Redtree Times

Do you hear what I hear?
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song
High above the trees
With a voice
Voice as big as the sea

— Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne (1962)

Let’s keep it simple today. I am just going to wish you all well for this Christmas Eve and safe travels to all that have to hit the road or soar through the sky on this day.

Many of you will be busy with last minute holiday preparations or travel and will be immersed in the din of it all.  Silence and quietude might be in scarce supply which is a pity. One of my fondest memories of Christmas as a child is sitting in the still darkness being cut by the soft lights of our Christmas tree. The image of that tree and the peaceful quietness surrounding it remain deeply etched into my psyche.

Like Citizen Kane‘s Rosebud, that tree and its aura of peace and quiet might be that thing I have pursued my whole life.

Hmm…

We seldom appreciate the treasures given to us by a found silence. We are able with it to hear those things that evade us normally.  Almost as if we can hear the sound of the world turning or the universe slowly shifting.

The sound of eternity speaking to us.

I hope to find that same quiet again where I can listen for such things.

Here’s a song whose title and tune you most likely know, Do You Hear What I Hear? Written in 1962 by the married songwriting team of Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne, it has been recorded by hundreds of artists and sold tens of millions of records. It’s one of those carols that has been a part of our holiday season for most of our lives to the point that it feels like it should be a much older song.

This version is a bit different than the one that you know. It is performed by the Blind Boys of Alabama and it is what I would call a bit deconstructed, paring away certain parts of the song and focusing on the chorus. It has a bluesy feel that you don’t associate with the original. I like it as it gives me a different perspective on the song.

I am sharing two versions with slightly different tempos and beats. The first is a live performance with a bit more of a blues shuffle and the second is their recorded version with Taj Mahal. I included both because the live performance ends a bit abruptly.

Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas eve. May you find a bit of that silence during this time so that you can better hear the sound of eternity, if only for a few moments.