Its Sunday Dec. 21 - Winter Solstice.
And Day 7 of the 11 Blogs of Christmas - I've been waiting for this one all week!
In 2003 our friend The Rev. Nancy Harrington, who officiated at our wedding, wrote a short sermon/drama called A Cowgirl Christmas. Its the story of the Cowgirl who was over on the next hill with her herd, watching all the goin's on with them shepherds and those bein's hangin' in the sky. Just like the cowgirl in the story, I'm convinced that Nancy would spend the winter out on the range with her horse and the cattle, given the chance.
Nancy asked us to help her with the music for Cowgirl. It was serendipitous that we'd already written Starry, Starry Night which worked perfectly. We found others that worked for part of the story - but we needed something for that crucial moment when the Cowgirl realizes what those bein's were, well ...
"They was ANGELS!"
I went to the red Lutheran hymnal of my youth and found "While Shepherds Watched." I sang it for Greg, and he said "I don't think so." Go here for a MIDI sample of the original version. Turn your speakers on, then come right back.
Ok, now you know why Greg was skeptical. But I told him I had an idea for how to re-write the verses, and insert a snappy chorus.
And here it is. Straight out of Bev & Greg's Yee Haw Hymnal.
And we love playing it with friends. This was one of the highlights of our TrueWind Music Christmas House Concert this year.
Music has the power to impact our emotions like nothing else. And in the Christian church, "what's proper" music-wise has been a source of conflict for many millennia. While Shepherds Watched is a good example.
The original hymn was written by Nathum Tate sometime before 1700. From Wikipedia:
The exact date of Tate's composition is not known, but the words appeared in Tate and Nicholas Brady's 1700 supplement to their psalter, New Version of the Psalms of David of 1696. It was the only Christmas hymn authorised to be sung by the Anglican Church; before 1700 only the Psalms of David were permitted to be sung.
Rules schmools. King David would be up there twangin' his harp and yee-hawing right along with us, given the chance.
Go to Download page for a free MP3 of While Shepherds Watched, Yee Haw style.
Download available through 9pm Pacific on Monday Dec. 22, 2008 to accommodate email subscribers.
