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THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, dEcEmbER 21, 2019
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Lucy Kleiner
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Holiday music’s power
An annual source of warmth, community and joy
Christmas music
has the power to
elevate our spirits.
Jo Pomeroy
By DENISE REED
H
oliday music brings us together.
We all like to hear and sing the
music of the season.
It begins with the notes
Music has the power to take us to
another place — to create order out of
chaos. This order is communicated by
musical notations — symbols written
on the musical staff.
The way music makes you feel is
not accidental.
The different ordering of musical
notes was originally established as
“modes” to evoke a particular emo-
tion. Most people, even those with no
musical training, can tell you when
music makes them feel happy or sad.
The composers of carols and holiday
songs chose to order the notes to make
you happy, nostalgic or warm and
fuzzy inside. Technically, it’s the dis-
tance between notes in a scale that pro-
duces the different emotional effects
of the sounds.
Good vibrations
More importantly, Christmas music
makes us feel amiable toward fellow
humans — we like each other more
and send out good vibes.
Actually, the word “vibes” is
derived from the musical term “vibra-
tions.” In the book, “The Secret Power
of Music,” David Tame says all nature
is composed of one basic substance or
energy. According to music scholars,
this energy is vibration. This is what
musically connects us with each other
and connects the performer to the
audience.
Come together
Many cultures have holiday tradi-
tions that revolve around music. For
instance, my holiday music tradition
was to play all of the records from the
“Christmas at the Fireside” record.
I’ve lost the record now, but my son
asks about the songs without fail every
Christmas Eve and his favorite is still
“Masters in this Hall.”
Other North Coast residents listen
to the musical rendition of “Twas the
Night Before Christmas” with their
family every year. Another commu-
nal tradition, which the North Coast
Chorale will renew this year, is attend-
ing “Amahl and the Night Visitors,”
which was repeated for 12 years as a
Christmas Eve television event in the
‘50s.
Of course, Christmas caroling is a
classic holiday activity that brings us
closer to our neighbors. And let us not
forget the annual North Coast perfor-
mance of “Handel’s Messiah.”
Looking back
I recall an event I attended every
year in Chicago at the Moody Bible
Institute. The musicians would sing
and play holiday music for hours. The
free event was professionally prepared
and excellently performed for an audi-
ence that would come and go at their
leisure but could stay for the entire
show.
My family always attended, even
when my son was so young he would
fall asleep 39 minutes into the concert.
My daughter remembers a John Rutter
song she still hums today, “The Shep-
herds Pipe Carol,” which happens to
be a North Coast Chorale favorites as
well.
Ubuntu
Music renews us. Certain rhythms
are considered lullabies, and a number
of holiday music composed uses these
rhythms. The rocking motion these
time signatures produce take us back
to a safe and warm place — our moth-
er’s wombs.
When we sing, we activate the
love hormone, oxytocin, which can
enhance feelings of trust and bonding.
In South Africa, there is a concept
known as “ubuntu” which roughly
translate to “I am becuase we are.” In
other words, we realize our humanity
by our relationships with other people.
This can be seen through singing with
others, empathizing with others and
caring for others. We are energized,
and that energy is renewable every
year during the holidays.
Holiday game
Below is a list of popular holiday
songs. Each letter represents a word in
the first line of that holiday tune. Can
you decipher them all?
1. HYAMLC
2.TFNTADS
3. JTTWTLIC
4. SBSBICTITC
5. SNHNAICAIB
6. JBJBJBR
7. CROAOFJFNAYN
8. JOSLYETW
9.UOTHRPOJGOSC
10. OTFDOCMTLGTM
11. ICUAMC
12. AIAMNCFAB
13. WCITWLTR
14. IDOAWCJLTOIUTK
15. ISMKSCUTMLN
16. WWYAMC
17. AIWFCIMTFT
Answers on b2
denise Reed is the conductor of the
North coast chorale.