"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!

"May you beautifully rhyme your evetime song, ye singers.."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #2

20 days until Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Thank you so much for joining us again today for A Very Vintage Christmas.

Today, being a Thursday, is a day devoted to Christmas music. We have a beautiful song that you may or may not be familiar with, but will undoubtedly enjoy regardless.

"Ding dong merrily on high,

In heav'n the bells are ringing:

Ding dong! Verily the sky

Is riv'n with angels singing:

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

E'en so here below, below,

Let steeple bells be swungen,

And 'Io, io, io!'

By priest and people sungen.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you dutifully prime

Your matin chime, ye ringers;

May you beautifully rhyme

Your evetime song, ye singers.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!"

Ding Dong Merrily On High is a traditional Christmas carol with a bit of history behind it. Like so many other similar seasonal tunes, the instrumental music has been around much longer than the words that now accompany it. In fact, the tune dates back to 16th century France, when it is believed to have been written by Jehan Tabourot. The song was meant to be used originally as a secular dance melody, which is why it is livelier sounding that some traditional Christmas carols which might have been composed for religious purposes.

The credit for the lyrics which we now associate with the music goes to an Englishman by the name of George Woodward. He wrote the words, in prose style, and they were published in 1924 as a part of a collection entitled The Cambridge Carol Book: Being Fifty-Two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons.

For your listening pleasure, here is one of our personal favorite renditions of Ding Dong Merrily On High:

If you enjoyed the version of Ding Dong Merrily On High that we have posted, and you would like to hear or purchase more from the artist Celtic Woman, please click on the following link:

Amazon: Celtic Woman

Please come back again this Sunday, December 8th, for another classic holiday film that is sure to warm your heart.

Best holiday wishes to you, and remember to have A Very Vintage Christmas!

Seasonal Specials

Hello followers and readers!

This is just a simple announcement post for things that are coming up over the next couple of months that you might want to mark on your calendars.

First of all, it might not have escaped your notice that the site has a new fall look. This is in honor of Thanksgiving, which is coming up in a few weeks, on November 28th. We will do a couple of posts in honor of the holiday, but other than that, the site is going to be pretty quiet due to preparations for our third annual segment of A Very Vintage Christmas, which will begin, as always, on December 1st.
We will be sticking to the same schedule that we use every year, which means there will be:
Classic Christmas music posts on Thursdays

                                                   12/5

                                                   12/12

                                                   12/19

Classic Christmas movie posts on Sundays

                                                   12/1

                                                   12/8

                                                   12/15

                                                   12/22

Two posts on the history of different Christmas traditions

                                                   12/10

                                                   12/20

And a special post on Christmas Eve.

We are so excited to spend the holiday season with all of you!

Thank you for all of your support,

The Think Classic team

"I'm just a musical prostitute, my dear."-Freddie Mercury

This is just a fun post for me, today. As any one of my friends or family members would attest, my favorite band is Queen. Along with many others, I was watching American Idol last night and I had to chuckle a bit when one of the contestants was described as something like Freddie Mercury's lovechild from Woodstock.

So, then I was talking about him and Queen with one of my family members afterwards and I realized that I could most definitely do a post about him on Think Classic, partly because he was a classic rock musician, and partly because I'm the head author so I can do whatever I please.

Freddie Mercury

Born September 5, 1946

Died November 24, 1991

The man that the world knows as "Freddie Mercury" was actually born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar to Parsis parents, Bomi and Jer. There are many people who also do not know that he had a younger sister named Kashmira. Farrokh displayed a keen interest in music during his childhood, so his parents gave him piano lessons while he was in elementary school. He was sent to an all boys boarding school in Bombay in 1954, and it was here that his musical talents truly thrived. He had a musical ear, and could play back almost anything on the piano after hearing it on the radio. By the age of 12 he put together his own band with some of his schoolmates. It was as he began to perform with his band and sometimes on his own, that he decided to start going by the name of Freddie. After graduating from school he returned to his family in Zanzibar.

They did not remain there for long, however. The Zanzibar Revolution began in the 1960s, and Freddie and his family left the country for their own safety, eventually settling in Middlesex, England. Shortly after that, Freddie decided to enroll in what is now West Thames College of West London. He received a degree in art and graphic design. 

After his graduation, Freddie worked various different jobs to get by while he tried to start a musical career. He worked at Heathrow Airport, and spent much of his free time selling clothes in the Kensington Market with his girlfriend, Mary Austin, whom he had met through his good friend and guitarist Brian May.

Finally, in 1970, Freddie (who had now officially adopted the surname of Mercury), Brian May, and one of May's previous bandmates, Roger Taylor, teamed up to create a band of their own. Freddie drew the logo for the new band himself, but when the question arose of what they would call themselves, Freddie boldly picked out a name the others did not feel comfortable with. Freddie persisted and won out, and Queen was formed.

As a band, Queen broke musical boundaries, and wrote some of the best remembered songs of their time. Queen was cutting edge, in every way, and many would say that is due to Freddie. He spent much of his time writing original songs, and his lyrics were cultural, diverse, eloquent, and creative. He also wrote the songs to fit into many different genres like gospel, disco, progressive rock, heavy metal, and many more. During concerts, Freddie never failed to put on a show. He was highly theatrical, always made a point of interacting and connecting with the crowd, and he became known for his flamboyant costumes. He was his very own enigma--always shocking and doing something different, creative or unique, yet at the same time always becoming what the audience wanted. The audience's love made him come alive into an extreme extrovert, that was far from his true off-stage personality.

Whilst continuing to work with Queen, Freddie also made the decision to branch out on his own. As a solo artist, he produced two studio albums, released 3 years apart. The first, Mr. Bad Guy (1985), was a more fun album with dance music. The second, Bacelona (1988), was to many a baffling combination of some of the more popular genres of the day and opera music. Even though neither album rated as high as any of the albums he made with Queen, they were still successful, especially in the UK.

Freddie was intensely private when it came to his personal life, but when he did speak about it, he was open about his bisexuality. He also spoke about his love for long-time girlfriend, Mary Austin, who was the love of his life even after their relationship ended. He also said that she was his only friend, and several of his songs allude to her.

In the spring of 1987, Freddie was diagnosed with AIDS. He did not want the public, especially his fans, to be made aware of his condition, even stating in one of his rare interviews that he tested negative. Despite his success in keeping it a secret, rumors began to spread because of his physical appearance. As time went on he became shockingly thin and gaunt. He stopped working with Queen in the summer of 1991, and then retreated to his home and privacy. Mary Austin came to visit and care for him regularly as his illness progressed. Eventually he reached a low point where he became bedridden and his eyesight began to fail. Miserable, he made the decision to go off his medication. In November of that year, he arranged for a public statement to be released, in which he finally acknowledged his illness to the public, pleading for his privacy to continue. Almost exactly 24 hours after that statement was released, Freddie Mercury died on November 24, 1991. He was 45 years old. Raised in the Zoroastrian religion, he remained devout throughout he life, and a priest conducted his small and private funeral. It is believed that the only person who knows where his ashes were put to rest is Mary Austin, who was granted his estate in his will, which is where she still resides today.

Freddie Mercury once said that he wanted to be a legend. Throughout his career he released 17 studio albums, including the two he put out as a solo artist. He is still remembered and well known all around the world today. There are statues, plaques, and other various tributes to him in many different countries. He has been ranked as one of the greatest rock singers of all time. I think it is safe to say that he got his wish.

"I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend."

-Freddie Mercury

"When I'm dead, I want to be remembered as a musician of some worth and substance."

-Freddie Mercury

If ever I had to choose one song that perfectly described Queen in it's style, genre, content and energy, it would be one of the singles from their 1979 album Jazz, entitled Don't Stop Me Now:

"Move yer bloomin arse!"

It's finally here! The first segment of Musical Mondays!

And we're so glad that you're here to join us.

We figured that for our first segment ever, we would just jump right in with one of our favorites,

so without further ado...

My Fair Lady

1964

Starring Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Stanley Holloway, and Gladys Cooper

In 1964, yet another film adaptation of the famous play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw was released. Though under the different name of My Fair Lady, it tells the same story with the same beloved characters.

Set in the early 1900s, My Fair Lady is about a young Englishwoman who struggles with her social status since she is poor and has a Cockney accent. One evening, a man by the name of Professor Henry Higgins (Harrison), a teacher in diction and elocution who possesses a very short temper, is accompanied by a friend named Colonel Hugh Pickering (Hyde-White), who is also a phonetics expert. The two of them are standing out in the open, discussing their similar interests when Professor Higgins voices his opinion that the only thing that truly determines one's place within society is the way they speak. Colonel Pickering, disbelieving, is assured by Professor Higgins that he could take any common girl off the street and give her lessons so that in time she could be passed off as "a duchess at an embassy ball." Enter Eliza Doolittle (Hepburn). To prove that he is not joking, Professor Higgins singles out Eliza who has a particularly bad Cockney accent. When he tells her what he and the Colonel are discussing, she also thinks he is mad. Plus she is too proud to accept his help, which suits Professor Higgins just fine because he was just pointing her out as an example.

Yet, even after Eliza has parted ways with the two gentlemen, she cannot seem to get the idea out of her head...She is a respectable girl who just has an unfortunate accent. But if Professor Higgins was telling the truth, then she could go to him for lessons and finally get a proper position instead of just selling flowers on the street. She decides to approach Professor Higgins in the hopes of taking him up on his offer. She dresses in her shabby best and makes her way to his house. Eliza tells him that she is a respectable girl who wishes to have speaking lessons and is willing to pay for them. Professor Higgins attempts to brush her aside, not having the time or the patience for her and her pittance of one shilling per lesson, but she refuses to leave. Finally, Colonel Pickering, who is staying with Professor Higgins for the time being, accuses Professor Higgins of not wanting to teach the girl because he thinks he can't do it. So, he offers to pay for Eliza's lessons himself, and encourages Professor Higgins to take the offer. Higgins, insulted that the Colonel thinks he could not make good his boast, finally agrees.

From that time on, Eliza moves into Professor Higgins' house. Day and night, the relentless professor makes her slave away with exercises to improve her speech. She speaks into a recorder for hours pronouncing her vowels, tries to speak with marbles in her mouth in order to enunciate, spends her evenings trying to say little ditties like, "the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain" to further help with her vowels, or "how KIND of you to let me come" to teach her inflection. She spends most of her days in tears because Professor Higgins is so harsh with her. All three of them--Eliza, Professor Higgins, and Colonel Pickering--are beginning to feel utterly hopeless about the whole idea one evening when finally, finally, Eliza understands. Everything just sort of clicks in her brain and she begins to speak properly.

Eliza keeps working and practicing, and therefore improving. Professor Higgins decides to take her for a "test run," so to speak, and tells her she is going to Ascot to see how she does in public with real members of the upper class. Colonel Pickering pulls out all the stops and makes sure she is dressed for the part. On the day of the event, it is obvious that she still needs to practice, yet she makes a favorable impression with everyone present until she gets caught up watching the race and shouts, "Come on, Dover! Move yer bloomin' arse!" Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering take her home to continue to work so that she will be ready for the embassy ball.

The evening of the ball comes and it is evident that Eliza has undergone a complete transformation. She is beautiful, with the manners of a genteel upper class woman, and a speaking voice to match. Higgins and Pickering take her to the ball and everyone there is intrigued by her. She is a big hit, and even dances with a prince from another country. Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering are relieved that she is doing so well. They have a slight moment of tension when she begins to dance with a foreign phonetics expert. However, once the expert says that he is sure that she must be a foreign dignitary of royal blood, Professor Higgins is over the moon. He is ecstatic and when they arrive back at the house late in the evening, he is in a celebratory mood. Eliza, however, is not. She is hurt and frustrated that all of the credit is going to Professor Higgins, while no one shows any appreciation for her or the hard work and effort she put into her lessons, nor her dedication to learn. In fact, Professor Higgins is just as harsh to her after her accomplishments as he was before. The two of them argue, and she walks out on him.

At first, Eliza returns to her home, but she realizes that with her new speaking voice, education and wardrobe, she does not belong there anymore. Not knowing where else to go, Eliza goes to the home of Henry's mother, whom she met at Ascot. Professor Higgins follows her there and the two have a confrontation that does not end well, as she walks out on him again. Professor Higgins returns home telling himself that it's of little to no importance because she's bound to come crawling back to him after all that he has done for her. But as he is faced with the silence of his big, empty house, he comes face-to-face with the realization that it is of great importance to him whether or not she comes back, because he actually cares for her. What if it wasn't an empty threat? What if she really never did come back and he never saw her again? Just then, Eliza surprises him by walking into his study.

"Eliza, you are to stay here for the next six months learning to speak beautifully, like a lady in a florist's shop. If you work hard and do as you're told, you shall sleep in a proper bedroom, have lots to eat, and money to buy chocolates and go for rides in taxis. But if you are naughty and idle, you shall sleep in the back kitchen amongst the black beetles, and be walloped by Mrs. Pearce with a broomstick. At the end of six months you will be taken to Buckingham Palace, in a carriage, beautifully dressed. If the king finds out you are not a lady, you will be taken to the Tower of London where your head will be cut off as a warning to other presumptuous flower girls! But if you are not found out, you shall have a present of...ah...seven and six to start life with as a lady in a shop. If you refuse this offer, you will be the most ungrateful, wicked girl, and the angels will weep for you."

-Professor Henry Higgins

My Fair Lady is a wonderful, fun musical full of humor and a tiny hint of romance. It was nominated for 12 Oscars and won 8 including the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the Academy Award for Original Music Score. If you aren't really accustomed to watching a musical, then we think My Fair Lady would be a perfect starting point.

We will be posting musical tracks from the motion picture on our Facebook page later this evening:

Think Classic Facebook

You can watch the official trailer for My Fair Lady here:

"Whoever is most impertinent has the best chance."-Mozart

Question: What is more classic than classical music?

Answer: Nothing!

I admit, classical music is one of those types of things where, if you're not accustomed to it, it can be somewhat more difficult to appreciate. I come from a family with an appreciation and in some cases love for classical music. Naturally, I didn't pay as much attention to it when I was younger, but I love it now. And not to seem cliche, but one of my favorite classical composers is Mozart.

The Man:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Born January 27, 1756

Died December 5, 1791

Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was born in the winter of 1756 in Salzburg. It comes as no surprise that one of the world most famous composers took an interest in music from an early age. Both of Mozart's parents were musical; particularly his father, Leopold, who was a composer and music teacher, who even published successful textbooks on instruments. Mozart also had an older sister, Maria Anna, who was a very talented musician. Leopold Mozart educated his daughter on the clavier, and while her talent was considerable, it was his 3 year old son who seemed desperate to learn. Leopold was amused at his son's interest, so he began to pick out and play various tunes on the keyboard to entertain him. Amazingly, the young Mozart would listen and then play them back to his father perfectly from memory.

Mozart's obvious genius for music did not stop there. He was only a mere 5 years of age when he composed his first complete pieces of music. His sister claimed that he did so spontaneously, and would then come to his father and play them. Leopold would then write down the notes on sheets of paper.Mozart and his sister were formally trained in all subjects, with emphasis on music, by their father at home. When Maria Anna and her younger brother were 11 and 6 respectively, they went as a family to tour Europe. In front of royal courts and crowds of strangers, the two children unabashedly displayed their musical talents. It was during this tour that historical accounts say Mozart met the future Marie Antoinette and said that he loved her and asked her to marry him. Undoubtedly the course of history would have been very different for them both if that had happened. Besides royalty, Mozart's father had high hopes that this tour would bring his son face to face with famous musical names of the day, in order to further educate him on different styles and genres. Such introductions and acquaintances were made, particularly with Johann Christian Bach, whom Mozart greatly admired.

Traveling so extensively was very difficult, and sometimes even dangerous, during that time period. After serious bouts of illness it was decided that Mozart and his father would continue on while Maria Anna and Anna Maria would remain in Salzburg. It was on a visit to Italy that they were privileged to be invited to listen to a performance of Miserere--a closely guarded and seldom shared treasure of the Vatican in Rome. Afterwards, Mozart wrote it out in it's entirety from memory, therefore producing the first unauthorized copy of the musical piece.

Once the European tours ended and Mozart returned to Salzburg he was officially employed by Prince-Archbishop Heironymus Colloredo as a court musician. While this was a very good step for developing his music, 17 year old Mozart was unhappy with this position. As his musical abilities grew even more, he had a desperate desire to compose opera, but there was no place for this in the city. On a more basic level, he disliked the lowliness of the position and it's accompanying low salary. He officially resigned in 1777 and went to look for employment elsewhere.

Mozart wandered through various different cities but could not find work, despite his popularity. While he was travelling in 1778 his mother, Anna Maria, died. This further decreased his desire to return to the confines of Salzburg, since he was very fond of his mother. Unfortunately, he would be forced to return in 1779 to accept a position that his father had set up for him as a concertmaster and court organist. The tension was still there between Mozart and his employers and it only increased over time.

Mozart accompanied his opera Indomeneo to Munich in 1781. The people of the city loved his new work and hailed him with praise that he felt was only rightfully deserved. When that praise did not extend to his employers in Salzburg, Mozart attempted to resign from his position but he was not granted permission until a month later when he was literally kicked out. Mozart dusted himself off and was happy to finally have the freedom to compose what he wished for whomever he liked. He decided that he would stay in Vienna, and things seemed to be going well. The city was kind to him, work was good, and it was during this time that, after a rocky and whirlwind courtship, he was married to Constanze Weber in 1782.

This seemingly blissful period did not last long, however. Mozart was a terrible manager and steward of his finances and insisted on living beyond his means. He and his new wife moved into a fashionable house in the city, and even hired servants. It was difficult for a freelance solo musician to acquire performance space within theaters and opera houses, so Mozart was reduced to booking any public venue he could find. Following the major success of two of his most important works, The Marriage of Figaro (1786) and Don Giovanni (1787), Mozart began to sink into financial insecurity and depression.

There is evidence as early as 1788 that Mozart was desperate to make ends meet. He was composing less and begging for money more. He sloughed through the next 3 years until things finally started to look up in 1791. The fact that he began to compose with passion again suggests that he was overcoming his depression. He also began to sell simpler compositions as well as work for hire. The letters from the Mozart household begging for money began to stop, and he slowly began to pay off his debts. Unfortunately, Mozart began to struggle with illness in the fall of 1791 while he was traveling for his work. He continued to push forward until he became seriously ill and bedridden on November 20, 1791. To this day it is not known what ailed the young composer. There are medical theories of all kinds, from complicated and extremely rare kidney disorders, to the much more basic diagnosis of rheumatic fever. He remained ill until his death at the age of 35 on December 5, 1791. By the time of his death, the musical genius had written 64 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, 5 violin concertos, 4 horn concertos, 7 woodwind concertos, 18 piano sonatas, 36 violin sonatas, 23 string quartets, 6 string quintets, 13 serenades, 14 marches, 18 masses, 17 church sonatas, 8 pieces of organ music, 22 operas, 39 canons, and much more, amounting to 1000 pieces of music total.

The Movie:

Amadeus

1984

Starring Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, and F. Murray Abraham

The film is based around a trifle of a feud between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Hulce) and the Italian composer Antonio Salieri (Abraham). While it is true that there are letters which show Mozart expressed some frustration towards Salieri (and vice versa) for various reasons, the two never had an extensive and bitter feud as the plot in this film suggests.

The story is narrated by a dying Salieri to a priest after he has tried to commit suicide so as to atone for his sins towards the great composer Mozart, long since deceased. He tells about his passion for music which has been kindled since childhood, and how he vowed to God to devote his career to Him. He began to gain success and then was astonished to find the flighty, vulgar, ridiculous and immature youth of Mozart come into court life and begin to steal his glory. Throughout the movie a remarkably accurate account of Mozart's life and career is portrayed, from his first employment with the court, to his marriage to Constanze (Berridge), to his great financial difficulties, depression, illness, and eventually his death.

It is revealed that Salieri feels responsible for Mozart's death by competing with him and praying for his own success so that it drove Mozart to his untimely death. Throughout his narrative, Salieri reveals his bitterness at the fact that Mozart, who outshone him in every way despite his own equally impressive musical talents, was treated as a god who laughed in the face at Salieri's achievements. The movie ends wit Salieri dubbing himself the Patron Saint of Mediocrity, and he is shown blessing all the other invalids in the asylum as Mozart's high-pitched laugh can be heard.

"Nevertheless the passions, whether violent or not, should never be so expressed as to reach the point of causing disgust; and music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music."

-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

"I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings."

-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Despite the fact that it probably can't truly be classified as a classic film since it was released in the 1980s, I adore Amadeus. I've owned it on VHS since I was a tiny tot and I have watched that tape over and over again so many times that I am amazed that it still works. It was also enormously successful at the time of it's release, being nominated for 11 Academy Awards and winning 8. It is also worth pointing out that, other than exaggerating the feud between Mozart and Salieri, the film is a historically accurate portrayal and representation of Mozart's life, which also (of course) features much of his beautiful and extraordinary music.

Here is the trailer of the film: