Time To Ratch It Up, Dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     
                                  We are now at the halfway point of December, girls, which means it is time to raise the Christmas bar notch higher.  When I was a child, I remember my parents taking me into New York one year, to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show.  Mind you, this was back in the day when you got the show AND a movie--probably some Disney thing, though not one of this best, otherwise I would not remember it

                                     What I do remember is the Christmas Show, now called the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular!!!!!  There was this giant toy shop on stage, which would rival the staging of any Broadway show in town, the Rockettes would come out as soldiers, and do their obligatory unification thing, but, then, oh, my God, darlings, there was the Living Nativity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        Even at this age, performers knew when a critic was in the house, so you can bet at MY performance, no animals relieved themselves on stage, as has been known to happen!  I have said this before, and I will say this again--the Living Nativity was so spectacular and moving, I do not think the REAL THING could have been better staged.  May God and Sister Camille forgive me!!!!!!!!!

                                         I am telling you, when the Star of Bethlehem hovered over the manger, and a soprano delivered a spine chilling rendition of "O Holy Night," not only was this a real Christmas moment, it moved that carol for me, into the pantheon of the ultimate.

                                          Having recently mentioned the dramatic qualities of "Do You Hear What I Hear?," I have to see the most dramatic of all carols is "O Holy Night."  Did you know it was first written in 1847, by a French composer, named Adolphe Adam, and set to a poem by Placide Cappeau entitled "Minuuit Chretiens,"  ("Midnight, Christians") which is how Joan Baez sings it on her Christmas album!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          The song that became what most of us know as "O Holy Night" was reworked lyrically, in 1855, by an American  Unitarian minister (and music critic!!!!)  named John Sullivan Dwight, taking his cue from the original Cappeau text.

                                           Since that time, it has been one of the most recorded of carols!!!   But, who does the best version, the one to draw out its full dramatic power?????

                                             Maybe, being of the generation I am, Andy Williams' comes first to mind.  No, he is not Pavarotti, darlings, but he knows how to sell a song.  Listen to the simplicity of how he sings the lyric, which gets the power of the tune across.  Listen to the choral and music arrangements.  This may not be the best rendition ever heard, but I think it is one of the most representative!!!!!!!!!!

                                             "Faaaaaaaaaalllllllllll  onnnnnnnnnn  your kneeeeeeeeeeeees" darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!