#LightTheWorld Day Fifteen - Jesus Worshipped Through Song and So Can You

This one is actually an easy one.... I love music.  Pretty much all kinds of music.  No on Scream Metal garbage and no on Extemporaneous Jazz.... but other than that, I can pretty much find something to appreciate in most pieces of music.  Some I like more than others.... I will always have a spot in my heart for choir music, chamber music, piano concertos and the 1812 Overture.  Oh, and Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5.  I love me some Peter, Paul & Mary; the Beatles; CCR and Linda Ronstadt.  I love Carol King, Carly Simon and SHOWTUNES!  Honestly, what's not to love?  Matt and I met singing in Madrigals in high school and my life has been infinitely blessed by the power, joy and emotion of music.

In the Doctrine and Covenants 25:12 we read:

For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."

I know in my life, there have been times where I have not felt worthy to pray or to ask for help, but I was able to feel the Spirit through music.  Music has the ability to soften hearts and make eyes leak.  Some of my most emotional, cathartic moments have come through music and it truly is a universal language which breaks down barriers and communicates when words fail.

There is something especially poignant about Christmas music; the majestic nature and quiet dignity that I can imagine was present on that first Christmas night when the angels heralded the arrival of the Son of God.

Because I love music so much, this post is going to contain a lot of examples, instances, and if I can figure out how, some links to some of my very favorite Christmas music.

One of my very favorite childhood memories of music came from my time in the Salt Lake Children's Choir.  I was fortunate enough to perform with this group for six years, and I will forever be grateful for the things I learned, the relationships I formed and the peace I felt through my association with this choir.  Every year, our Christmas concert was held in the Cathedral of the Madeline in downtown Salt Lake.  It is a beautiful cathedral but always seemed a little weird and a little haunted to my mind.  After my first three years with the choir, I got the opportunity to sing what has become one of my favorite pieces.  It was an amazing experience because the atmosphere was quiet and reverent and the only sound heard was a group of young people, walking two by two down the length of this grand cathedral.





Fast forward a few years and I am a senior in high school.  This is when I first met Matt.  Our very first Christmas performance that year was held at a church.  It was a luncheon for a chapter of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.  As a matter of fact, there were two of my grandma's sisters in attendance at this event, so I wanted it to be extra good.  As was customary for our group, each member could sign up to perform a solo at a concert during the season.  It just so happened that this was one of the performances Matt signed up for.  He had spent a great deal of time learning "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and some of its accompanying history.  After what was a very long introduction, Matt prepared to sing a few select verses from this hymn.  In front of everyone, the piano started to play and Matt went silent!  He couldn't remember the words.  There were several attempts to start and after what seemed like an eternity, someone threw a hymn book at him and he was able to complete the task.  I was dying!  Luckily for all of us, this was the last time that he thought he could "wing it."  He has always been prepared since this fateful day.  Although this recording is not him, it has a little of the background and is one of my favorite hymns.  This version and narration is beautiful.





This was just one of many memorable musical moments that year.  Right before Christmas, we found our small Madrigal group on the porch of my Great-Uncle Phil and Aunt Carol's home.  Aunt Carol was very sick and would pass away before the snow melted.  I'll never forget singing to them that night and watching my Uncle Phil's eyes "leak."  Coincidentally, my dad's eyes leak in much the same way.

In 1999, at Christmas, I was pregnant with Erin and we had just moved into our first home.  Matt was still singing; this time with the Chamber Singers at Westminster College.  He was something of an anomaly; he was married.  More than that, we were expecting a baby.  I sat through lots of concerts that winter and listened to them sing a song called Betelehemu; a Nigerian carol.  Although again, the recording featured below is not Matt singing, you can get a feel for the difficulty of the music.  Erin LOVED this song and would go nuts and wiggle and kick every time the drums would start.



I could literally go on all night with all of the fantastic Christmas music that I love.  It features prominently in our home and starts in September.  One of the last songs I want to leave you with is from a program entitled The Forgotten Carols. I am not generally one to suggest or love a lot of contemporary Mormon music, but I can relate so well to this song; it gets me every single time.  The premise behind the story is that the songs tell the tales of those individuals who were present on the night Christ was born; the shepherds, the innkeeper, the wisemen and the angels.  This imagining of Handel auditioning for the heavenly choir to announce Christ's birth truly testifies to me of the holiness and wonder of the blessed event.



I am so grateful for good music.  For thoughts and feelings and inspiration that comes because of it.  And I have to say that sharing music is definitely one of the best ways I know to #LightTheWorld.

I am including the labor of love that is our family's 2007 Christmas card.  That year, everyone on the list got a CD, custom made with our very favorite Christmas songs.  Over the years, I have had people tell me that this is still their favorite and that they listen to the music every year during the Christmas season.  Below is the play list, and also the liner notes.... so you can read about why we picked each of the songs.

Pierce Ultimate Christmas Playlist

Deck The Halls – SHeDAISY – One of our family’s all-time favorite Christmas songs.  It’s great to hear some of the old standards re-mastered. If you stop by our house any time after Halloween, there’s a good chance that this album will be playing.  We hope that you and your family enjoy dancing around the house and singing as loudly as we do!

Baby It’s Cold Outside – Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel -  We love ELF!  This song is featured in the movie and our girls love it!  It has become a holiday staple.  You haven’t lived until you watch Erin & Allie take turns singing each part.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings – The Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan.  This one is a favorite of Matt’s and not just because he gets to say “barenaked ladies.”  He loves the interplay between the two songs, the voices of the singers and the making of the old, new. 

Mele Kalikimaka – Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters – Ecclectic, yes, but what says Christmas more than Cousin Eddy in a leopard print Speedo?  But seriously, we’re probably the only people under the age of 75 who own albums by Bing Crosby AND the Andrews Sisters.  This is just a fun song and one that always brings a smile to our faces.

One More Sleep Till Christmas – Kermit the Frog – We are big Muppet fans at our house and we take great stock in the wisdom of Jim Henson and his alter-ego, Kermit the Frog.  This song captures the wonder and excitement that we all feel on Christmas Eve.  It is a time to put away all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday and enjoy the celebration of the season.

The Christmas Wish – John Denver & The Muppets.  “Christmas is the time to come together, a time to put all differences aside.”  How true this is, and how great it would be if  we could carry the spirit of Christmas in our hearts throughout the year.

Thank God For Kids – The Oakridge Boys – Christmas as a parent is something that has surpassed all of our expectations.  Christmas has always been a special time to us, but how fortunate we feel to be able to enjoy it with our children.  

A Soalin’- Peter, Paul & Mary – This song represents one of the many Aha! moments Matt and Rebekah had that said, “you two are supposed to be together.”  We were both raised by fans of PP&M, and the fact that we were children of the 80’s and both knew this song was a sign!  Grandpa Pierce loves to play this song on his guitar, and our children love to hear and sing it.

O Tannenbaum – Vince Guaraldi Trio – Our entire family loves this song, or more accurately, the movie that it comes from, A Charlie Brown Christmas.  As Charlie Brown searches for, and seemingly fails at finding the perfect Christmas tree, we hear him ask, “Isn’t there anyone who can tell me what Christmas is all about?”  Linus responds by reciting the story of the birth of Christ in a manger, and reminds us all that it isn’t the fancy trimmings that make Christmas special, but the love of friends and family.

Candlelight Carol – Salisbury Cathedral Choir – This song is what started this whole idea.  It came to us on a flight from England in 2006.  While we were there, we were so lucky to be able to tour Salisbury Cathedral.  The choir was singing and it was so beautiful that we wanted to share this experience and  some of our favorite songs with our friends and family.  We love this song – the music makes our spirits soar!

Song For A Winter’s Night – Sarah McLachlan – Our favorite line from this song is, “I would be happy just to hold the hand I love.”   Every year when this song is played, it is a reminder to us to be grateful for the simple pleasures in life, to hold hands and spend time with those who are so special to us.  That’s all that really matters.

Where Are You Christmas? – Faith Hill – When we started brainstorming which songs would go on this CD, this was the first song mentioned by both Erin & Allie.  They love listening to Cindy Lou Who sing this song in the movie about the Grinch.  All we can say is that Faith Hill had better watch out, because she’s got two little Pierce girls who are moving in on her territory.

The Night Before Christmas – Carly Simon – We love this song because it expresses the sentiment that everybody has the joyous opportunity to celebrate Christmas.  “You don’t have to be a child to love the mystery.”  Our favorite part of the song is actually at the very end, when you hear Carly Simon start to sing the words to the poem by Clement Clark Moore.

Sweet Is the Song – Salt Lake Children’s Choir – Although not a well-known carol, this song by one of Rebekah’s former choir directors is sung beautifully by the angelic voices of children.  “Sweet be the music we now to you bring, singing of Him who is ever our King.”

Carol of the Bells – Kurt Bestor – From the beginning Rebekah has never been a morning person.  And yet, during December, you will find her up very early in the morning, sitting in the dark, with only the lights of the Christmas trees listening to soft, instrumental Christmas music.  This song is one of her favorites.

Silent Night – Julie Andrews – Erin was adamant that this song make our list, and out of 20+ versions that we own, this was the one that she picked.  Maybe it’s because Julie Andrews plays Mary Poppins and Maria von Trapp in movies that she loves, or maybe it’s because she just has a beautiful voice.  Either way, when we think of angels announcing to the shepherds the birth in Bethlehem, we think they probably sounded something like her.

O Holy Night – Manheim Steamroller – As we count our blessings this season, we are so thankful for the life and death of Jesus Christ and for the redemptive power of His love.

Light One Candle – Peter, Paul & Mary -  If there’s one thing we’ve learned in 2007, it’s that this world is bigger than any one of us but we all have a part to play.  We feel blessed at Christmas to remember the people that are important to us and who make the world a better place (we love you Uncle Dave!)  We hope that we will all strive to be a force for good in this world and we look forward with hope to a bright future.

Finally, I am adding one last video; because I really loved it when I saw it last year.  Take some time to watch and listen to all this wonderful music.... and know that on any given day there could be a thousand different songs that touch my heart.  I am so grateful for the talents I have been blessed with and for the talents of others who bless my life and bring light to the world.