CHRISTMAS CAROLS REFLECT TAPESTRY OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- From the earliest time of human existence, people around the world have worked to solve the same sorts of problems: how to make a living, and how to find meaning in the world. The Christmas story and the spirit of the holidays, central to millions worldwide, are a blend of tales and beliefs rooted in ancient times. Many of these tales and beliefs pre-date Judeo-Christian conventions entirely.

Scholars have long debated Dec. 25 itself as the birthdate of Christ, and some believe that the date may have been chosen because of its close proximity to the winter solstice and the lengthening of daylight. The ancients lived closer to the natural world before the advance of civilization, and the position of the holidays on today's calendar still reflects earlier human hopes for light and warmth.

Christmas carols are little different from far older human ceremonies and practices, said Paul Hillier, Indiana University professor of music and director of the Pro Arte Singers, a vocal group of about 20 singers that studies and performs music ranging from the 11th century to the present.

Hillier said these older ceremonies include the concept of Yule, which stems from an old Norse word for "12-day celebration," or the "Twelve Days of Christmas," a custom rooted in the Roman celebration of Saturnalia followed by 12 holidays, ending Jan. 1.

Carols may have the longest history of all the customs practiced during the holidays, Hillier said, and the tunes upon which many are based offer musical evidence that can be traced through the centuries.

Hillier will lead the Pro Arte Singers in a Dec. 8 concert at IU Bloomington that will trace the musical history of the carol from the old and new worlds. The free program will begin at 8 p.m. in Auer Hall. Included will be modern and traditional carols from the British Isles, Shaker carols from the United States, carols from the Shape Note Tradition, and earlier music with origins shrouded in historical mystery.

"The great thing about Christmas music is that it isn't secular or particularly sacred," said Hillier, noting that the distinction is that much Christmas music was performed in a church -- but was not necessarily part of a worship service. In fact, the singing of Christmas carols was widely discouraged during the Middle Ages as various religious faiths struggled for supremacy. It was not until the 18th century that the singing of carols enjoyed a revival.

According to Hillier, more vocal music was written down between medieval and baroque times than before, but the origins of specific melodies, lyrics and imagery can be terribly difficult to determine.

"Some imagery in carols has pagan roots -- the holly and the ivy, for example, and nearly all of the imagery deals with themes of birth and rebirth," said Hillier. "It's rooted in the natural world. And the depth and range of imagery are not always obvious to us."

"Still, many carols have their origins in folk music," added Hillier. "And what we call a carol isn't necessarily derived from what we know as a French noel." Interestingly, "The First Noel," for example, is sometimes given the English spelling "nowell," after its first English printing in 1833. Some scholars think its origin is 16th or 17th century France, but others suggest it may be an English melody.

"Many times in folk music you'll find the same tune with different words," said Hillier. "And many times Christmas words were laid on top of the tune later. The connecting thread is a conflation of different things."

The carol "What Child Is This?" is an example of just such a case. The melody is from the Tudor tune "Greensleeves," which featured bawdy original lyrics filled with anything but holiday imagery. Later, Shakespeare mentioned the song in The Merry Wives of Windsor during an execution scene. In 1865, William Dix, an Englishman, wrote "The Manger Throne," of which three verses evolved into "What Child Is This?"

The stories behind other carols are sometimes as familiar as the songs themselves and have become part of the social fabric.

"Silent Night," according to legend, was written on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Oberndorf, Bavaria. The church organ was broken and the town was snowbound. Church vicar Joseph Mohr wrote the lyrics on the spot and handed them to organist Franz Gruber, who composed the original melody for two voices and choir with guitar accompaniment, just in time for midnight mass. By 1955, "Silent Night" had become the most recorded song of all time.

"I don't think there's a Christmas 'style' of tune," said Hillier. "Imagery is the main thing. People go for more lyrical music at this time of year, and we imbue the songs with a glow so that a kind of nostalgia is associated with them."

For more information, contact Erik Novak, Office of Communications and Marketing, 812-855-0089 or 812-855-3911, enovak@indiana.edu