"The Cherry-Tree Carol" is a ballad with the rare distinction of being both a Christmas carol and one of the Child Ballads (no. 54). The song itself is very old, reportedly sung in some form at the Feast of Corpus Christi in the early 15th century. The versions eventually collected by Francis James Child are thought to be a combination of up to three separate carols that merged through the centuries.
The ballad, "The Cherry Tree Carol," relates an apocryphal story of the
Virgin Mary, presumably while traveling to Bethlehem with Joseph
for the census. In the most popular version, the two stop in a cherry
orchard, and Mary asks her husband to pick cherries for her, citing her
child. Joseph spitefully tells Mary to let the child's father pick her
cherries.
At this point in most versions, the infant Jesus,
from the womb, speaks to the tree and commands it to lower a branch
down to Mary, which it does. Joseph, witnessing this miracle,
immediately repents his harsh words. The more contemporary versions
sometimes end here, while others often include an angel
appearing to Joseph and telling him of the circumstances of Jesus's
birth. Other versions then jump ahead several years, where the next
verse picks up with Jesus on his mother's lap, telling her of his
eventual death and resurrection. Read more...
In Defense of Joseph . . . Angels did appear to Joseph to explain to him what was
transpiring in his life and he shared this with Mary and others. So in
his defense I have referenced the scripture. However, the carol is still
quite lovely, however inaccurate it may be. (smile) The implications here are that Joseph actually had frequent directions from angels.
"But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy
Spirit." Matthew 1:20
"When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
"Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.
Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child
to kill him." Matthew 2:13
And also the name of Joseph carries big news in scripture; any man selected by God and given the name is in for an unusual life story according to the Bible. The name literally means "to add to or give increase."
"Judy Collins sings this traditional nativity ballad, thought to date back
to the 15th century. The story tells of the fetus Jesus performing a
miracle by lowering the bow of a cherry tree so that Mary can reach and
pick the fruit. This clip comes from a 1996 performance at the Biltmore
Estate in North Carolina, available on the 1997 DVD release titled
"Judy Collins - Christmas at the Biltmore Estate." Look for more clips
from the concert here on YouTube's Judy Collins Channel."
This parrot makes a very colorful ornament. Trace or transfer design on thin wood with carbon paper and jig-saw out, cutting notch in bottom to fit trapeze, ring or pedestal mounting.
Click directly on the images to download
the largest available size.
Lepage design on thin wood, saw out outline, paint
edge bright color, glue to a white or colored back panel.
All of these silhouettes can also be lepaged
as plaques to children's furniture, etc...
Trace outline on wood and saw out coloring to suit taste.
Screw in metal eye and suspend with cord for child's tooth brush holder.
These designs can also be used for door-stops and
book-ends by tracing outline and coloring in.
A very cool project for woodworking. Use the silhouettes
above to make one or more shadow casting lamps
for Christmas. Love it, folks; give it a try!
Have a question about the illustration?
Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as
possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject,
folks.
Click to download the largest available size. This Dutch cousin holds a bouquet of flowers and her white apron is trimmed
with a ribbon of polka-dots.
Either trace the outside lines on transparent paper and transfer to wood, jig-saw out and color yourself, or print and cut figures out, lepage or paste them on wood and saw out. Use plywood, Presdwood or other thin wood 1/4 inch to 3/8 thick. Dado one end of base to hold cut-out and put gradual bevel on other end with belt or drum sander. Lepage upright to base.
Illustration of "Mad-Cat" bench along with diagram on a grid.
A novel settee like this is something every youngster will prize, and it is very easily made. The drawing above shows one end piece drawn to scale. This you can enlarge to any size you wish by simply ruling off a piece of paper in squares to sizes proportionately larger than those shown and drawing in the lines. The design should then be traced onto a piece of 5/8 inch or 3/4 inch close-grained wood with the grain running vertically, and cut out with the jig-saw. The dotted lines on the drawing are not for cutting. They indicate the positions for back and seat.
The back should be the same thickness as the ends but can be of open-grained, cheaper wood, about 14 inches wide and 24 inches long depending on the overall length desired. The seat measures 9 inches wide with length same as back, of 7/8 inch or 1 inch stock. After these are sawed to size the back and seat are nailed together and secured in place on the ends with the cat's tail acting as the back brace. The feet being cut cross-grain should be reinforced with small cleats on the inside. The strip across the bottom is essential as it provides additional strength. All nails or screws should be countersunk and filled with putty or other filler before painting.
Any combination of colors can be used in lacquering or enameling the bench to harmonize with surroundings. The seat can easily be padded with cotton or curled hair and covered with bright colored cretonne. Cat's whiskers are painted on in white as finishing touch.
If you have never sculpted a tiny cotton batting ornament before, this project is perfect for beginners. I included a project similar to this one last year, an ear of corn, but this one is even easier!
Left, the unpainted pea pod ornament. Right,
The finished version of this vegetable made
from cotton batting.
Supply List:
cotton balls
white school glue
tacky white glue
newsprint
masking tape
wire for hanging
green and white acrylic paints
tiny paint brush
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Crush the newsprint into a small narrow pea pod shape, approximately two inches long.
Wrap this newsprint form in masking tape.
Insert a wire for hanging at the wider end of your pod. Tape and glue in this wire firmly.
Unravel a couple of cotton balls and take a very tiny piece between
your finger tips with a small bit of glue and roll this wad into a tiny
ball. (unravel pictured below)
Repeat this process until you have made four or five pea sized balls.
Use the tacky white glue to begin sticking one, two, three peas
side by side from the top to the bottom of your pea pod shape. Press
these peas together as you go. Take your time and let these dry as
you go. It helps to work near a warm light or heater.
Now wrap a layer of cotton batting around the sides and back of your pea pod. Layer glue on top of this addition before painting it. The front of your peas should not have any additional batting wrap on them. (see picture of unfinished peas in pod above.)
Let your finished pea pod dry overnight.
Paint the pea pod using multiple shades of greens. Use a very tiny brush to get down inside the cracks with
paint.
Let the cotton batting ornament dry and then seal it with a acrylic
gel (Matt finish) to keep your ornament looking clean over time.
Store your cotton batting ornaments between white tissues inside a
tin box with a tight sealing lid. These boxes are the types used to
store butter cookies and sometimes candies.
Unravel ordinary cotton balls to craft this pea pod ornament.
This classical music CD is one of my favorites to play during the Christmas holidays. I know that the choir also has a newer versions that I have yet to hear so I've posted a link to their website below for you to visit and check them out.
The college maintains five choirs, three bands, two orchestras, three
jazz ensembles, two percussion ensembles, and two hand bell choirs.
Historically, music education began with the college's 1891 formation,
when piano and organ lessons were taught by one instructor. The college has since expanded to hold a music department of 45 faculty, which offers five Bachelor of Music degrees and two Bachelor of Arts degrees.
The Concordia Choir is an 78-member mixed choir that travels internationally and has performed at major performance venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. The choir was founded in 1919 by the college's voice instructor and began touring in 1923 under the direction of Herman Monson. The choir grew to national prominence in the following decades when Paul J. Christiansen, son of conductor F. Melius Christiansen, became the director. Christianson remained in the position for 49 years until composer René Clausen took over in 1986, who remains there today. Under Clausen, The Concordia Choir has released numerous recordings and has performed with the King's Singers.
The college has put on an annual Christmas concert since 1927, which remains a tradition of the local community. From its inception, it has featured the music department's choirs and orchestra. In 1940, Christianson began working with painter Cyrus M. Running to incorporate murals with the concert to reflect the music's themes. Running completed the designs until 1978, when their development was taken over by David J. Hetland, whose murals have traditionally extended 56-by-20 feet. After Hetland's 2006 death, mural designs were taken over by artist Paul Johnson. The concert is currently performed four times annually on Concordia's campus and twice annually at Orchestra Hall. Over 450 students perform for an audience of twenty thousand, and the concert is broadcast on radio and television. The 2009 concert, Journey to Bethlehem, was recorded by Twin Cities Public Television and won a regional Emmy. It was broadcast nationally by members of the Public Broadcasting Service.
