"Sing we joyous, all together, heedless of the wind and weather."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #5

11 days until Christmas

Season's Greetings! Thank you for coming back once again and participating in our third annual A Very Vintage Christmas. We apologize for the delay with this post, which was originally scheduled for Thursday this week, but we hope you enjoy this classic Christmas melody.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Tis the season to be jolly,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our gay apparel,

Fa la la, la la la, la la la.

Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Strike the harp and join the chorus,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Follow me in merry measure,

Fa la la, la la la, la la la.

While I tell of Yuletide treasure,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Sing we joyous, all together,

Fa la la, la la la, la la la.

Heedless of the wind and weather,

Fa la la la la, la la la la."

Deck the Halls is a carol that is not only often sung at Christmas, but is also applicable to Yuletide and New Year's. The song has a rich history, dating back to the sixteenth century, and coming from a Welsh winter song known as Nos Galen, which translates to "New Year's Eve." It was first published in 1794, and the printed chorus to the Welsh tune reads:

"O mor gynnes mynwes meinwen,

(Oh, how soft my fair one's bosom)

Fal lal lal lal lal lal lal la la:

O mor fwyn yw llwya meillionen,

(Oh, how sweet the grove in blossom)

Fal lal lal lal lal lal lal la la:

O mor felus yw'r cusanau,

(Oh, how blessed are the blisses)

Gyda serch a mwynion eiriau

(Words of love, and mutual kisses)

Fal lal lal lal lal lal lal la la"

The original instrumental music was composed for a harp by John Parry Ddall, and it is still used as a popular dance tune in Welsh culture. During the eighteenth century, it very quickly grew popular, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart even used it in a violin and piano concerto. It is not known for sure where the lyrics we use today come from, but it is possible that they have American origin.

There are many different versions of the song that have been performed by numerous artists, both classical and modern. We have chosen a traditional recording by musical artist Nat King Cole, as heard on his album The Magic of Christmas (1960).

If you enjoyed the version of Deck the Halls that we have posted, and you would like to hear or purchase more from Nat King Cole, you can click the following link:

Amazon: Nat King Cole Christmas

We hope you are having a truly joyous holiday season and we thank you for choosing to celebrate with us. Join us tomorrow, which is Sunday, December 15th, for another classic holiday movie selection.

We wish you a very merry, and A Very Vintage Christmas!