Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas PDF Download

Author: Ace Collins
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310873878
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 188

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Book Description
Behind the Christmas songs we love to sing lie fascinating stories that will enrich your holiday celebration. Taking you inside the nativity of over thirty favorite songs and carols, Ace Collins introduces you to people you’ve never met, stories you’ve never heard, and meanings you’d never have imagined. The next time you and your family sing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," you’ll have a new understanding of its message and popular roots. You’ll discover how "Angels from the Realms of Glory," with its sublime lyrics and profound theology, helped usher in a quiet revolution in worship. You’ll learn the strange history of the haunting and powerful "O Holy Night," including the song’s surprising place in the history of modern communications. And you’ll step inside the life of Mark Lowry and find out how he came to pen the words to the contemporary classic "Mary, Did You Know?"Still other songs such as "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" trace back to mysterious origins--to ninth-century monks, nameless clergy, and unknown commoners of ages past. Joining hands with such modern favorites as "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song," they are part of the legacy of inspiration, faith, tears, love, and spiritual joy that is Christmas. From the rollicking appeal of "Jingle Bells" to the tranquil beauty of "Silent Night," the great songs of Christmas contain messages of peace, hope, and truth. Each in its own way expresses a facet of God’s heart and celebrates the birth of his greatest gift to the world--Jesus, the most wonderful Christmas Song of all.

Author: Tommy Pierce
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781581737349
Category : Carols
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description

Author: Ronald M. Clancy
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: 9781402758119
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description
Take a musical journey in time--from the dawn of the Church's liturgical song through the Baroque's great choral and instrumental works to representative pieces of the 20th century. This is the sacred tradition of Christmas music, explored here in a stunningly illustrated book and a magnificent CD. It covers vocal and instrumental pieces from a variety of national and historical periods and styles, all of which have earned a place in the canon of great musical masterpieces. Not only will musicians and non-musicians alike find this an easily accessible guide, but they'll feast on a sumptuous gallery of thematically and historically corresponding full-color art (including a 14th century manuscript illumination and a nativity scene by Fra Angelico), and revel in some of the best recordings of the music ever made. There's rich, interesting background on every work, from Latin hymns and liturgical chants to Bach's cantatas to contemporary carols. The CD includes the Vienna Boys' Choir performing "Anima Nostra"; Arcangelo Corelli's "Christmas Concerto"; The Trappist Monks of the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani singing Gregorian Chants; excerpts from Handel's "Messiah"; and the beloved "Silent Night." No other collection brings together all these elements in such an aesthetically pleasing and educational way.

Author: Renee Pierce
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781602612686
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description
When the season rolls around and the carolers sing out, how often do we actually know the story behind the song? Songs of Christmas provides fascinating and sometimes surprising enlightenment for every reader who cherishes our most beloved holiday hymns and carols. From Silent Night to Jingle Bells, Joy to the World to Sleigh Ride, the Christmas songs detailed here will delight readers everywhere with their amazing origins and varied creators. A holiday classic for every family library.

Author: Peter H. Reynolds
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 076367981X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 41

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Book Description
When young Roland is disappointed by seeing a tiny gift on Christmas morning, he learns that some gifts can't and shouldn't be defined by their physical size.

Author: Andrew Gant
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 0718031539
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
From Andrew Gant, Oxford professor and renowned British composer, The Carols of Christmas is a joyous account of the history behind our favorite carols--from Advent through Epiphany. Everyone loves a carol--in the end, even Ebenezer Scrooge had a soft spot for them! They have the power to evoke a special type of mid-winter joy, like the aroma of gingerbread or the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a kind of magic. But how did they get that magic? Gant--a choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writer--tells the story of twenty carols, each accompanied by lyrics and music, unraveling a captivating, and often surprising, tale of great musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherds and choirboys. Along the way, Gant answers some of the biggest questions he's received about these beloved carols over the years, including: How did the most beloved carols come to be? Why do we sing the versions of carols that we do? How did these carols stand the test of time? Readers get to delve into the history of favorites like "Good King Wenceslas," "Away in a Manger," and "O, Tannenbaum," discovering along the way how "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" came to replace "Hark, how all the welkin' ring" and how Ralph Vaughan Williams applied the tune of an English folk song about a dead ox to a poem by a nineteenth-century American pilgrim to make "O Little Town of Bethlehem." A charming book that brims with anecdote, expert knowledge, and Christmas spirit, The Carols of Christmas is a fittingly joyous account of one of the best-loved musical traditions.

Author: Albert J. Menendez
Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing
ISBN: 9781581820461
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Exploring the origins of 50 American Christmas songs from the Civil War to present day, the husband-and-wife writing team presents a treasury of stories to celebrate the season's heartfelt cheer. Two-color art.

Author: Ace Collins
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN: 1458724573
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
You know these songs by heart. They're the ''greatest hits'' of Christmas. But do you know the fascinating, inspirational stories behind them - who wrote them and how they came to be? In his latest book, Ace Collins reveals the stories behind the greatest hits of Christmas - all the songs you have enjoyed for generations. For example, as the story goes, jazz great Mel Torme wrote ''The Christmas Song'' after visiting a friend in California, who, longing to escape California's heat for the cold winters of his New England, doodled these now-famous phrases on his spiral pad: ''Chestnuts roasting Jack Frost nipping Yuletide carols '' Torme saw those words and one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time, first recorded by Nat King Cole, was born. Within these pages, you'll discover the origins of such famous Christmas songs as ''Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, '' ''Winter Wonderland, '' ''White Christmas, '' ''Little Drummer Boy, '' ''Feliz Navidad, '' ''O Holy Night, '' and two dozen others. Although not yet as famous as the Christmas songs of which he writes (he's working on that), Collins's many books have sold tens of thousands of copies and have become treasured family classics, read and enjoyed by young and old alike. His new book is a treasure-trove of the kind of magic that makes Christmas the beloved holiday it is. This is Ace Collins at his storytelling best which means it's sure to become a ''greatest hit'' with your family

Author: Ace Collins
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310863074
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
Ace Collins has dug deep to uncover the true stories behind your favorite Christmas songs. Explore how these songs came into being, and discover a deeper appreciation for these melodic messages of peace, hope, and joy that celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Author: Annie Zaleski
Publisher: Running Press Adult
ISBN: 0762482737
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
Celebrate the merriest season of the year with award-winning author and music journalist Annie Zaleski's collection of the 100 most popular and beloved holiday songs of all time. 'Tis the season! Break out the eggnog, hang the mistletoe, blast those Christmas songs, and settle down in your favorite armchair with this beautifully illustrated volume exploring well-known and lesser-known behind-the-scenes stories of the 100 most cherished holiday songs of all time and their everlasting impact. From artists such as Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald all the way up to Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande, this all-encompassing collection of holiday favorites (called one of "the 25 best Christmas books of all time" by Book Riot) is sure to warm your heart during the merriest season of the year. What song was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling single of all time? Which popular Christmas tune was reportedly written to commemorate Thanksgiving? What holiday song led to a special meet-and-greet between the song's 10-year-old singer and a 700-pound hippopotamus? Spanning musical genres and decades of classics and modern hits, some of the featured songs include: “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey "Deck the Halls" by Mannheim Steamroller “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift “Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" by The Beatles “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Gene Autry "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" by Gwen Stefani “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” by NSYNC “Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry And many more! Including full-color illustrations throughout, this gorgeously packaged compendium is the perfect gift for you and your loved ones to experience the holiday magic year after year.