Note to Self (after a chatroom exchange reminds Self why she does not like this other person)

[capri0mni]

Tis ill for a mind to anger inclined
To think of small injuries now,
If wrath be to seek, do not lend her your cheek,
Nor let her inhabit thy brow.
Cross out of thy books malevolent looks,
Both beauty and youth's decay,
And wholly consort with mirth and with sport
To drive the cold winter away.

(Second verse of a 17th Century English Christmas Carol)

Comments

[alto2.livejournal.com]

Have you heard Loreena McKennitt's wonderful setting of this text? It's quite lovely. I'd never really noticed the text before, but now that it's running through my head, I am going to have to go listen...

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

No, but yesterday, I bought an MP3 of the song done by Lisa Theriot from Amazon that's quite nice.

I might just have to build up a collection of different versions of this song. I love the old melodies and harmonies; it can be sung either jolly or a bit melancholy, or an equal measure of both, depending on how it's approached.

A little bit more difficult with "Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!!" Though "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" comes close.

[alto2.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I didn't know there was another setting! Cool!

I don't have my full iTunes library with me at the moment, or I'd send you the song (I have it on the iPod, but that's a bit like having it locked up in Fort Knox). I'll try to remember it when I get home. I actually need to sit down and listen to this whole disc again, since Christmas just isn't right without it. You can listen to a sample of it here and I'd imagine you could snag it from iTunes or Amazon if you like it and don't want to wait (or depend on my memory!).

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Since they didn't do standardized titles back then, the way we do now, you may have to do a bit of a search to find different versions.

I've seen this song listed as "In Praise of Christmas" but I found the mp3 I got yesterday as "All Hail to the Days" And then, I've also seen it under the title "(to) Drive the cold winter away"