Monday, 21 December 2015

Ernst Anschutz' "O Tannenbaum"

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Your branches green delight us
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Your branches green delight us.
They're green when summer days are bright
They're green when winter snow is white.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Your branches green delight us.



Leipzig, Germany organist Ernst Anschutz wrote the lyrics to the Christmas song O Tannenbaum in 1824.  The words to the song describe the tannenbaum, or fir tree's, constancy and faithfulness.  It is unchanging through the seasons.  Anschutz based his song on a Silesian folksong "Ach Tannenbaum" by Melchior Franck.  Anschutz added two verses to the song, which became associated with Christmas once Christmas trees became popular in the 19th Century.

O Christmas Tree, the English version, was arranged by Vince Guaraldi for A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fh133ZO1AE.  The famous scene of Charlie Brown and his friends dancing around the sad evergreen that he picked out at a tree lot is accompanied by the Guaraldi's arrangement.  Aretha Franklin's A Very Special Christmas 2, features O Christmas Tree.  Tony Bennett featured the song on A Swinging Christmas in 2008.




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