Merry Christmas Everybody!!
I'd like to take a few minutes of your time today to introduce you to a special song and a special person; both have made my life and soul better and more rich.
Below is a YouTube link to my favorite version of "O Holy Night" as performed by The King's Singers with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir last Christmas. What this song does to me, words cannot duly say, but suffice it to say I feel like my heart is expanding and glowing as brightly as the New Star surely did at Our Savior's birth. By minute 4:50 my tears flow unceasingly through to the beautiful end. Someday, after all this Life is over and we're all up in Heaven, I am going to hunt down Adolphe C. Adams(music), Placido Cappeau (text), and Mack Wilberg (this amazing arrangement) and just hug them and tell them ,"Thank you so much for what your talents brought and meant to my life. Thank you for enriching my existence and reminding me of what it meant to have a true and actual Savior be born to us on the Earth. Your music and words made it real to me, and helped my testimony and my actions to be more True."
I love this music so much that I even listen to it when it's not Christmas time. If ever I am feeling low, this is now the song I turn to in my hour of need. Something about me already being on my knees in prayer strikes a particular chord within me as I hear the words
"Fall on your knees,
O hear the angel voices.
O night divine!
O night when Christ was born..."
And there really were angel voices to be heard that night so long ago. We are told in the Bible that heavenly concourses of angels sang at Jesus' birth. I had the opportunity and blessing to know one of the women who made up those concourses. Her name was Carol Lisa Jensen. Carol more than any other person in my life taught me the truest meanings of Christmas. Everyone who knew her knew how she felt about Christmas. She made it a point to make sure they did through her decorations, music, gift giving and candy making alone. I used to think she just did it because it was fun and she could. But I found out just what it meant to her one night when she pulled me aside to share her patriarchal blessing with me. I was preparing to receive my own blessing soon, and Carol felt prompted to share hers with me as she and I had been blessed to share a special mother/daughter bond with each other. I remember the feeling of honor I felt to have her share her blessing with me, and as I read I realized with wondering awe just who's presence I shared. You see, Carol really was a Christmas Angel. Her patriarchal blessing specifically spoke of her being present to sing at the Savior's birth. She was there and her Life thereafter continued to echo her special witness to His birth in all she did.
My angelic Carol has since passed away, and I am tempted to say the World is poorer for it, but that would be a lie, as she left it far, far better than she had found it. My tribute to Carol this Christmas Season is this song. I haven't forgotten you, Carol, and the Music we both love still finds my heart with you each Christmas. I still "hear your angel voice" in this song.
Please take a moment and listen to this beautiful music.
I know it's a video clip, but try just listening for the full effect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcC2LUIdLKs
(Apologies if you have to cut and paste this link to get it to work.
I am still not used to this Mac computer...)
Love,
Autumn
5 comments:
That story about Carol is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. What an amazing thing to know about yourself. I would think that would give you such confidence and peace. Wow!!
As for the King's Singers. A personal favorite. I love those men so much. Jocelyn and I got to see them a little over a year ago. We were on the front row. We both cried when they sang "Blackbird" by the Beatles. Afterwords we got to chat with two of them (the lead singer on your clip, and the little dude). They were so charming, and both mentioned seeing our emotion during "Blackbird". Such an amazing experience.
Thanks so much for sharing this youtube clip. I'm on my 3rd time watching it!
Lovin' you, lots and lots!
I have this cd! I do love it!! I can very easily see why this is something you turn to for comfort and peace. It is perfect.
I remember so well how beautifully decorated the Jensen's house was every year. If I remember right, you used to start decorating with her around Halloween time? Even though I didn't know Sister Jensen very well it was very obvious to me that Christmas was very important and special to her. Thank you for sharing her sweet story.
That's beautiful! I remember going to the Jensen's house one Christmas and just being in awe. She truly was A Christmas Carol! What great memories you have with her to cherish. It's so great when music can lift us up through down times!
I hope Bernie has a chance to see this post. Do you know if he's finished writing his "near death experience?" That's something I'd really like to read too.
I haven't yet succeeded in getting this thing to play, but I'll keep trying. I was always grateful to Carol for filling the empty "daughter" spot in her heart with my little girl. It's nice to know she can be with that little lost baby now.
I think everyone should have a "go to" piece of music for various occasions. The one you cite is perfect for Christmas and for testimony building. If you really need to cry in a way that will cleanse your heart, Jules Massenet's "Elegy" is just the ticket. Several pieces come to mind for getting a feeling of grandiosity when you feel flat inside and need to be pumped up. Gus Holst's offers "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" for that usage. Tchaikovsky wrote several piece of that ilk, including the Walt of the Flowers in the Nutcracker and the very obvious 1812 Overture. Stravinsky's Firebird ballet suite, last part, with its almost reverent repetitiveness and constant crescendo to something like FFFF is another tear jerker if you're in just the right mood. And Modest Mussorgsky's "Great Gate at Kiev" never fails to move me. It's funny how many pieces of Christmas music move me more now than when I was a kid. I'm sure I don't have a true favorite, but if I were backed up to a wall with a revolver in my ear, I might have to say that O Come, O Come, Emanuel gets to me the most. Of course, several Christmas Eves ago, I was thrilled beyond measure to hear my daughter sing "In the Bleak Midwinter" a cappella.
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