The Christmas Song

"The Christmas Song" by Donna Summer, second of ten tracks from her album Christmas Spirit, her 16th studio album released in 1994. This song, subtitled either with "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or "Merry Christmas to You," was written by Bob Wells and Mel Torme in 1945, and first recorded the year after by the Nat King Cole Trio.

Ms. Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on 31 December 1948. She was already a five-time Grammy Award winner and one of the world's best-selling artists of all time when she passed away in 2012; the year after, Ms. Summer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This month, liwaliw Sounds featured covers of Christmas carols and tunes by great musical performers born on December, and whose passing have left a great legacy in popular music. Other musical icons included this month were:

• Frank Sinatra (b. 12 December 1915, d. 14 May 1998)
• Marlene Dietrich (b. 27 December 1901, d. 06 May 1992)
• John Denver (b. 31 December 1943, d. 12 October 12 1997)

(Click HERE to view all of December in liwaliw Sounds)

Away in a Manger

"Away in a Manger" was known to be first published in the 19th century, but the words were once attributed to the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther, and was also called either "Luther's Cradle Song" or "Luther's Cradle Hymn." Nowadays, the carol is believed wholly American in origin. There are two common musical settings for this song: this cover by John Denver is based on James R. Murray's in 1887 (a setting also referred as "Mueller").

Away in a Manger was track one on side two of Rocky Mountain Christmas, Denver's tenth studio album, and first Christmas album, released in 1975. He will have two more Christmas albums; this carol will be featured again in Denver's third, Christmas, Like a Lullaby, in 1990.

Singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, activist and humanitarian, Denver was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. on 31 December 1943. He lived most of his life in Aspen, Colorado: the state named him Poet Laureate in 1974, and in 2007, also adopted Denver's 1972 signature hit "Rocky Mountain High" as its second state song. In his career, he will be inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and will receive awards from Academy of Country Music, American Music Awards, Country Music Association, Emmy Awards, and Grammy Awards. Denver died in 1997 when the aircraft he was flying solo as pilot crashed.

Interesting bit of trivia: John Denver in 1985 asked to join U.S.A. for Africa's recording of "We are the World." He was turned down. Later he performed in Farm Aid, a benefit concert organized by Willie Nelson (who was in U.S.A. for Africa), John Mellencamp and Neil Young.

This month, liwaliw Sounds features covers of Christmas carols and tunes by great musical performers born on December, and whose passing have left a great legacy in popular music.

The Bible Illuminated

From the Bible Illuminated, from the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile for #goliwaliwph #december2018 #pages pic.twitter.com/0s2HZX2cJb

— glenncruz (@glenncruz) December 31, 2018

The Bible Illuminated: How Art Brought the Bible to an Illiterate World by Karen York, Editor (with Len Woods), copyright by the Museum of the Bible, Inc., 2017, and published by Worthy Books, Franklin, Tennessee, United States.

On page 174, this full-page image at the beginning of the feature on the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile, a present to the Queen by her and King Ferdinand's ambassador, Francisco de Rojas. The liturgical book of prayer made by Flemish craftsmen, illuminated by artists such as the Master of the Dresden Prayerbook, the Master of the James IV of Scotland, and Netherlandish painter Gerard David. Caption reads: "Miniature of the Visitation with floral border and text, Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile, multiple artists, 15th century."

For liwaliw Pages this month, looked for images related to Christmas or December holiday themes from books I acquired in 2018. Purchased this title second hand from Book Sale branch in SM City San Lazaro, City of Manila, 31 October 2018.

Other books featured in this set of catch-up posts for December 2018 include:

• Art Galleries of the World
• The Art Museum, Princeton University 
• The Accademia Galleries in Venice 
• Ecce Homo: The Christ of All the World 
• An American Collection: Works from the Amon Carter Museum 
• New Orleans Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collection 
• A Thousand Dogs, or 1000 Dogs: The Presence of the Dog in the History of Photography, 1839 to Today -- two posts: 1 of 2 and 2 of 2 

Art Galleries of the World

From Art Galleries of the World, from a retable of San Benito el Real in Valladolid, Spain for #goliwaliwph #december2018 #pages #catchup #antedated pic.twitter.com/A7WJqDhWSQ

— glenncruz (@glenncruz) December 31, 2018

Art Galleries of the World by Helen Langdon, first published as the Mitchell Beasly Pocket Art Gallery Guide in 1981; in its current edition, published by Pallas Athene (Publishers) Ltd., 2002, London, United Kingdom.

On page 306, this full-page image opens the chapter on Spain. Caption reads: "Circumcision, from the retable of San Benito el Real of Valladolid (1520-32), Alfonso Berruguete, Museo Nacional de Escultura, Valladolid."

For liwaliw Pages this month, looked for images related to Christmas or December holiday themes from books I acquired in 2018. Purchased this title second hand in Book Sale branch in SM City Manila, 30 November 2018.


[This post is antedated: 20181231] 

The Art Museum, Princeton University

From the Art Museum, Princeton University, a Charles Herbert Moore for #goliwaliwph #december2018 #pages #catchup #antedated pic.twitter.com/Rfi8sVFYMA

— glenncruz (@glenncruz) December 31, 2018

Selections from the Art Museum, Princeton University, with Allen Rosenbaum, Director, on the Preface, copyright by the University, 1986, New Jersey, United States.

On page 275, part of the chapter on "American Art," Winter Landscape, Valley of the Catskill by Charles Herbert Moore, 1866, gift of Frank Jewett Mather, Jr.

For liwaliw Pages this month, looked for images related to Christmas or December holiday themes from books I acquired in 2018. Purchased this title second hand from Book Sale branch in SM City Manila, 29 June 2018.