jmc's classics
Christmas music is being played now. There are many new songs with no religious meaning. One of my favorite carols is Gabriel's Message. it was made popular in the 1980's by the British Rock singer Sting. This song is based on a Basque melody. The Basques are a minority in Spain and southern France. They have a distinct language and culture. Their language is not related to French Spanish or any other Indo-European language. The Basque people are traditionally Catholic. The melody dates from the 13th or 14th Century. It is about the Annunciation which is March 25 when the Archangel Gabriel Told the Virgin Mary that when would bare the Christ Child. The Biblical narrative from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke verses 26-38 and 46-55. it was collected by Charles Bordes and translated in to English by Sabine Baring-Gould who was an Anglican priest. Baring-Gold also wrote the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" The melody is somewhat haunting but enjoyable. Luke 1:46-55 is what is known as the Magnificat or Mary's Magnificat. This is when The Virgin Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth (the mother of St. John the Baptist). It is one of the most ancient Christian hymns. It has been set to music by many composers over the centuries. It is usually sung in Latin. Now that the Catholic church do not use Latin as a liturgical language, it is sung in the vernacular. I find this song enjoyable and uplifting. I like the Sting versiion of it. However I like it better when it is sung by a choir.
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