clutching cups of hot cocoa, cozying up around a fire, or

Let’s rejoice, it’s Christmas!
Y o u 'v e su ng t h e m w hil e
clutching cups of hot cocoa,
cozying up around a fire,
or
stomping through snowdrifts
Y o u 'v e h e a rd t h e m p la y e d in
shopping malls,
churches,
and holiday parties.
Y o u k no w a l l t h e i r wor d s b y h e a rt .
B ut do yo u k no w ho w
s o m e of t h e wo r ld 's be s t - k n o wn C h r i st m a s c a r o l s
w e r e c r e at ed ?
http://mentalfloss.com/article/60596/origins-10-popular-christmas-carols
S i l e nt n igh t
G l o s s ar y
Compose a score:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
comporre un arrangiamento, unaorchestrazione
W ho wrote S ilen t n igh t , accordi ng to the l egend?
W as he B ri ti sh?
W hat was wrong wi th the organ ?
I s t h a t a r e a l s t o r y?
Did he write the poem at St Nicholas Church?
W a s t h e m u s i c w r i t t e n t o b e p l a ye d o n t h e o r g a n ?
The legend behind one of the most popular Christmas carols in the world plays out as a sort of Christmas miracle.
The story goes that Father Joseph Mohr of Oberndorf, Austria, was determined to have music at his Christmas Eve
service, even though the organ at his beloved St Nicholas Church was broken. So, he penned a poem and asked
his friend Franz Gruber to compose a score for it that would not demand an organ. The truth; however, is a little
less dramatic.
In 1816, the Catholic priest wrote the poem "StilleNacht! HeiligeNacht!" while stationed at a pilgrim church in
Mariapfarr, Austria. When he transferred to St. Nicholas's two years later, he did ask Gruber to help him write guitar
music for the poem, which the two performed—backed by a choir—on Christmas Eve of 1818. "Silent Night" was
translated into English more than 40 years later by Episcopal priest John Freeman Young, who is responsible for
the version Americans favor. The song has been translated into 142 languages to date.
S a nt a C l au s e i s co min g t o t o wn
Glossary
tune:
mirth:
grief:
vaudevillian:
ditty:
subway ride:
warning:
pout:
melodia, brano, motivo musicale
felicità, allegria, atmosfera di festa
sentimento di tristezza, soprattutto per la perdita di qualcuno
di ‘artista del varietà’
semplice canzoncina
giro in metropolitana
avvertimento, avviso
fare ilbroncio
Written by James "Haven" Gillespie, this jolly tune was first performed on American singer Eddie
Cantor's 1____ in 1934. But for all its mirth, its inspiration came from a place of grief. In his
2____ Stories Behind the Greatest Hits of Christmas, Ace Collins explains how Gillespie was a vaudevillianturned-songwriter who'd fallen on hard times, both 3____ and personally. Gillespie got the call to pen
a 4____ tune for Cantor just after learning his brother had died.
Initially, he rejected the5____, feeling too overcome with grief to consider writing a playful holiday
6____. But a subway ride recollecting his childhood with his 7____ and his mother's warnings that
Santa was watching changed his 8____. He had the lyrics in fifteen9____, then called in composer
John Coots to make up the music that would become a big 10____ within 24 hours of its debut.
book
job
hit
ditty
radio show
minutes
financially
mind
Christmas
brother
Setting sail
English course for adult learners
Pina Mastroeni
Deck the halls
jaunty:
spigliato, spavaldo
to deck:
decorare (con qlc.)
holly:
agrifoglio
mistletoe:
vischio
I’m dreaming of a white Xmas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iEfX6AvfYI
Happy Xmas – war is over
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csyI_AwNRCY
reindeer:
renna
shiny:
brillante, scintillante, lucente
toglow:
risplende, manda bagliori
glee:
allegria
Let it snow
http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/songs/christmas/let-itsnow.html
Corn for popping:
granturco per fare i popcorn
Setting sail
English course for adult learners
Pina Mastroeni
Jingle bells
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1knAzs-YTE
Lean and lank:
gradevole
magro ed emaciato /di aspetto poco
drifted bank:
argineinstabile
I wish you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-OF7KGyDis
Rocking around the Xmas tree
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3HJgCcSUqQ