Muzikland

多年來﹐似乎每一位成名的巨星都會灌唱一兩首耶誕歌曲﹐有些更乾脆灌錄耶誕專輯。Nat King Cole也不例外﹐一生的音樂事業﹐也曾在不同年代錄下3個Christmas Song Sessions。

這次介紹的Nat King Cole Christmas Song 專輯的歌曲﹐大多錄於1960年。聽Nat 唱 Standard 是一種完美的享受﹐聽他唱耶誕歌曲﹐就像在白色聖誕時份﹐躲著小屋裡﹐與家人坐在火爐邊閒聊一樣。唱片於1986年首次CD數碼化﹐其後 Capitol多次加上Bonus Tracks 再版。The Christmas Song 曾三度灌錄﹐此曲早在1946年King Cole Trio年代已灌錄成留聲唱片﹐2004年導演王家衛引用此曲作電影2046的插曲﹐更令筆者印象深刻。Nat 的 O Holy Night 也是另一個超讚的版本。


曲目﹕
01 The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
02 Deck The Hall
03 Adeste Fideles
04 O Tannenbaum
05 O Little Town Of Bethlehem
06 I Saw Three Ships
07 O Holy Night
08 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
09 A Cradle In Bethlehem
10 Away In A Manger
11 Joy To The World
12 The First Noel
13 Caroling, Caroling
14 Silent Night



The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You) : 1945年夏天﹐天氣炎熱﹐ Roberts Wells為了想些寒冷的事情﹐於是他作了短詩“ Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose …… ” Mel Torme來訪時﹐剛好發現了這首短詩﹐發覺可以繼續作成一首歌曲﹐於是他與Robert坐在鋼琴旁﹐花了45分鐘完成了這首歌﹐一年後Nat King Cole就把歌曲灌錄成唱片。
(Mel Torme, Robert Wells)


Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping at your nose.
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows
A turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from 1 to 92
Although it's been said many times,
Many ways,
"Merry Christmas to you."

**********

Deck the Hall
(Traditional Welsh Carol)

Deck the hall with boughs of holly, fa la la la la la la la la
'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la
Don we now our gay apparel, fa la la la la la la la la
Troll the ancient yuletide carol, fa la la la la la la la la

See the blazing yule before us, fa la la la la la la la la
Strike the harp and join the chorus, fa la la la la la la la la
Follow me in merry measure, fa la la la la la la la la
While I tell of yuletide treasure, fa la la la la la la la la

**********


O Little Town of Bethlehem ﹕歌詞由Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) 創作於1868年﹐他是教會裡的教士﹐那年的平安夜﹐他的風琴師Lewis H. Redner (1830-1908) 靈感湧現﹐寫下此首曲調﹐第二天便在教會中傳唱。
(Philips Brooks / Lewis H. Redner)

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together,
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the king,
And peace to all on earth!

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given;
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!




筆者相關文章介紹﹕
Nat King Cole - The World Of Nat King Cole
http://blog.roodo.com/muzikland/archives/506989.html




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