In which the War On Christmas meets its match in the Campaign Against Ignorance

My friendslist has been filled in the past few days with preparations for, and celebrations of, and music leading up to and in to, the Christmas holiday now three days hence. Many of them are coming from friends of the Jewish faith- some more observant than others- but all of whom, to varying degrees, are wrapping presents, and passing on wishes to their Christian brethren and sistren for merryness in our holiday (which they ::shudder:: refer to by its actual name). Most to the point here, some of these entries recall and name the songs of the season which still have meaning to them. Not all of them are the secular creations of the past few decades, either, but many are traditional renditions or modern covers of the sacred pieces of centuries gone by.

One such recollection came from a fellow Great Big Sea fan in the Boston area, who posted a meme of songs and carols, highlighting the ones she knew best. I know her to be Jewish, but I also know her to be a music lover of the highest order, and among the selections she picked out were a bunch which I had (and, turns out, so did she) on a Chieftains Christmas album called The Bells of Dublin.

I found our copy, and was playing it in the car last night after retrieving Emily from the Darth Mall, and when it got to Marianne Faithfull's version of "I Saw Three Ships," I could hear the revelation in her voice as she said, "Wow, why don't they play songs like this on the Christmas music station?"

That's when it hit me. In our endless quest for political correctness, we are starving an entire generation of access to musical roots that are leaving them far poorer for it, whatever or if-ever their faith. I hate to think of an age, when I'm rotting in a nursing home, where the only meanings of this season will be Bruce Springsteen asking Santa to get Clarence a new saxophone, or some pathetic kid writing for some mack shoes for his dying mother.

Handel, Beethoven, just about all of the masters honored this season, and its stated Biblical meaning, without getting all namby-pamby about it. Even Leonard Bernstein, who last I checked was Jewish, wrote a variation on the Latin Mass that is perhaps the most significant piece of sacred music from the last century. (Full disclosure: we like that piece. We used part of it in our wedding service.) Try to find a copy of it around here, though, and you will go waiting one very long time. Plenty of Celine Dion albums in the library, though.

Sure, there may be some Islamo-fascists, or some atheisto-fascists, or some extremim-Hasidim who take offense. They're borderline psychotics and should be ignored.  Hell, we have fundies within and sects on the edge of our own faith who think Christmas is a bad idea and they don't want any observance of it. Ignore them, too.

Just listen. You don't have to believe in the message, but you have to love the messengers for the quality and the history and the majesty in what they're offering, even if the only deity they're offering it to is you.

Here are just a few from the Chieftains collection worthy of your time:

Il Est Né- Kate and Anna McGarrigle (as in Rufus Wainwright's mother and aunt) cover this French carol with sweetness.

I Saw Three Ships- the aforementioned coming of all ye Marianne Faithfull.

O Come All Ye Faithful- speaking of which, the finale of the album and always moving to me, whether in English, Latin or both.

O Holy Night- Rickie Lee Jones adds her voice to the chorus.

St. Stephens Day Murders- ok, not the most uplifting of titles, but hey, it's Elvis. Costello, that is.

And then there's this one, written especially for the album, by Jackson Browne. Since it's not as familiar as the others, I thought I'd splat the lyrics to it, because they make my point perhaps more convincingly, and with far better music, than this or any effort I could make:

The Rebel Jesus

All the streets are filled with laughter and light
And the music of the season
And the merchants windows are all bright
With the faces of the children
And the families hurrying to their homes
As the sky darkens and freezes
Theyll be gathering around the hearths and tales
Giving thanks for all gods graces
And the birth of the rebel jesus

Well they call him by the prince of peace
And they call him by the savior
And they pray to him upon the seas
And in every bold endeavor
As they fill his churches with their pride and gold
And their faith in him increases
But theyve turned the nature that I worshipped in
From a temple to a robbers den
In the words of the rebel jesus

We guard our world with locks and guns
And we guard our fine possessions
And once a year when christmas comes
We give to our relations
And perhaps we give a little to the poor
If the generosity should seize us
But if any one of us should interfere
In the business of why they are poor
They get the same as the rebel jesus

But please forgive me if I seem
To take the tone of judgement
For Ive no wish to come between
This day and your enjoyment
In this life of hardship and of earthly toil
We have need for anything that frees us
So I bid you pleasure
And I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel jesus.

Merry Christmas. Whether you observe it or not.