Music for the Twelvetide: the Twelve Days of Christmas! PART 2
Josh Rodriguez
by Frank Felice
PART 1 can be found here.
Dec. 31 – New Year’s Eve (Feast of St Sylvester - Silvester) – Day Seven
In legend, Saint Sylvester is the saint who converted emperor Constantine, and he is celebrated on the last day of the year by western churches (eastern churches celebrate him on the 2nd of January). Typical celebrations for this feast feature a Watchnight service or midnight mass. While I get the idea that this feast is quite celebratory, again, there is little music to be found to celebrate this by art music composers. However, I found this excellent Irish early music singer named Caitriona O’Leary who has a carol whose subject matter is Saint Sylvester (she also has one on the feast day of St Stephen, too).
Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day (Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – also, in this Christmas octave, this season’s Feast of the Holy Family, the first Sunday after Christmas) Christmas Octave ends - Day Eight
The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is a feast day of the virgin Mary and her motherhood; Pope Paul VI explained:
"This celebration, placed on January 1 ...is meant to commemorate the part played by Mary in this mystery of salvation. It is meant also to exalt the singular dignity which this mystery brings to the holy Mother...through whom we were found worthy to receive the Author of life.”
There are many songs and hymns written to honor Mary, and her own canticle (the Magnificat) is well represented during advent. However, like many of the other twelve days of Christmas, there is little specific art music (concert or worship) written for this feast aside from chant – yet this motet by William Byrd on the text “Salve sancta parens enixa puerpera Regem” is one that is performed with some regularity
Jan. 2 – Feast of St Basil and of St Gregory – Day Nine
This is another feast day that is celebrated on different days according to various denominations – however, in the western Catholic church, this day celebrates two fourth century saints from Asia Minor, in what was then known as Cappadocia. Both were renowned for their learning and faith, and Gregory presided over the council that approved the Nicene Creed. Gregory is also credited with bringing Christianity to the Armenians, and this act is celebrated in the Prayer of St Gregory by Alan Hovhaness. While not festive, this is a beautiful work that deserves a larger audience.
Jan. 3 – Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus – Day Ten
Also held or celebrated on different days by various denominations or relegated as an ‘optional’ memorial, this is simply due to the fact that the object of this feast is amply celebrated on other days or feast, including the Solemnity of Mary, the Feast of the Circumcision, et al, each on January 1st. There is a fair amount of music composed on the adoration of the Holy Name (the hymn All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name for instance), but less so composed specifically for this, the tenth day of Christmas. I came across this motet of Jacob Handl written to honor the name of Christ that is simple and adoring in a manner befitting its sacred theme.
Jan. 4 – St Elizabeth Ann Seton – Day Eleven
This feast day seems to be exclusive to the Anglican or Episcopalian church – St. Seton was an American Catholic sister who founded the first girl’s school in the United States as well as the first American congregation of sisters, the Sisters of Charity. She was the first American born saint and was canonized relatively recently in 1975 – consequently there is not a lot of music surrounding this feast day in her honor – here is a piano rendition of a hymn written to celebrate one of the schools name after her.
Jan. 5 – Epiphany – The Twelfth Day of Christmas! – Twelfth Night
Lord’s a’leapin’! We made it!
In western Christianity, this is the day that commemorates the arrival of the Magi into Bethlehem, but in eastern Christianity, the baptism of Jesus is also celebrated. It is also known as Theophany in the east, a feast day that celebrates the revelation of the incarnate God in Jesus. Part of the celebration on this day involves eating Three King’s Cake, having one’s house blessed, and much singing. Two popular carols are associated with Epiphany. As with Gladness Men of Old, and of course We Three Kings of Orient Are. Johann Sebastian Bach composed two cantatas for this day, and part six of his Christmas Cantata was meant to be performed for Epiphany as well.
Jan. 6 - Little Christmas – (also Epiphany – Twelfth Night)
Well. Hang on….. what’s this?
In yet another of those situations where various branches of the Christian faith do not quite see eye-to-eye on things, some denominations celebrate Epiphany on the 6th of January. (This is also due to some who count December 26th as the first day of Christmas…….) However! I must point out to those of you who are counting that this makes today the thirteenth day of Christmas. So - I don’t think this counts. In any case, this is traditionally when folks are supposed to remove their Christmas decorations and practice wassailing.
Get to it! Take down those decorations and go wassailing!
Merry Christmas to you all! May you celebrate for the full twelve days (plus) this season!
Frank Felice, composer
Check out our interviews with him here and to hear his music, please click here.
Photos compiled from Catholicsun.org, and other locations. Cover art L to R: Statue of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, choral ensemble, St. Sylvester & Emperor Constantine