A lot of what I post in this series every year comes from just simple YouTube searches, which I then follow until I find something interesting. This is a case in point: I searched “Appalachian Christmas”, which yielded some good stuff! One thing I almost used was a recording of an actual cantata a composer wrote using old Appalachian melodies, but…I didn’t like the performance in the recording, which sounded oddly “commercial” in my ears. So here is this, performed on a selection of Appalachian instruments. The performer, Timothy Seaman, provides this information:
I found this song, one of only three Christmas-themed shape-note hymns, in an old book back in the 1980s, and have sung it in concerts ever since; here it’s an informal ensemble (all played by me) on mountain dulcimer by Bert Berry, tuned CGC, with harmonica, then baritone mountain dulcimer by McSpadden, tuned AEA, with harmonica and Woodsong bamboo flute by Rob Yard.
The strong mountain melody is joined with these powerful words reminiscent of Handel’s Messiah’s Christmas section, drawn from prophecies in Isaiah of the coming Messiah:
1. The people that in darkness sat
A glorious light have seen;
The light has shined on them who long
In shades of death have been.
To us a child of hope is born,
To us a son is giv’n;
Him shall the tribes of earth obey,
Him all the hosts of heav’n.
2. His name shall be the prince of peace
Forevermore adored,
The wonderful, the counselor,
The great and mighty Lord.
His pow’r increasing still shall spread,
His reign no end shall know;
Justice shall guard his throne above,
And peace abound below.