To get into the spirit of Christmas, here is a very sombre but very beautiful song. File size : 3MB
Click on the little triangle to play.
And while listening, I got long story to tell….
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BACKGROUND OF THE SONG
From Wiki:
“Little Drummer Boy” is a Christmas song from 1958 (words and music by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone). The best-known and most standard version is by the Harry Simeone Chorale. It is also known as Carol of the Drums.
The lyrics tell the apocryphal story of a poor young boy who, unable to afford a gift for the infant Jesus, plays his drum for the newborn with the Virgin Mary’s approval.
CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, PENANG Choir
This is recorded during my choir practice. If you listen hard enough, you can hear the choir master, Mr. Gerard Chan conducting at the background. š The beauty of this song is the unison men’s voice with the drumming. They had to put in many hours to get the tenors and basses to hum the tunes whilst the women sang the parts.
AN INVITATION
If you are around Penang, do join us at The Golden Sands Hotel on 22nd and 23rd December, 9pm and thereabout. We are singing at Sigi’s By the Sea restaurant and the hotel lobby.
I would also like to invite non-Muslims to celebrate the Christmas Eve mass with us on December 24th.
Time : 11pm
Location : The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
(Behind Caltex station, Jalan Besi, Penang. Opposite Convent Green Lane/Buddhist temple. The blue cross?)
SONGS LYRICS
Little Drummer Boy
Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born 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,
So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.
Baby Jesu, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?
Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,
Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.
Wish i was in penang once more..! and this time.. i’ll be sure to look you up.. and make you bring me ..to all the great food places.. and of course.. go to church.. and watch the choir sing..!
Fantastic!!
I’ll love to come, but i’m stuck here in this cold cold place (erm,i’m studying in russia btw).
Well, maybe u can put up pictures with ur cool camera for this lil’ gal. hehe
OMG Gerard Chan? Umm..he’s married to this pretty lady..forgot her name..and she has a sister..hmm..she used to be my choir teacher in school..and he was part of some operetta when i was in school. Not sure if he’s the same guy..but..it’s been a long time since I heard his name since I moved to KL 8 years ago..
Lay Ean – Yes, his wife has similar sounding name – Geraldine! Nice couple! Hahaha, small world.
jc – Russia! I can imagine you in that wooly-wooly hat.
MamaBok – We will sure meet up one day and I am going to feed you till you can’t fit into your clothes! LOL.
wah…like in opera liddat only wor. š how i wish i could also make my church choir liddat but so few ppl in it. my fingers n toes oso got more to count wor. š
Heavenly voices! Happens to be one of my favourite Christmas carols too. Wished I could be around to hear the choir.
Debrina – Yeah, the choir as a group is indeed God’s blessings. It is not easy to manage a big group like us but somehow, we pull through marvelouslly. There are a few more songs like What Child shall come (aka Greensleeves), War is Over (John Lennon), This Christmas time (Cliff Richard) and those glorious ones like Angels We Have Heard on high, O Come All Faithful, etc that really rocks the church. š Hope I can get some decent recordings later. It is like online Christmas carolling!
Yvy – Wuah…you don’t know the drill we went through. We had practised for 3 months, kena marah when we deserve it, get free food when we behave LOL. Because you know la, so many people, everyone must discipline and be punctual and never absent etc.
OK stupid question, but I am really curious ..
Why does churches and christians always extend invitations to ‘non-muslims’ in Malaysia?
AL – Hahaha, not stupid, really, it is also something I had been curious too. You see, if you are a Muslim, you are not suppose to ‘leave’ the religion. So, if we do something religious and ask a Muslim to go, it is like inviting them to come and listen to our religion and in the process, it looks like we are asking them to convert. That is very errmmm…not right, isn’t it? Moreover, we worship only one God. And as you know, Muslims and Christians have always have this issue with the one God and the arguments over whose God it is etc etc. Of course, in Hinduism and Sikhism, they also believe in God. Christians accept Jesus Christ as Lord, the God but of course, this is not accepted by Muslims. So, that’s why there are always endless feuds over this matter. As Catholics which means Universal, we learn that there are other ways to God which the non-Christians are practising. Our church disseminate information to us about all the various religions and their way of worshipping God etc. At the end of the day, the best way to peace which is what God wants of this world, is to know when not to argue. If each one would keep to their faith, without feeling threaten by others, there will be peace.
So, I guess the reason when someone says for non-Muslims, it is a respect to the Muslims to inform them in advance that the materials/event has information that may not agree with the Muslims faith. We have majority Muslims in this country and hence, only proper to bear this in mind and take care of others sensitivities.
Ahhhh very enlightening. Good point. Thanks Lilian.