YuleTube 2009

I am no mystic myself, but I am partial to mysticism and especially partial to the strange visions that flow out of the medieval Church and in to such places as the Arthurian legends and, ultimately, wily old Dante.  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the best-known Christmas-related examples, establishing the always popular holiday tradition of lopping one another's heads off.  Another example is the "Corpus Christi Carol," with its mysterious imagery of the lavish hall in which a knight lies bleeding from a wound that never heals, a relation perhaps of the Fisher King, or Wagner's Amfortas, in Parsifal.

The text of the Carol comes down to us via a manuscript from the early 16th century, but it is obviously much older than that.  It is best known today, and became associated with Christmas, in a setting by Benjamin Britten.  Britten first incorporated the Carol in to the fifth part of his early (1933) set of choral variations, A Boy Was Born.  In 1961, he returned to it, separating it out and arranging it for solo voice and piano.  That version, rearranged with guitar taking over the piano part, featured prominently on the late Jeff Buckley's reputation-making Grace album.  

Here, Jeff Buckley's recording accompanies a performance by members of Ballet Austin:

While I'm on the subject of 16th century unearthings of medieval Christmas tunes, here is the only one I know ever to crack the UK pop charts: "Gaudete," recorded in 1973 by the great electric folk group, Steeleye Span.  The version below is more recent, from the band's 2004 35th anniversary tour.  The singers here include only two of the members from 1973, most importantly Maddy Prior, still in excellent voice.  

Finally, a non-medieval, wordless Christmas tune, and a reminder that, notwithstanding the churlish carping of Garrison Keillor, Christmas music would not be the same without the manifold contributions of Jewish singers and composers.  This is a repeat from prior years, but one of my personal favorites: Arnold Schoenberg's 1921 Weihnachtsmusik (Christmas Music).

Wishing you (it sez here) 

Ein frohes und besinnliches Weihnachtsfest!
[A Merry and Reflective/Thoughtful Christmas!]

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Photo: Tomb effigy of Jan Kamieniecki, voivode of Podolia, via Wikimedia Commons.

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