Just in time for Christmas-Paul and Pap’s first Christmas CD is available NOW! For the past few weeks you’ve been listening to a few of the songs on the player-the CD has additional songs (you can see the titles below). All music and vocals are performed by Paul and Pap with the exception of The Little Drummer Boy an instrumental performed by Henry Wilson, Pap’s baby brother. Henry has been playing guitar-mostly Chet Atkins style-since he was a kid.
Two of my favorite Christmas songs are on the cd, Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem and Good Christian Men, Rejoice. While The First Noel is a song I sing every Christmas, its never been one of my favorites-until this year. Paul’s vocals are truly outstanding-between his voice, the music, and Pap’s tenor it gives me chills every time I hear it and brings tears to my eyes.
After becoming enamored with the song-I began to wonder about it’s origin. I assumed it was a fairly new song-maybe from the early 1900s-I was wrong.
- The First Noel is one of the oldest Christmas songs around-as old as 400 years
- There are some folks who think the song originated in France-some think England
- Noel-is a loud shout expressing the joy surrounding Christ’s birth
- It’s considered a folk song
- The original version-had many grammatical errors-showing that an uneducated person wrote the song (which makes it mean even more to me)
- The writer was obviously excited about Christmas-even though during that time Bibles were not accessible to every day folks-and even if they had been-most people couldn’t read
- For many years after the song was written the clergy frowned on songs such as The First Noel-making it a true song of the people
- In 1833 The First Noel was finally published by William Sandys and soon afterward The Church Of England began using the song as a hymn
Amazing how the song survived-just by word of mouth-sung around the fire passed on to each generation. Somehow knowing The First Noel was written by someone with no education and no great aspirations makes the song seem truly from the heart.
If you are interested in purchasing one of Paul and Pap’s cds- Songs of Christmas- Here are the details:
cds are $13.00 each which includes shipping and handling or if you’d like more than one-the first cd is $13.00 with each additional cd being $10.00 which still includes shipping and handling. You can pay by check or by Paypal. Email me at blindpigandtheacorn@gmail.com for the address or paypal account.
Hope you enjoyed the history of the song-do you have a favorite Christmas song?
Tipper
can we still get a copy of this cd? if not, do you sell it digitally?
thank you & merry christmas!!
Franchesca
Franchesca-I’m sorry we don’t sell it in digital form, but you can still buy the cd here: https://blindpigandtheacorn.etsy.com/listing/210749601/songs-of-christmas-traditional-music Thank you!!
I loved learning about The First Noel! I hope Pap and Paul’s new cd sells well! Merry Christnmas to all of you!
Marie
Thank you for sharing the information on The First Noel, Tipper! Fascinating! It’s difficult to choose a favorite, but The First Noel is definitely one of them.
Congratulations are in order!
Am enjoying listening to their songs while reading! Beautiful!
Hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend, Tipper!
Have a nice weekend Tipper!
Congratulations to them both! I love the history behind The First Noel – I feel it growing on me too 🙂
I love the Christmas songs on your player. I have always liked the traditional “religious” ones sung in harmony. One of my most favorites is “Mary’s Boy Child” ~ here’s a link to a nice rendition on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUBNuXDU-ek&feature=related
Hi Tipper~I enjoyed reading about The First Noel. I love Christmas music and listen to it all year long, so it’s great to know some history.
I think my very favorite Christmas song is Ring The Bells. I also love Silent Night.
Thank you for registering for my giveaway!
R~Mary
I bet this CD sounds great. My wish list keeps getting longer!!
My favorite Christmas song is “I’ll be home for Christmas”. This has become my favorite song in the past few years since every Christmas Eve, my wife Shirley and I, travel from her family in Wyoming County in southern WV to my family in Pendleton County in the Potomac Highlands of WV. The drive takes about 4-5 hours if the weather is good. Since Shirley’s family opens gifts on Christmas Eve and my family opens gifts on Christmas Day, we are able to be with both of our families for Christmas…although it means spending most of Christmas Eve on the road.
I remember a few years ago, there was a bad snowstorm that hit, and in southern WV it was just rain so we thought we’d be ok, but about halfway home, just as we got into the mountains, we hit snow. There are 4 main mountains after we get off the interstate, and each progressively got worse. On one of them, there were several accidents and the road was blocked. The state troopers was telling people to go back to Elkins and spend the night because the road was going to be closed for quite a while. Well, I insisted to Shirley that we wait, I didn’t want to miss being with my family on Christmas. Just when all looked very bleak and I was beginning to think I was going to have to spend my first Christmas away from my family on the mountain, I turned on the radio and heard “I’ll be home for Christmas”, and it had special meaning to me when it got to the part “I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams”, a few moments later a snow plow arrived out of nowhere, scraping the road and throwing down salt. It cleaned the road around the wrecks just enough for our little car to get through. The State police told me that if I wrecked to stay in my car that I’d probably have to wait until morning to get assistance, and that it was very dangerous but I saw a chance and I took it. Once we got off that mountain, the snow turned to rain and we made it home just before everyone went to bed. I remember blowing the car horn as I pulled up the driveway, and hollering out the window, “Merry Christmas, Clark, ho ho ho”, quoting Cousin Eddie from the Christmas Vacation movie.
My parents were shocked that i had made it through, they were listening to the police scanner which was reporting that the mountains were closed and no traffic was getting through. My one little cousin wasn’t at all shocked, she kept telling them, “I told you all that Matthew would be here for Christmas, I told you he wouldn’t miss it.”
I know the Lord was travelling with us that night, and he answered my prayers in getting us home. So ever since then, my favorite Christmas song is “I’ll be home for Christmas”, because you know, you can count on me to be there, and not only in my dreams.
Matthew
Great songs Tipper…thanks!
I love that Joy To The Worls version, so lovely.
Tipper, I’ve always liked The First Noel. Thanks for the history of it. There are so many good Christmas songs, it’s hard to pick a favorite.
I can’t get enough of Paul and Pap’s music and their sweet voices harmonizing. I love the same songs you do, but Away In A Manger has always been my favorite. Tell them both I said, “Thanks” for this opportunity to enjoy their music any time I want to now. xxoo
well, if I’d read your post more closely, I would have “got it” that I need to be patient and wait for you to send me the address, instead of clicking all over the place!
Internet shopping makes me clicky and impatient!
🙂
Excellent!
Dibs!
🙂
Thanks for the Christmas Carols. I enjoy them every day when I log in. Pap an Paul harmonize beautifully.
Thanks for the info.
My favorite carol also is “I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day.” It is a poem. I learned to recite it at school as a child. It says all I believe about Christmas and helps me get though the season some years when horrible things are happening in our world.
I’m so glad they made a CD.
And thank you for sharing them on your site. I enjoy it every time I click on your site.
I had no idea that song has been around that long.
Thanks to you all for sharing these wonderful Christmas carols with us. I always enjoy Pap and Paul. Wish I could come pick and grin a little. Pappy
Tipper: Best wishes for the guys and the Christmas CD. I do hope you do real well.
A cd? How exciting! I hope it’s a major sellout… I’m sure it will be!
My favorite Christmas song is “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” I love both the poem and the song. They still give me chills.
I also like the Wexford Carol (guess it’s my Irish heritage) and “Mary’s Lullaby.”
Well, I’ll also admit that I like “Santa, Baby,” but only Eartha Kitt’s version.