Evening star., 1946-12-22
uletide Song
Reflects New
Era of Hope
By Alice Eversmon

BY Alice kversmon
Not in many years will the Christi
mas celebration be attended with 80
much rejoicing. The carols sung at
this time, the hymns Of the season,
the great choral works Of sacred Inn
port are surrounded with = new
and shining light. It is a rebirth
after long suffering and despair, Of
surcease in, the eternal struggle
against evil and the selfishness Of
men. More than ever before, the
people of this country will sing their
Yuletide songs in. q spirit OF thank
fulness and alteration.
In the Divine working out Of our
destiny, it is necessary perhaps, for
such periods as are just past, to
happen SO that the sublime mean
ing OF Christmas may again become
apparent. When the angelic chorus
sang in the heavens with only the
humble shepherds as listeners, the
world was in a sad state. Then, as
in recent years, there was oppres-
sion, sorrow and bleakness Of spirit.
The sacred festivals and the social
revels In which music had a part,
had degenerated into orgies for the
satisfaction of soul weary humanity.
A song in the skies changed the
world for all time. 1t had a sim
pie verse: GLORY to God in the
Highest and Peace on Earth to Men
of Good VIII 1t lay in the hearts
of the lowly shepherds as a symbol
to all suffering people. 1t bred a
great tenderness, for it was OF
little Child the angels sang in a
never to- be forgotten melody. From
its roots sprang compassion, right
eousness, sacrifice and an alien
comprising life.
Feast Of Noel.
One hundred and twenty-nine
years later, Telesphorus. bishop OF
Rome, instituted the Feast OF Noel.
His words to the faithful were: I'm
the Holy Night of Nativity they do
celebrate and solemnly sing the An
gels Hymn" But 1t was in the
hearts of the simple folk that the
story of Christmas was cherished in
special manner. They knew the
poverty of the manger, the uncom-
planning fortitude Of Mary and
Joseph. They wove tender songs
about them. they enacted the mo-
mentuous event in plays, they went
from house to house singing their
glad tidings and calling on all to
Join them in Good viii to Men"
1t seems appropriate that to st.
Francis of Assist should go the
honor of composing the first true
Christmas carol. For the tableau
that was to be staged around the
creche this gentle, gooly man had
built in his parish house in Grecia,
he wrote songs that would help de-
pict the story. Others, including the
great Martin Luther. followed his
example. Composers of note through
out the centuries contributed price
less treasures to the great store OF
music celebrating the birth OF
Christ. In every land and in every
tongue, with homely ceremonies or
stately ecclesiastical pomp the
touching story is revived each year.
New World Combined Customs.
When the music Of that Holy
Night was heard on earth,, the
American continent was unlNlown,
Many centuries later, when Column
bus returned to Spain with the
news Of his great discovery. divine
direction was invoked and the
mother who gave birth to Son
to the rejoicing of the hierarchy
of heaven was chosen as protector
of the new country. Later still, up
right men and women found haven
here for the pursuance Of their
worship of Him of whom the angels
sang.
Thus it came about that the new
world gathered to itself the peoples
of all nations They brought with
them their Christmas songs and
Christmas customs to become our
own. OF all the great world, only
here can all nations and all creeds
gather together and sing GLORY to
God in the Highest" with good will
in their hearts.
The carols and hymns of Christ
mastide are proof that music Is an
international language. 1t has
helped to unite indiSsolubly the mix
ture of races that make up our
great land. In our hands, now, is
placed the leadership of the world
in music development. 1t is for us
to see that the priesthood OF the
art is enriched in every field.
Yet it is not enough that we foster
music with more ardor or that We
solace the afflicted with its glorious
strains. We must use it to open
wide the gates of our hearts to an
understanding of humanity, to keep
it close by us to warm the chill duty
of living, to direct us in the exer-
else of Good Will to Men" We
must lift our eyes to the skies
where, unseen and unheard, the
angels still sing their paean of
praise and of the divine rule for