Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-25

"hp uiu lbl AN 10 INC ICNStN
osndle-lt midnight services tina,
churches all over the city held las,
night IN honor OF the most holy
aspect that is the reason for being
ot the Christmas scason-have been
up Tor several hours, cmptNinc
stockings and munching candy canes
from the tInSel-draped trees. After
breakfast, out III the snapry cold
IN deep SHOWS III some parts OF the
United Statcs--thc slightly older
Young folks will so from house 10
house singing Christmas carols. For
Christmas time is first and foremost
the children's holiday. and i, is most
appropriate that most ot the music
IS that which comes from childish
threats.
The custom Of carol singing. both
indoors and out. is spreading more
widely every year throughout the
United States. In Europe, for GEN.
turies the little children of the ariS-
tccratic families have sung their
carols in their own tongues as they
danced about Christmas trees and
heavy gift-laden tables on Christmas
exc. The little peasant children
nave gone with their parents 10 the
country churches, and sometimes IN
the great black heights al the oathe-
drals with only candle lights. each
child and Older person with single
candle, heard the service and saw
the magic reproduction OF the first
manger and tho Holy Child In
Merrie England" the festive board
, has groaned and the wassail bowl
hcen many times refled in homes
TO welcome and refresh the bands OF
earollers who sang in the open air.
In this country Detroit is given
the credit of having been the first
city to develop outdoor carol singing
on large scale. Reports come from
Florida to Alaska. from Chicago and
Philadelphia. and throughout the
country Of bigger and better efforts
along these lines this year than ever
before. Last night set a milestone
IN national music history. when il
was estimated that thousands of
Americans Joined in the linked-up
radio program of singing carols
throughout the length and breadth
Of our land.
So -
TONIGHT many of the churches
= are dedicating their regular
evening service TO the singing OF
carols, and especially featuring the
singing of the children of the Sun
day schools in these programs
Other Young folks groups connected
with churches are presenting reals
TIC little pageants that tell the
Christmas story or otherwise SYM
bolize the timely topic
This afternoon at St. Johns
Church. on Lafayette Square. spe-
cial attention is called for those who
enjoy the unusual. to the French
vesper service when a Programme
Musical de la Congregation franchise
de ST. Jean Lafayette Square pour
lie jour dc Noel. a 500 will he
given. The carols in this program
represent much painstaking research
and rehearsal and include works
pobably never sung here before that
have been culied from libraries of
Paris. New York and the Library OF
Congress of this city
THE Aiwater Kent radio hour to-
i night also plans 10 present many
famous and historic old carols. The
following Information is offered
. about the carols which will he sung
a. this time. most Of which are
tran sIations OF well known hymns
Of the Middle Ages:
"One OF the earliest printed collcc-
4ions of English carols is that OF
Wynkyn de Wordc. iuNl52l. still sung
each Christmas day at Queens Col
lese. England The earliest specimen
Of Christmas carols is A Norman
French noel OF the thirteenth cen
fury preserved in the English Mu-
scum. with collections of the ff-
teenth century by Ri.son. Wright
and Sandys: small black letter coli
lection in l642 and another in i688
containing curious specimens Of
songs sun2 by English shepherds
and pioughnlen az Christmas enter
tsinrnents in farm houses through
opt the land
"The quaint custom ri little chill
dren singing old-fashioned folk songs
, Of the Szvior's birth on Christmas
eve and early Christmas morning
goes back 30 an early date The
waits who PLAYED and sang Christ
MAJ carols in English villages back
in the seventeenth century we're the
town musicians, who played during
the night hours on wind instruments
beginning their nightly screnadcs q
week before Christmas. On Christ
mas day they would call a the houses
before which they had played for
donations II MAS customary Tor
the caroiers 80 club Their money
donations together and cnpend ihem
in social mcrrymakjng OH Twelfth
day. a fortnight later.
THE odd custom 81 carDiin2 hoW~
ever, is not peculiar 70 England but
has been popular ~ ali Christian
countries. including France. Italy.
Russia, Germany aud other Euro
pean nations. in GERMANY the
rayoiers included Hot only the band
snA choral organizations. La' fhe
Shepherds with their ctooktd horns.
the cowherd With his straight horn.
,hs swjneherd, tie gppsebefd aud
Others.
The custom resiyes today in the
carols sung by church ciioirs and
congregations and other orqAniza
IONS Christmas exc and morning
throughout the United States Car
ais sung annually on Boston Com
mon are repeated about the rom,
n.nni,y Christmas trees ia hundreds
a. towns, vhie fpf the past fac
vesys the choir ~ The President E
.ho,cb has sung the carols al the
Awhile House Christmas ese.
"Anong the carols that have come
douu to date are { ONE. MI ~
Fsf,F IAd,.te IidrI,--. ,t.J,aAf ,