[Intro][Opening Beach Boys Christmas] Ho, ho, ho, and welcome back to Music Ghost Stories. I'm Donnie, your festive host, and today, we're diving into the enchanting history of Christmas music. Before we dive in, let's catch up a little bit. I've been spending my time at my new job, being a dad. Fatherhood has been incredibly rewarding. I find myself singing goofy songs to my baby all day. My wife loves remotely checking in to the monitor cameras that we have for her daily entertainment of what she calls“the Donald and Donald show. I find that I sing to Baby Donnie from my subconscious quite often. It might be a song from his singing toy, a regular song with a twist on the lyrics, or something completely original that comes from what seems like nowhere. Well, something really odd came about from this normalized pattern. I developed. I started to hum a melody from the year 1582. That's 1 5 8 2. A melody that shares the tales of the good king Wenceslas, a charitable bohemian king, who later became a saint. This isn't a common melody that I hear often. I really never knew this song until Reliant K came out with like a parody on their Christmas album. But of course, for some strange reason, it popped into my soul and it was uttered from the lungs in a playful tone. My wife came home from work. I'm in the other room. She's in the kitchen, running the sink, and I hear her doing this little da da da da da da da da da da da da da da. And I'm like, Emily, why are you singing that? And she goes, I don't know. Weird. ANd I was like, yes, it is weird, because I was singing that before you got home. So This sort of strange thing occurs quite often. Have you experienced it? Let me know. This is a good time to chime in and say, join our Facebook group. there'll be a link in the description. Go in there and share stories like, this. it's weird. It's a mystery. We're unraveling it. So in the spirit of Christmas, let's travel together. Let's jingle all the way? back through time and learn a bit more about the music that surrounds this time of year.[Transition Jingle Bells and Wind] Christmas music. A delightful soundtrack that transforms the holiday season into a musical celebration. But have you ever wondered how this tradition began? Let's unwrap the story. The word carol is derived from an old French word referring to a round of dancers, singing and holding hands. Our journey begins in the third In Europe, where the concept of caroling took root, carolers, often wandering minstrels or community members, sang festive songs to celebrate various occasions, both sacred and secular. These early carols were a lively mix of music and storytelling.**Music Historian(Voiceover):**[Background Music] As the centuries rolled on, Christmas carols evolved. In the Renaissance, watchmen, called waits, patrolled during the night, using a musical instrument to serve various duties, such as like marking the hours. of time, and etc. Well, these outdoor performances brought music into the heart of the communities. Fast forward to the 19th century, and we encounter the creation of some timeless classics."Silent Night. Written in 1818 in Austria, quickly spread across the globe. Its simplicity and emotional resonance made it an instant favorite. Even a century prior, in 1744, we have Oh, come all ye faithful. How crazy is it that we all collectively still know this song? It's a bit fascinating how long a note can sustain throughout time. With the advent of recording technology in the early 20th century, Christmas music found a new home on vinyl. records. Culture and human experience combined with technology are big players in how music resonates with us so deeply. Seventeen days after Pearl Harbor, Bing Crosby made the first live radio performance of a new song called“White Christmas. A song of hope, a yearning for peace. If there's something about Christmas music from the 1940s that resonates with you, this could be why. The recordings are a documentation of that deep gut feeling from that era. CHANGE SCENE Let's feed you, Don. There he is. There you go, buddy boy. While Christmas held a special light to many, some saw a different opportunity. Montgomery Ward used to give out books to encourage shoppers to visit their store. Well, they released a book in 1939 about a reindeer with a very shiny nose. You might find this book used on eBay. Right now it's about 400 bucks. The mid 20th century saw the emergence of upbeat, rock and roll inspired Christmas hits. Songs like"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree,"Jingle Bell Rock, and Lively Tempo. You know? Parties, gatherings, sales, shopping. Christmas started to change. What do you think about that, Don? What do you think about Christmas music changing? Yeah? Did you like it? You like the new music? It's upbeat. We can sing and dance together. Uh huh. I think the people agree with you, Don. I think you bring up a good point. It's different. Not for better or worse, but times changed. Right? In our contemporary era, Christmas music has become a bit of repetition. It seems to play commercially as early as possible to start Christmas as soon as possible.[Change tone] But let's dive back into the magic that Christmas music can really bring. Nostalgia. Yeah, that's right. Uh huh. That's right, nostalgia. As we listen to familiar tunes from our childhood, there's a unique warmth that envelopes us, transporting us to cherished moments of holidays past. I saw a video recently of the Christmas lights that played early digital computerized Christmas carols built right into the string lights. I don't know if you remember those. It sounds sort of like an old cell phone ringtone. That simple technology and its tonality, it's so outdated. But it's a time machine That takes me back to the comfort and excitement Of those cold winter nights. I immediately saw the glow of the multicolored Blinking Christmas tree lights On our family Christmas tree From when I was a kid Right there in the living room. Watching this video Seeing those lights blinking from From being a kid I felt too excited to sleep. And for one of those blinks On that Christmas tree That brief flash. I'm a little boy once more. As we return from our Christmas musical journey, let's reflect on the enduring legacy of these festive tunes. From carolers in medieval streets to streaming services on our cell phone in our modern homes, the spirit of Christmas music lives on. It's a reflection of the rich tapestry that is tradition, uniting us in a shared celebration. of joy and goodwill. And as we hear these repeated melodies, maybe try to listen with those younger ears. Do you remember? Make sure you get your rest. We've got a big day tomorrow. Merry Christmas.[Closing Music] Well, that wraps up our journey through the history of Christmas music. From the carolers of those old time classics. May the melodies of the season continue to warm your hearts. Until next time, everyone. Keep the holiday spirit alive and keep listening. Say bye, Don. Say bye bye! Bye bye! Oh God, he's covered in spit.[Outro Music Fades] I just had a bit of a moment. Little Donnie was getting a little agitated. A little antsy. So I took him upstairs and showed him the Christmas tree. And he was very captivated by you know, just the glow and the ornaments. And then I sort of noticed what he was looking at and he was looking at uh these two ornaments I keep at the top of the tree. Which, um, are my parents, side by side. And it was the first time I saw their face with his face. And of course, the record player starts playing, um, Beach Boys Blue Christmas. So, it was, it was a special moment, but yet a very sad moment. Heh. But that, um It sort of relates to the, uh, coincidental timing of music. I mean it was, it was synced up. I felt like I was being soundtracked. So, anyway, I thought I'd share that with you guys. I'm sure many of you have loved ones that you miss during this time of year. So, Let's take a second to remember them as well. Ugh. Alright, everybody. Until next time, I'll see ya.**End of Episode**