Songs of Christmas

Now that it's actually December, I let myself acknowledge the local radio station that plays only Christmas songs from November 'til New Years. I like many of the songs they play, especially the classics like this, this and this, but sometimes I wonder at what gets classified as a Christmas song. Who knew this was a Christmas song? Or this or this?

Thinking of what is considered a Christmas song gets me reminiscing about, way back in college, when the music school put on a Holiday Festival every year. It was a massive production; all the choirs, orchestras and band members crammed themselves onto the not-very-large stage and put on a 2 or 3hr show, five times in one weekend. It was a huge smash with the audiences; tickets sold out every year, several months before the concert.

Notwithstanding the commercial success and enjoyment of these concerts, for those students participating, it was a weekend to dread. Not only did the singers stand on risers the entire length of each concert (reminding ourselves not to lock out knees so as not to pass out), we sang the same material year after year. By my senior year, I was ready to be done with the whole Holiday Festival nonsense.

All that being said, there really was some great stuff performed! One of my favorites was one called "Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree". An odd title, I know. It's a song by Elizabeth Poston using a poem from an anonymous poet. I love the song and I love the lyrics, but I'm not sure it really qualifies as a Christmas song. Here are the lyrics, you decide:

Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree
The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fuit and always green
The tree of life my soul hath seen
Laden with fruit and always green
The trees of nature fruitless be
Compared with Christ the apple tree

His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne'er can tell
His beauty doth all things excel
By faith I know but ne'er can tell
The glory which I now can see
In Jesus Christ the apple tree

For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
For happiness I long have sought
And pleasure dearly I have bought
I missed of all but now I see
'Tis found in Christ the apple tree

I'm weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
I'm weary with my former toil
Here I will sit and rest a while
Under the shadow I will be
Of Jesus Christ the apple tree

This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
This fruit does make my soul to thrive
It keeps my dying faith alive
Which makes my soul in haste to be
With Jesus Christ the apple tree

Still, Christmas song or not, it's beautiful!