Poetry Train Monday - 80 - The Night Before Christmas

For today's Poetry Monday I'm giving you a sneak peek into a song I'm performing on Christmas Eve with my mom and sister.


It's from the Christmas on the Town CD by Halifax's The Novelty Salesmen, a huge favorite of ours.


This is Mom and me singing away last Christmas Eve. After Auntie Noel's luscious lobster bisque dinner, which I wait for all year, we move into the music room for some Christmasey fun.

That's Auntie behind us with her flute, waiting on a cue. Uncle Charlie is at the keyboards behind Mom.


That's my sister singing a song last year.



This is my cousin's daughter with her granddad (my Uncle Charlie) playing her flute.


And this is my fellow blogger Heather's daughter Emily, with Julianne's daughter Laura giving us a tune. I can't wait for this year's program!



CLICK HERE to listen to the song. On the sample player, scroll down 9 selections until you get to The Night Before Christmas.

The bold lines are sung by the bass (in our case, Mom) and the lines in italics are sung by the tenor (in our case, me.)


The Night Before Christmas (arranged by Paul Simons)


(It was the night)

Night before Christmas

(And all)

All through the house

(Not a creature)

Creature was stirring, not even a mouse
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In the hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there

(What a night, what a night)

Mom in her kerchief

(And I)

I in my cap
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap

Then what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer


(What a night!)

Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen!

(What a night!)

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen!

(What a night!)

What a night, what a wonderful night
It's one fantastical, fabulous night!

(What a night, what a pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa
What a pa-pa-pa Pa-pa Pa-pa-pa-pa
What a night)


With a little old driver, so lively and quick
I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot

So up to the house-top the reindeer all flew
With a sleigh full of toys, and Saint Nicholas, too

More rapid than eagles

(What a night, what a night)

His reindeer they came

(What a night, what a night)

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!


(What a night!)

Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen!

(What a night!)

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen!

(What a night!)

What a night, what a wonderful night
It's one fantastical, fabulous night!

(What a night, what a pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa
What a pa-pa-pa Pa-pa Pa-pa-pa-pa
What a night)


He spoke not a word

(What a night, what a fabulous night)

But went straight to his work
And filled all the stockings

(What a night, what a fabulous night)

Then turned with a jerk

And laying a finger

(What a night, what a night)

Aside of his nose
And giving a nod up the chimney he rose

He sprang to his sleigh

(What a night, what a night)

To his team gave a whistle
And away they all flew

(Like the down of a thistle)

But I heard him exclaim

(What a night, what a night)

As he drove out of sight
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"


(What a night!)

Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen!

(What a night!)

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen!

(What a night!)

What a night, what a wonderful night
It's one fantastical, fabulous night!

(What a night, what a pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa
What a pa-pa-pa Pa-pa Pa-pa-pa-pa)

Merry Christmas...

- original poem by Clement C. Moore, this arrangement by Paul Simons

Check out the other stops on the Poetry Train.

Poetry Train Monday - 29 - The Christmas Waltz

Today was the annual Putting Up Christmas Lights Party. Since my sister moved home from Toronto in 2002, we've turned putting up the outside lights for Mom into a mini party. Usually it's just my sister and me, but sometimes my husband Brad joins us. Mom cooks up something yummy while my sister and I start the fun by filling our Christmas mugs with wine. For me now it's whisky. No more wine for my migraines. But the whisky helps, some, as our old friend Randy used to say.


This was us last year. We plug Mom's CD player outside on the porch, and we always start the proceedings with Frank Sinatra's 1957 'A Jolly Christmas'. "I love those J-I-N-G-L-E bells, Oh!" We giggle, we go back inside to get warm, we sing, we go up and down the ladder, we drop hooks, we pass hooks, we untangle lights and cords and deck the front of the house, all to the strains of Frankie. And then we usually move on to the Novelty Salesmen, a local group with fabulous oldtimey harmonies that blend perfectly with Old Blue Eyes. Their 'Christmas on the Town' CD is great.


And this was us, the year before that. Early on in the festivities we come to Frank's 'Christmas Waltz', which has become my FAVORITE Christmas song. I usually stop what I'm doing and just enjoy the magical mood of this song, the lyrics, his gorgeous voice. For the Poetry Train I'm sharing this with you. The lyrics were written by Sammy Cahn, with music by Jule Styne. This link will give you a figure skater's program to Frank Sinatra's song.

The Christmas Waltz by Frank Sinatra


Frosted window panes
Candles gleaming inside
Painted candy canes on the tree
Santa's on his way
He's filled his sleigh with things
Things for you and for me





It's that time of year
When the world falls in love
Ev'ry song you hear seems to say
"Merry Christmas,
"May your New Year dreams come true"


And this song of mine

In three-quarter time

Wishes you and yours

The same thing, too

by Sammy Cahn
(music by Jule Styne)