MM: Christmas Music?

I was raised in the camp that Christmas can wait until after Thanksgiving.  When I was growing up, the Christmas tree didn't get put up until my dad's birthday in the first week of December.  My next door neighbors would decorate their home on Black Friday.  I was raised to believe that was too darn soon!  Christmas was in December and that is when the decorations would finally go up.  My mom would stay true, though I think these days she puts the tree up at Thanksgiving.  Go figure....

In recent years, a local radio station would start broadcasting Christmas music on 1 November.  Ugh.  No.  Yesterday was just Halloween.  How about we enjoy...  *sigh*  Looks like this year they're settling for streaming online rather than over the airwaves.

Where am I going with this?  My sister-in-law posted on Facebook the other day that they've started listening to Christmas music on 1 November and have even started the decorations.  (That reminds me:  time to take down the witch, ghost, and bat...)  I responded that I wait until after my birthday and Thanksgiving

Then I promptly cued my iPod Christmas playlist.

I love Christmas music. I think my favorite part of the Christmas season is the music. I love to play, listen to, and sing along with all the different carols.  I love the religious as well as the secular.  I don't have to decorate before Thanksgiving to enjoy the music...  So I figure that I'll start now.  *wry chuckle*  It's only what, six weeks till Christmas?  That's only six songs....

The song I chose today has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. I've sung it as a lullaby to all four of my children over the years. I love to play it especially, I think, because it's a German folk tune.  (Remember, the link takes you to an interactive player where you can listen to it.)

Mary's Lullaby 

Expressively 

35395, Children’s Songbook, The Savior, Mary’s Lullaby, 44–45 

1. Lullaby, lullaby, my little one.
Lullaby, my child so dear.
Thy precious life has just begun;
Thy mother holds thee near.
While Joseph watches through the night,
A star reflects thy radiant light. 

2. Thy gentle head shall wear a crown,
For thy Father is the King.
Thy tender hands, so tiny now,
Have blessings great to bring.
Let all creation join my song,
For peace and love this night are born.
Lullaby, lullaby, my little one.
Lullaby, my child so dear. 

Optional descant 

1. While Joseph watches through the night,
A star reflects thy light.
2. Let all creation join my song,
For peace and love are born. 

Words: Jan Underwood Pinborough, b. 1954. © 1989 IRI
Music: German folk tune; arr. by Darwin Wolford, b. 1936. Arr. © 1989 IRI
Isaiah 9:6Luke 2:7–19Matthew 2:1–2

MM: God Be With You

Originally posted on Sister Snoopy here.

The hymn I chose today is a sorrowful favorite. It is also, I believe, sung at the end of every Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast. My earliest memory of God Be With You Til We Meet Again is at the funeral of the older missionary that taught my parents about theGospel of Jesus Christ. I was not quite four when he and his wife came into our lives. They were an older couple from Lehi, Utah, and my brother and I just loved them. We adopted them as our "Grandma and Grandpa Goates" and they willingly adopted our family into their blended family. "Grandpa" died in 1981, about the same time my Grandpa Jim had his first series of strokes. It was my first funeral.

Every time since then, I'm brought to tears when it's sung. We also sang it when Grandma Goates passed away in 2002.

There was talk of singing it yesterday at church but my neighbor didn't want to so we sang something else at the close of the meeting. Probably a good thing because there wouldn't have been a dry eye to be found. Mine were already wet...

God Be with You Till We Meet Again, LDS Hymn no. 152

1. God be with you till we meet again;
By his counsels guide, uphold you;
With his sheep securely fold you.
God be with you till we meet again.

[Chorus]
Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet,
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

2. God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you,
Put his arms unfailing round you.
God be with you till we meet again.

3. God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you;
Smite death’s threat’ning wave before you.
God be with you till we meet again.

Text: Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1828–1904

Music: William G. Tomer, 1833–1896

2 Thessalonians 3:16

Numbers 6:24–26

I think of this hymn especially when I am saying good bye to people I love that I probably won't see again--at least in this life. That's happened too many times for me to count but I look forward to the day when I can greet my loved ones with open arms at His feet...

Til we meet, my beloved friend. Til we meet.