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From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Tue Nov 20, 2001  4:30 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] looking for song


On Mon, 19 Nov 2001 lolipastor@a... wrote:

> Hi, everyone!
>
> I need to find a song that fits in these perimeters:
>
> upbeat
> international feel
> holiday, but not sacred
> inspirational
> interesting to children

Not sure what you mean by "International". Do you mean "non-Anglophone"?
Non-European? Given that ALL countries are nations, I'm going to
translate "international" to mean "exotic" - in which case, if you think
mediaeval England is exotic, the carol "Good King Wenceslas" should meet
your criteria. The melody is from mediaeval England, though the words are
19th century. Otherwise the carol is:

1) Upbeat

2) Holiday-appropriate (winter) without being overtly religious or sacred
- if you make two minor adjustments, it will be completely secular. Both
are in Verse 5 - the first is in the line "Which the saint had printed",
which you should change to "Which the king had printed" (Wenceslas was a
king who was later made a saint - the rest of the carol refers to him only
as a king); the second is in the line "Therefore, Christian men, be sure"
- which you should change to "Therefore, everyone, be sure". While these
two changes slightly obscure the subject: which is *Saint* - formerly King
- Wenceslas, I don't think the essential meaning or the message is lost at
all if you secularise Verse 5 as I've suggested.

3) Inspirational - Definitely - a strong positive message about being
charitable to the poor.

4) Interesting to children. Except for toddlers - it's a story-telling
carol, and it features the king's pageboy, who the kids can identify with.



Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html

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