Katherine Kennicott Davis' "Little Drummer Boy"

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum

A newborn king to see, pa rum pum pum pum

Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum

To lay before the king, pa rum pum pum pum

rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum.

Katherine Kennicott Davis wrote her first composition at the age of 15.  She studied at the New England Conservatory of Music as well as a Paris school.  Although she has written over 600 compositions, perhaps her most famous is "Little Drummer Boy," performed by dozens of recording artists over the years.  The carol, originally titled "Carol of the Drum" in 1941, is based on the Biblical verse Isaiah 1:3.  It talks about a little boy who is invited by the Three Magi to visit the baby Jesus.  While the Magi have fine gifts like gold, frankincense and myrhh, the poor drummer boy has nothing fit for a king.  But he does have talent:  he plays a song on his drum for the baby Jesus.  

Some say the story is similar to that of a 12th Century legend told by Anatole France called Le Jongelur de Notre Dame (Our Lady's Juggler).  Legend goes that a juggler juggled the a statue of Mary.  Mary was so pleased that she smiled at him and threw him a rose.

The Trapp Family Singers of The Sound of Music fame, first recorded the song for Decca Records in 1955.  But it wasn't until 1958, when the Harry Simeone Chorale recorded the carol, that it first came to prominence, topping the charts for four successive years.  The album, originally titled "Carol of the Drum" was reissued as "The Little Drummer Boy:  A christmas Festival" a few years later. 

In 1977, Bing Crosby and David Bowie did a duet of "Peace on Earth" and "Little Drummer Boy" on Crosby's last television Christmas special.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Drummer_Boy

Noel Regney & Gloria Shayne's "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Said the night wind to the little lamb,

Do you see what I see

Way up in the sky, little lamb,

Do you see what I see

A star, a star, dancing in the night

With a tail as big as a kite

With a tail as big as a kite.

In October of 1962, Noel Regney walked down the street in Manhattan, discouraged and disillusioned.  The world was on the brink of war:  America and the U.S.S.R. were arguing over missiles recently built in Cuba, aimed at the United States.  Rather than enjoying the autumn colours in their backgrounds, people were building bomb shelters.  The tension was so real, they could feel it.

Noel Regney was no stranger to war.  Born and raised in France, he had been drafted by the Germany Army during the Second World War.  Unbeknownst to the Germans, he went underground as part of the French Resistance.  Wounded during the war, some suspect he was hit by the French, to protect his identity from the Germans.

Noel Regney survived the war and in 1952, he immigrated to the United States.  The composer was smitten by a young singer named Gloria Shayne.  After a whirlwind courtship, the couple married.  Shayne was a talented lyricist, Noel a talented composer, so the two teamed up to write songs.  "Rain, Rain Go Away" was one of their trademark tunes.

However, in October of 1962, their arrangement changed.  As Noel walked down the Manhattan streets with a heavy heart, he looked up and spotted two babies in carriages.  He was struck by their joy and innocence.  They gave him hope.  Back at his apartment, he started to compose a Christmas song about the hope that the two babies brought, despite the world being on the brink of war.  Noel's wife, Gloria, wrote the music.  Do You Hear What I Hear? was the result.

"Pray for peace, people everywhere" became Noel's plea.  The two babies became the "little lamb".  "A star in the night" brought hope.  A "child sleeping in the night", the baby Jesus, brought "goodness and light".  Noel and Gloria struggled to perform the song at first, explaining:  "Our little song broke us up.  You must realize there was a threat of nuclear war."

The carol was first recorded on Thanksgiving of 1962 by the Harry Simeone Chorale.  However, it was Bing Crosby who made it a hit with his recording of October 1963 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuE_DXrt2Js)  The carol was by far the biggest hit for Noel and Gloria Regney.   

The Cuban Missile Crisis was resolved after a few weeks, in large part thanks to President John F. Kennedy's levelheadedness and diplomacy (see http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2012/10/october-14.html and http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2015/09/the-cuban-missile-crisis-kennedys.html).  Sadly, the President didn't get to enjoy the peace that resulted as he was assassinated only a year later in November of 1963.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diYQnZFLBY0