New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-20
TheAncientCherry
TreeCarolandChil-
dren's Jingles i'm
Old New Ann
Sterdam
BY II. f. KREHBIEL.


A few years ago-six or eight, maybe
while at work in my study my atten-
ton was arrested by sounds of un-
familiar music coming up from the
street below. Looking out of my win
dow. was not little surprised TO see
representative Of the Italian pifferari
blowing his zampogna (bagpipe) in the
street below. II was near the Christ
mas holidays, and, no doubt, he was
doing what he hal done in his native
Italy, where il used TO be the custom of
bsgpipers and shawn players 10 gather
from the country in Rome and play
Christmas music before the shrines of
the Virgin Mary and the carpenter
shops. incidentally gathering in the
sbekels from the people whose hearts
were warming under the gracious in
eucnccs Of the season. And pondcred
that il was to the playing of the pif-
ferari that We owe the pastoral SYM
rhonv in Handles Messiah" that de-
lichtful piece of string music which
viii be heard in hundreds of concert
rooms and churches throughout Chris
tendon this week, and 10 which the
prcttiest of critical compliments was
paid by England's foolish George, who
said that one could see the stars SHIN
Ing through it
Not long after this incident letter
came saving that local glee club COM
posed of Young men born in England
Intended on that Christmas Day to
sing carols early in the morning before
the houses of their friends. thus re-
wing an ancient custom, and almost
Immediately came inquiries from sun
6sv schools and churches about carols
suitable TO be sung at special services.
An hour ago came letter from Mr.
II. W. Gray, representing the NoVello
publishing house in New York, saying
that the demand for Christmas carols
was this year larger than ever before.
Very delightful was all this TO the soul
OF an enthusiastic musical folklorlst
who has had many opportunities in tho
course of the last decade TO note how
examples of Yuletide music in artistic
gsrb were winning their way in high
class concert rooms. DR.. Frank Dam
rosch set the fashion in this respect
first By putting liturgical hymns of the
classic period of ecclesiastical music
into the programmes of the Musical
Art Society. giving the chief place IN
the first part of the programme OF the
frst concert of the season (Which al
WAYS falls near Christmas) TO such
COMPOSITIONS as the "Hodie Christus
natus est of Palestrina, Nanini and
Sweelinck; the Christmas Oratorio" of
Bach. some charming French noels ar
ranged by Gevaert, and the exquisite
settings of old German Weihnachtslie-
der by Calvisius and PraetOrius. Then
there occurred to him the notion Of
making a little prelude to the set pro-
eramme out of the simple Christmas
song, "Stille Nacht, heil'ge Nacht,"
more familiar than the Lords Prayer
70 German children the world over;
end so he set custom which has been
pursued by the society ever since.
An Ancient Russian Ceremony.
But we have had no public perform
snce Of English Christmas carols in
any shade. a grievous omission.
Liturgical music of the Russian Church
has been sung for US by the more than
admirable choir of the st. Nicholas
Cathedral. and 10 all who love music
written for the voices of boys and men
visit 70 that cathedral in the Russian
Christmastide. which comes after the
last echoes Of ours have died out, is
heartily 10 be recommended. As we
have had Christmas songs as they are
sung now and have been sung for
centuries by the people OF England,
France and Germany, with their sug-
gestions Of oldtime customs, so we had
cnce or twice a hint at Russian
Christmas festivity; but it was only 2
hint. and this only TO the students of
the historical and explanatory notes
provided for the patrons OF our best
symphony concerts. AT meetings OF the
Russian Symphony Society in 1905 and
the Philharmonic Society in 1906
suite BY Rimsky-Korsakow, entitled
Christmas Eve" was performed under
the direction first Of Modest Altschuler
and afterward Of Mr.. Safonof. The
suite is composed of excerpts from an
opera, and the portion significant TO
the present purpose was in the last
number. In which a choir sang in praise
Of Kolyada, an ancient sun goddess OF
the Slavs. Her festival, like the Roman
Saturnalia, the Yule festival of the
Scsndinavians and the Winter festival
Of the Druids, has been merged IN the
festival Of Christ's birth. OF the
Kolyada festival Ralston says IN his
Songs of Russia:
"The festival which is called that Of
Kolyada. and which the influence of the
Church has to some extent converted
into a celebration of the birth of
Christ, seems TO have referred in
ancient times to the renewed life uni
versally attrib-ted 10 the sun s-fter the
winter solstice, when the gloom of the
long nights begins TO give way to the
light Of the lengthening day. At that
time. according 10 popular tradition,
the Sun-a female being-arrays her
self in her holiday robe and head
dress, takes her seat in her telega, and
urges her horses upon the summer
track. And 10 this solar goddess the
people have given the name of Kolyada,
and custom once used to prevail in
man. places, and in some may still be
kept up, of representing her by a girl
dressed in white who was seated on
sledge and driven about from house to
house, while Kolyadki were sung by
the young people who attended her,
and who had various presents made to
them in return, such gifts being sup