long ago, against her breast,
A mother rocked her child to rest,
Who was the Prince of Heav'n above,
The Lord of happiness and love.
O, sleep, my little one sleep!
The boobook calls across the night,
The brown moths flutter in the light,
O, sleep, my little one sleep!
In Bethlehem long, long ago,
When roads and paddocks gleam'd with snow;
On this same night, that mother mild,
Lull'd into dreams her royal child.
So, sleep, my little one, sleep!
Another favourite that conjures up images of our red, dusty plains is "The North Wind is Tossing the Leaves". This Youtube version is by Bucko and Champs who have posted a great collection of Australian Christmas Music on Youtube.
The North Wind
Words: John Wheeler. Music William G James
The north wind is tossing the leaves
the red dust is over the town
The sparrows are under the eaves
And the grass in the paddock is brown
As we lift up our voices and sing
To the Christ child the heavenly king.
The tree ferns in green gullies sway
the cool stream flows silently by
the joy bells are greeting the day
And the chimes are adrift in the sky
As we lift up our voices and sing
To the Christ child the heavenly king.
This post was prepared for Blog Caroling with The Footnote Maven
1 comment:
I still remember singing the "Carol of the Birds" at primary school. It is a really uplifting song and we used to nearly lift the roof off with the line "Orana, Orana, Orana to Christmas Day"
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