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WATCH: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
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Merry Christmas to all my fans and friends worldwide! Here is an arrangement of one of my favorite Christmas songs, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. 2020 has been a strange year, but just as the title suggests, I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season.
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STORY OF THE SONG:
Unlike most Christmas songs are happy and cheery, this one captured the pain and uncertainty of many American’s during WW2.
What you may not know about this tune is that the original lyrics casted a much darker tone than the ones often sung by performers.
So much so that Judy Garland, who introduced the song in Meet Me in St. Louis the 1944 musical, refused to sing it and forced Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane to change some of their own lyrics!
For example, the very beginning: “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last. Next year we may all be living in the past”
became "... Let your heart be light. Next year all our troubles will be out of sight".
Then a few years later when Frank Sinatra sang the song, he asked Martin to “jolly up” the line that originally reads:
"Someday soon we all will be together, if the fates allow. Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow."
This sentiment is strikingly similar to today, Christmas 2020, overshadowed like Christmas 1944 by grief and the uncertainty of ongoing War at the time.
Those words from long ago, about the importance of persistence and endurance are especially resonant today.
Frank changed the original “until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow” to “hang a shining star upon the highest bough”.
It’s been a strange year for everybody, but just as the song suggests, I hope everybody watching this has a Merry Christmas!
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UPCOMING NEW YEAR'S EVE EVENT:
The Jazz Piano Show with Dan Delaney 12/31 @ 8pm EST
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ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
I am so excited to be teaming up with my good friend, jazz pianist & educator Dan Delaney for a special 2 piano concert on New Year's Eve. Join us for an hour of music and conversation to kick off your New Years celebration!
Dan is a world class solo pianist and it was through hearing him in 2013 where I became inspired to explore the world of jazz piano. He has been a mentor ever since and I am so honored to be teaming up with him for The Jazz Piano Show. You won't want to miss what's bound to be a night of endless fun as we will recount our history together and perform a selection of jazz classics from our respective homes - Dan in Arizona and me in Michigan.
We will be streaming live to Facebook at 8pm EST. Be sure to follow my Facebook Artist Page to be notified when we go live.
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