Thoughts on The Many Worlds of Christmas

This year in our December 3 and 11 concerts Master Chorus Eastside is sharing the world, as well as the power, of choral music, and in keeping with our theme The Many Worlds of Christmas tours the globe, savoring diverse holiday songs and carols from cultures all around the world.  These musical expressions showcase a kaleidoscopic array of rhythms, melodies, harmonies, and modes of thought unique to each culture.  Many of them spring from folk idioms that may seem simple on the surface but are solidly rooted in the earthy wisdom of the everyday lives of their creators.  Others are sophisticated compositions and carol arrangements by trained musicians.  But all tell a story of joy in song, comfort in the cyclic ritual of times and seasons and traditions, and the very human need to celebrate.

We begin with calls to “come,” the first directed toward heaven through an ancient French plainchant, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, the second directed earthward in O Come, All Ye Faithful.   From there we travel the world: from summer-in-December Australia to snowy-in-December Austria: from the ancient mountains of American Appalachia to the modern syncopated rhythms of a parang from Trinidad:  from the robust rhythms of Nigerian Africa to an African influenced villancico from Renaissance Spain: and perhaps most surprisingly, from pre-Communist China via an Advent carol found in an old Chinese hymnal to unsinkable, exuberant Haiti. 

There are plenty of familiar European and American carols to delight your ears: I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In, Jingle Bells, Silver Bells; Deck the Halls, and a most delightful wassailing song from England.  There are mummer’s songs from Latvia, an African American Christmas spiritual, and plenty of sing alongs to nurture your holiday spirit.  And then we close the circle back home in the United States with a musical commentary on our travels, Some Children See Him—black, brown, white, almond-eyed—like themselves!  Our journey through the many worlds of Christmas reflects those varied visions back to us as fellow travelers on this planet.  So come and enjoy—and celebrate!

Dr. Linda Gingrich, D.M.A
Artistic Director/Conductor

Master Chorus Eastside

Mummer? What’s a mummer? Huh? Wha..?

Gentle Musical Readers,

Artist: Unknown

MCE will be performing a Latvian carol, The Mummers’ Song, for the 2011 Winter concert. When the piece was first introduced to us in rehearsal, a wave of interrogative murmurs passed through the chorus (“Mummer?”, “What’s a mummer?”, “Huh?”,“Wha..?”). 

I did some research and was thrilled to find an authentic specimen of modern mummery on YouTube which seems to illuminate our distant pagan European roots.

Mumming, mummering, or mummery seems to be a seasonal tradition in which masked, costumed revelers go from door to door, disrupting Christmas celebrations or quiet evenings at home with uproarious antics. They request food and drink in payment for providing entertainment. The mummer’s appear to have the same relationship to a well-ordered society as the Seafair Pirates or trick-or-treaters gone wild.

Source: Mummersartist.com

The setting of the YouTube mummers’ performance appears to be a family-oriented, community Christmas celebration somewhere in Eastern Europe. There is an atmosphere of eating and drinking conviviality in the hall, when suddenly from outside, there is a fearful roaring of male voices and rhythmic beating of drums. The masked mummers invade the hall wearing outlandish costumes. They sing and perform an oafishly graceful song and dance. 

The children appear to be slightly anxious and wary of these menacing intruders, but soon even the youngest children understand that these roaring, dancing men will not harm them. So they become more bold and curious;  some even challenge the mummers in various child-like ways. These guys are less scary to kids than department store Santa’s or circus clowns. 

The mummers’ performance appears to be a traditional ritual in which everyone knows his part and at the end (climax), it includes some vulgar physical humor. However this European gathering is not fazed by the mummers’ bawdy antics. They appear to lack even the slightest tinge of Puritanism. They take it all in stride even when tastelessly moistened by the mummers. 

This clip is R-rated, or at least requires Parental Guidance. Hah! Got your attention now! Please check it out and let us know what you think.

For a more gentle, whimsical Newfoundland evening of mummery, check out this YouTube clip (This one is hilarious and heartwarming):

Roberta DeBruler

Musical Correspondent

Master Chorus Eastside