On the HGP (I wish I could footnote here. That is the “Holiday Grand Plan,” an online holiday preparation thing that started in late August. If you obediently do all that it tells you to do, then you are ready for all the holidays without stress or strain.), December 10th is the deadline for “adults only” Christmas crafts. That is, you can still make cookies with the kids or do any family gift-making for the grandparents or whatever, but the individual crafting is to be finished. I extended it by one day, since I had the 11th off, and was able to complete the final hat for the DNA scarf trilogy, and the trendy things I am making to surprise #2 daughter. I also got the boys to their haircuts, completed the pre-Christmas grocery shopping, and mailed the box of presents to #1 daughter and son-in-law. I will still have to get to the grocery once more for perishables, and my boys have grown more and so must have new pants (do you imagine I would go to Old Navy during a December weekend? Hah!), but otherwise, I do not intend to set foot in a store till January. Except the one I work in, of course.

I am decorating gradually. Yesterday, in the spirit of completing all my individual holiday crafting, I made pillowcases from Christmas flannel. I also made some potpourri. I sent some to #1 daughter and put the rest in my bedroom, along with the pillowcases, and that is about all I intend to do for that room. If you should want to make holiday pillowcases, buy a yard of flannel, look closely at an existing pillowcase to make sure you are folding in the right direction, fold it in two, and sew it up. Hem the edge.

Potpourri is easy, too, but more time-consuming. First you need botanicals – that is, plant material. I grow and dry them myself, but you can buy stuff, too. I based mine on Marie Browning’s Three Kings Potpourri. I used rose petals, cedar tips, and some whole spices (juniper berries, cloves, and cinnamon sticks) from the health food store. I put in a bit of copper mica powder for sparkle.

You also need scent oils. You can buy ready-mixed scents if you like (my all-time favorite for Christmas is Noel from Crabtree and Evelyn), but it is fun to mix them. Master perfumers mix up to a thousand different scents, but if you’re just trying it out for fun like me, you can do it with three.

Fragrances are like chords: you have to have top, middle, and bottom notes. The bass notes are wood and animal (musk, ambergris, etc) scents. The middle notes are fruits and spices. The top notes are flowers and grasses. As a rule of thumb, you want a 1-2-3 ratio. One drop of sandalwood, two drops of ginger, three drops of jasmine.

For my Christmas potpourri, I used oakmoss for the bass note. I added frankincense for the baritones, shall we say, and myrrh for the tenor. Cinnamon oil for the alto. Rose for the soprano. It’s very pretty and not too sweet. If you wanted something sweeter, you could let rose be the mezzo and add clover or honey for a first soprano note.

I’ve had one more concert added in, on the 20th, which makes for a little burst of music right after #2 daughter gets home (Messiah is on the 19th). However, with presents and food under control, and having gotten down to the minor details in the matter of decorating, I am ready to enjoy the season peacefully. In recognition of which, today’s song is a nice little bit of Gregorian chant, “Creator of the Stars of Night.”

It was translated from Latin by Neale in the 1800s, but you could certainly sing it in Latin if you prefer. More than one tune is frequently used for this text, but this 7th century chant is my favorite. It is a good Advent hymn, though admittedly not exactly catchy. I don’t think the 7th century produced a lot of catchy music.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/r/crestars.htm

I must admit that it is a relief to be finished with hurried knitting. I like to be contemplative and not rushed about my knitting. I have begun a Fair Isle project — not a cardigan, I will save that for the yarn Santa might be bringing to me , but a sort of warm-up project. Here it is, just past the ribbing, impersonating a Christmas wreath. I’m using a bunch of heather and variegated Wool-Ease I bought on sale in the fall, and Elsebeth Lavold’s “Siv” for the shape of the sweater. I’ve already made it in Wool-Ease once and know that I will like it. I am using Alice Starmore’s “Donegal” for the pattern chart. I am using 2s for the ribbing and 5s thereafter. Since I have several sets of 5s, I may do the front patterned but the back plain, so that I will have some simple relaxing stockinette to do when the fussy, fiddly Fair Isle seems unappealing.

We have put up our Christmas tree. I have some decorating advice for those who are preparing to do this. I learned this from a television show, but I do it every year and it works. Here it is: hang shiny glass balls on the inside of the tree. They will not be noticeable as ornaments, but will reflect the light and make your tree look far more glittery and wonderful than it otherwise would. Just put plenty of them right around the trunk all the way up.

We have ornaments made of paper, cloth, beeswax, clay, wood, porcelain, metal, papier mache, and even plastic. We like to put them up and remember — this was made by the director of Ice Wolf the year #2 son had the lead. This was from choir camp at Montreat. This was made for us by a beloved baby-sitter. This was given to us by Grandma.

My husband thinks putting a tree in the house is absolutely insane, and after years of strife on the subject I gave in and we use an artificial tree. The first year that we were married, I took some of his nieces and nephews to get the tree. They had been living in Texas for a couple of years, and told me that they had had Christmas trees before, in their classrooms at school. As it turned out, those were paper trees on the wall. When we bought a real tree and put it first into our car and then into our house, they were astounded.  They had never encountered anything so amazing and bizarre. I was probably their crazy aunt. Their crazy American aunt. They have all grown up into splendid young men and women by now, but I often think of that day when Christmas is near.

The Christmas tree is a German custom. Some say that Martin Luther introduced the custom, but this is not a plausible story. The tradition is older than Christmas, and the church sensibly co-opted it for Christmas celebrations because — well, hey, who would join a church if they had to give up decorating trees to do it? When Prince Albert introduced a Christmas tree to Queen Victoria in 1840, the idea became fashionable in England and then in the United States.

In the town where I live, the first Christmas tree was put up in 1869 (if I remember correctly) by a German immigrant. A clever toymaker who also had some good ideas about marketing, he charged people a dime to come see his tree, and then gave them a toy as a gift.

In honor of this, I want to offer you another you another German hymn. Of course, you already know ”O Tannenbaum” and “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger,” and perhaps “O Come Little Children.” From these beloved tunes, you could easily get the impression that German carols are, well, dull.

By no means. Here is “Comfort, Comfort Ye, My People,” a fine Advent hymn by Johannes Olearius: 

http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/c/c358.html

Most of us like to sing this, nowadays, in a very jazzy, syncopated style. The text features the beautiful words from Isaiah, and in all it has a very modern sound.  However, it was actually published in 1671 in one of the most important early German hymnals. Catherine Winkworth translated it into English in the 19th century. While it is possible to find the earlier, less jazzy form of the tune, I don’t intend to help you do that, because it is much cooler this way. Steel drums are of course the perfect accompaniment. Dancing optional.

What a charming movie! It has a whole series of happy endings. I kept feeling that it was making fun of Americans, in a British way that I didn’t quite get. Even so, I enjoyed the movie. And got a bit of the Paris-Match beret done. Here it is, nearly ready for decreases:

Both the Yarn Harlot (http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/) and LikeWowMom (http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?user=LikeWowMom&tab=weblogs&uid=168600314&nextdate=last ) made lists of 100 things about themselves this week. I know that people have been doing this all over the knitting blogs for ages, but the difference for me is that I read these two lists instead of skipping them as I have all the others I’ve seen.

As I understand the rules of this game, you are to think up 100 things which meet the following criteria: 1) your readers do not already know them, 2) you are willing for readers to know them, and 3) they might be interesting to said readers. I know for a fact that I do not have 100 pieces of data that will fit these criteria.

However, I did challenge myself to come up with ten. Here they are.

1. I have an MA in Linguistics. Most people do not know what linguistics is. No one has ever studied what effect this has on the psyches of linguists.

2. I used to be an academic, before I gave it up to be a mom. I have never regretted doing so.

3. Another thing I gave up as I added to my collection of kids was ballet. I regret doing that. I thought it would be easy to go back, but it never happened. I do the NYC ballet workout video at home sometimes, and maybe someday I will join an old ladies’ ballet class.

4. I secretly enjoy statistical analysis.

5. I am so easily bored, and hate repetition so much, that doing repetitive things causes me actual physical pain as the tension and misery settle into my back and shoulders. Knitting does not count as repetitive. I do some repetitive things at work, but very few, because the Empress knows I cannot tolerate it, and does not want my death on her hands.

6. When I must do repetitive things, I will do almost anything to introduce some variety into it. In this I am like laboratory animals.

7. I like to spend time with my family more than any other people. After my family, I like time alone. After that come actual friends. The fact that I almost never have time alone doubtless skews this.

8. Although I was a somewhat wild girl in my salad days, when I look back on that time of my life, I can see that the intellectual challenges I encountered were more exciting than the things I recognized as adventures at the time. I wish I had realized this then.

9. Although I am interested in a whole lot of things, there are also plenty of subjects in which I have absolutely no interest. The entire continent of South America, for example, and cars. Team sports. Mental illness. Accounting. I used to feel bad about this.

10.Many years ago, Olga Mirasov said to me, “You look tired. Go put on some lipstick.” Ever since, I have considered lipstick a sort of medicine. I may not brush my hair or pay any attention to my clothes, but I remember to put on lipstick.Especially when I am tired.

Today, enjoy the light-hearted Christmas carol, “Ding, Dong, Merrily on High.” Here is a link to words and midi:

http://xmascarolsonthenet.tripod.com/x-dingdong.htm

I must admit that this another Renaissance-era French tune, but I feel sure that you will like it. The tune was for a secular dance (that’s what the word “carol” originally meant), popular with the lower classes and with the upper classes when they were dressed up and pretending to be peasants (a habit which led to bloodshed. Be warned). The Penguin Book of Carols says that the words were written in Olde English style by George Ratcliffe Woodward in the 20th century. They also suggest that the words are unimportant, but that the tenors and basses singing this have to watch their entrances and keep them swinging.

It is a good one to sing with children, especially if your tenors and basses cannot be relied upon to keep ‘em swinging. Cyndi Lauper and Charlotte Church have both recorded it, giving you a nice contrast in choices if you want to listen to it. But it is huge fun to sing, and rather silly, with the “I-O-I-O-I-O” section and the glorias which seem likely to go on and on until people fall down. It is therefore good for parties, cookie-baking, and suchlike amusements. Or singing in the car during traffic jams to keep your spirits up.

With the encouragement of Chanthaboune and Mayflower, I am going to buy some yarn for a Christmas present for myself. How self-indulgent is that?

I am planning to order a bunch of different colors of the Elann Highland wool everyone has been talking about, for the Fair Isle cardi that I have been thinking about for months. As I have contemplated it, I have been thinking that I would use many shades of rose, green, and cream. I guess my garden looked like that at the time I started thinking about it, many many cables ago. But #2 daughter suggests blue instead. And it is true that Elann’s blue names — Jacaranda, Lotus Blossom, Wisteria — are better than the corresponding Victorian Rose, Dusty Rose, Antique Rose. So as soon as I make up my mind, assuming that there is still some yarn left by then, I will order some. And at that point, I will actually have a stash — that is, I will own more than just the yarn that I need for the next project. How wild and undisciplined can I get?

Today’s Christmas song is “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” It is of course way too early to sing that if you are observing Advent, but I could not resist it after reading this installment of “Failing at Life,” a column in the SF paper:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/12/03/DDG5JA4QLF1.DTL

I do not read “Failing at Life” regularly, but my attention was caught by this one because it is about emotional reactions to Christmas carols. Now, many of us cry at Christmas carols. In fact, my choir director has kindly scheduled “In the Bleak Midwinter” in a spot where I can recover from hearing #2 daughter sing it before I have to sing anything myself. And, as a musician, I will admit that I like to see a little happy sniffling in the audience. But Ms.Gonick doesn’t merely tear up a little over touching words or a lovely tune. Here is Ms. Gonick’s view of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”:

“The most heart-shredding carol, the one I voted “most likely to get me thrown out of a concert hall and onto a psych ward,” was: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”

…”Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.”

Now, I fully realize I’m a hypersensitive psycho, but I still say anyone who can hear those 10 words sung by a choir and not fall to her knees in ancient and abject despair simply isn’t paying attention. The final four are the worst.

God and sinners reconciled?

Sinners and sinners reconciled?

Anyone reconciled with anyone ever? On this earth not of mild mercy, but of ever more irreconcilable differences, not to mention global warming?”

Well, obviously the words are more cheering to people of faith. However, I would say that this song — with words by the dour Wesley and music by the remarkable Mendelssohn — is one of the most joyful songs ever. Mendelssohn, as you probably know, was Jewish, and actually wrote the music in a cantata to celebrate Gutenberg, but it fits Wesley’s words of joy perfectly.

I know that it is an established fact that the sight and sound of cheerful people at Christmastime depresses some people horribly. If the sight and sound of people being miserable cheers you up, check out Ms. Gonick’s witty discourse. Then sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” feeling free to cry as you do so.

Here you will find the words and midi, plus the history of the song:

http://www.carols.org.uk/hark_the_hera1d_angels_sing.htm

Here is a link to print out scores for many instruments including sax and viola:

http://www.mfiles.co.uk/Scores/hark-the-herald-angels-sing.htm

If you come up with a group that intends to do this carol with both sax and viola, please invite me.

I have finished the third DNA scarf, but there is still time in the DNA-along (and a few days before I have to mail the gifts) so I am working on a seed-stitch beret to go with it. I am trying to knit fast, which I never normally try to do. In general, it seems as though fast knitting just means you have to buy more yarn sooner. But here I am knitting on a deadline. So I am doing less reading while I knit, trying hard not to make errors that will require frogging — and, well, that is about it. Mayflower (http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=mayflwr) is one of those turbo-knitters, but I haven’t figured out any ways to knit faster. I just have to try to find more knitting time. And so far, the only method I have come up with for that is sleeping less. This morning, I knitted for a solid hour and only did one inch. At this rate, and assuming I do not miss any rehearsals, I will not be able to sleep at all this week.

It has come to my attention that all the songs I have offered you thus far are American, English, Welsh, or French — that is, from my own ethnic heritage. This has not been intentional. Still, I want to correct that by offering for today the excellent German Advent hymn, “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.” I am linking you to the English, but the site does include a link to the original language, as well as to the score:

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/h/lhowrose.htm

I am giving you the English because, while I often sing in German myself, I never really like it as well. For those of us who don’t speak German, it is hard to sing words like “entshprungen” and “blieb” to a sweet and lyrical tune like this without feeling silly. The solution to this problem is of course to learn German. In the meantime, however, why not sing it in English? The translation, by Theodore Baker, is good English poetry, though of course it may miss nuances that I, not knowing German, am unaware of.

The tune is medieval, with the famous rich harmony added by the great Michael Praetorius in 1609. Robert Shaw has arranged it, and I always like his stuff, but in this case it is gilding the lily. Most recordings of this song are as choral works with other traditional carols, but Linda Ronstadt has it on her Christmas album. It sounds to me like a soprano imitiation, so I wouldn’t buy the album for that, but it’s a nice CD in general.

This is a well-known song in America. You can probably easily gather up a quartet to sing it in SATB parts. So go caroling! Stroll around the cafeteria, the dormitory, the factory floor, the street even! Cheer up all the people who are going mad with exams, shopping, budgeting, negotiations with family, and all that stuff. Or sit on your porch and play it on your dulcimer. Sing it in the car, even if it embarrasses your children. You’ll feel better.

I have finished the third and last DNA scarf. Here it is:

Our shoppers have moved into Stage 2 of the shopping experience. Stage 1 is happily puttering around, thinking of how much their child or grandchild will enjoy this game or that doll, laughing at the Jack-in-the-Box and having nostalgic moments over the books. They buy their toys and head off cheerily to wrap them.

In Stage 2, they scurry through the toys, fretting over whether little Amos already has that train or whether this is the right set of blocks, the one that Zoe put on her list. They make lots of frantic cell phone calls. They are stressed and worried. They are upset that the children they are buying for already have too much stuff and unhappy that we don’t have the item we had last Christmas and which they had intended to buy this Christmas. They throw little temper fits over things being sold out, and stare at us mulishly when we tell them that we do not stock an item.

If you have to buy presents, please do it soon. Because, before you know it, shoppers will enter Stage 3. In this stage, they are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, cannot BELIEVE that we do not carry Brain Surgeon Barbie, and no longer like any of the people they are shopping for.

LikeWowMom has reminded me of this traditional carol, “Down in Yon Forest”:

http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/down_in_yon_forest.htm

I knew this as “The Bells of Paradise,” but I have not heard it or sung it or even thought about it for years, so I am very grateful to my fellow xanga-ite for her reminder. It has a charming, dance-like Medieval tune. Nice for a capella singing, or bring out the sackbut and rebeque you save for just such occasions.

This song will carry you away from modern materialistic attitudes into a medieval fantasy apparently written by people whose understanding of the Christian gospels was vague. In those days, of course, neither the Bible nor preaching was available in the people’s native languages, so it is hardly surprising that songs should mix Christian images with folkloric ones. Bruce Cockburn nominates this for the “spookiest Christmas carol of all time”.  However, he probably has not heard the one about the butcher and the sausages.

Since it is the feast of St. Nicholas today, you will want to sing a song about St. Nicholas. Here is “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” a 19th century song which is very cute when sung by children:

http://www.night.net/christmas/jolly-old.html

Or perhaps you would prefer “Le legend de St-Nicolas,” a song which my mother used to sing to us children:

http://www.jecris.com/TXT/ZIK/st-nicho.html

It has a much better tune. On the other hand, it also has a particularly dreadful story. Three little children are made into sausages by a peculiar butcher. Seven years later, St. Nicholas happens by and revives them, rather than eating them for dinner, as he was about to do. Since it is in French, the non-French speakers among us can ignore the story entirely. True, the tune is in a minor key, but so many fine carols are. Perhaps no-one will notice.

The Gibbons went well, and I have only one more repeat to finish on the DNA scarf. With concentration, brief blogging, and further ignoring of the housework, I will complete this scarf today.

Yesterday I had a movie and knitting marathon. LikeWowMom had said that The Santa Clause 2 had lots of good knitting in it, so I rented it, and indeed it does. And, yes, the presence of good knitting is a sensible reason to watch a movie, just as much as the presence of good scenery or attractive people. I also watched two other movies, and completed the ribbing section of the DNA scarf. Along Came Polly has an okay scarf or two, but The Santa Clause 2 has nice sweaters and many great hats. They should do a companion knitting book.

Today I sing “This is the Record of John” by Orlando Gibbons, perhaps the top English choral composer of the Baroque period. If you are a fan of choral music at all, you probably know his “Increase My Faith.” He was born in 1583 and lived until 1625, and many music historians consider that he was responsible for bringing England to the eminence it enjoyed in music at that time. He was an organist, and a court musician to Charles I. “This is the Record of John” is a setting of John 1:19, the story of John the Baptist’s foretelling of the coming of Christ — that’s the Advent connection.

Here is a link to a midi file:

http://www.laurasmidiheaven.com/cgi-bin/midi-display2a-new.cgi?id=000000000628&r=yes&rtv=&t=This%20Is%20The%20Record%20Of%20John

And here is the sheet music:

http://wso.williams.edu/cpdl/sheet/gib-john.pdf

Okay. I do not expect you to sing this at home with five of your best friends (who conveniently cover all the parts) and a string quartet. If you have this in your repertoire already, or have a recording (King’s College did a nice one), then please enjoy it.

If not, here is an alternative: “Run, Run Rudolph” AKA “Run, Rudolph, Run”: http://betty.hypermax.net.au/runrunrudolph.htm

This song was briefly featured in Santa Clause 2, and it is a good one, lots of fun to sing. Chuck Berry was the first to record it in 1958 (yes, it is another from the great Christmas song renaissance) and is sometimes credited with composing the music. Johnny Marks (the same guy who wrote “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”) and Marvin Brodie wrote the words, and are usually credited with the music as well, though they and Berry may just have adapted “Johnnie B. Goode” for the tune. Jimmy Buffet recorded it, as did Bryan Adams, Hanson, and Lynyrd Skynyrd — and probably lots of other people, too.

This afternoon I will get back to the DNA scarf, steadfastly ignoring all housework. I have no more solos for the year. This is the first year in a decade that I have not had a Messiah solo, and the first in many years that I haven’t had something for Christmas Eve, so I will have more free time — or I should say more knitting time.

The concert went well. The acoustics in that building are splendid. We sang the Vivaldi Gloria and a variety of Christmas songs in arty arrangements. My favorite of the group was “Quelle est cette odeur agreeable,” which you can find here:

http://www.hymnsandcarohttp://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/NonEnglish/quelle_est_cette_odeur_agreable.htm lsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/NonEnglish/quelle_est_cette_odeur_agreable.htm

This is a beautiful tune, and it also has an intriguing set of lyrics. The Penguin Book of Carols says that they will not “insult” us by offering a translation from the French, but I am giving you a link to the French not because I assume that everyone understands French, but because the translations are not good. In the original French, we have a shepherd calling out to his fellow shepherds about an unidentified fragrance that ravishes their senses, a scent beyond the sweetness of all the springtime flowers. Further remarkable sensory experiences occur before they catch on that they are being visited by angels. The translations just don’t say that.

I like it that the song considers what angels would smell like, because I never thought of that myself. There you are on the hillside tending your flock, surrounded I suppose by the scent of sheep and unwashed men, and suddenly there is the smell of angels. Is that not an image to be reckoned with?

Midi files do not give you the same experience as performances, but I hope it will allow you to learn the tune. You can then sing it with your family around the dinner table, or while you drive around, or perhaps with your copains in the dorm. Or bring out your violin and play it for yourself. Or your banjo, for that matter. This is a good tune, and no matter how you approach it, it is going to stay beautiful.

Perhaps you cannot sing in French. You could sing it in translation, of course. However, you might then want to sing it in the form of the drinking song “Fill Every Glass” from John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera. You can hear that sung at this site: http://www.peopleplayuk.org.uk/guided_tours/musicals_tour/first_musicals/default.php

It will also tell you something about John Gay and The Beggar’s Opera, both very interesting topics for those who find music history interesting. I read about John Gay today in a children’s book called Handel, Who Knew What He Liked, which I can recommend to you highly. “Fill every glass, for wine inspires us,” this set of words for this tune exhorts us. Certainly a different subject matter, but still an excellent tune. You know which will best suit the particular plans you have made for this weekend.

I intend to knit this weekend. I skipped the after party last night and came home and knitted, and when I am through here I will clean house, grocery shop, and knit some more. In this way I hope to finish my Christmas knitting in time.

Here is the DNA scarf. Not only are scarves dull to photograph as they progress, but since this is the third DNA scarf I have made this season, and the second cream-colored one, it is especially dull to show pictures of this scarf. On the other hand, I always like to see what other people are knitting, so you might want to see this, too.

After I posted below about my search for a really good recent carol to offer you today, fellow xanga-ite LikeWowMom suggested “Gabriel’s Message” by Sting. This was the song of the day on Monday, and (as those who read my blog every day and have total recall will know) has 19th century words and a much older tune.

I had also suggested John Rutter’s “What Sweeter Music” as an example of a fine new carol. It has been pointed out to me that this song is actually a poem by Elizabethan poet Robert Herrick, set by the great Ralph Vaughan-Williams to a German tune from the same time period . Rutter just arranged it, as he has so ably done with so many other old yuletide songs.

If anyone has discovered an ancient pedigree for “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” please let us know right away.