{"id":350,"date":"2023-11-01T13:22:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T19:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sounded.us\/baseline\/?post_type=product&p=350"},"modified":"2025-03-21T08:20:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T14:20:47","slug":"merry-dont-you-know-by-david-ahrens-wind-band","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.sounded.us\/baseline\/product\/merry-dont-you-know-by-david-ahrens-wind-band\/","title":{"rendered":"“Merry! Don’t You Know?” by David Ahrens – Wind Band"},"content":{"rendered":"

“God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”<\/strong> is a traditional English Christmas carol dating to the mid 17th Century. It was referenced by Charles Dickens in his 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” but with the lyric:<\/p>\n

“God bless you, Merry Gentleman!
\nMay nothing you dismay!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The phrase \u201cGod rest you merry\u201d historically meant \u201cmay God grant you peace and happiness\u201d. \u201cRest you merry\u201d was used both in Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cAs You Like It\u201d and \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d. Over time, there has been confusion over this title due to changes in common language usage. The word \u2018merry\u2019 is an adverb of rest and not an adjective of Gentlemen.<\/p>\n

“Pat-A-Pan”<\/strong> is a traditional Burgundian French Christmas carol written by Bernard de La Monnoye and published in 1720. The text calls for the bringing of a drum and flute to play for newborn Jesus Christ in worship. The title is onomatopoeic for the sound of a drum, as is the additional lyric “tu-re-lu-re-lu” for the sound of a flute.<\/p>\n

“Yigdal”<\/strong> is a Jewish hymn and prayer that is a poetic adaptation of Maimonides\u2019 13 principles of faith. The text is attributed to 14th century poet Daniel ben Judah. The melody dates to the 17th century or earlier. It is traditionally sung for morning prayer and as the conclusion of Shabbat evening services. Upon hearing Yigdal, English Methodist Thomas Olivers adapted this melody for use in his Christian hymn “The God of Abraham Praise”<\/strong>, which is a paraphrase of the ben Judah doxology, and was first published in 1772.<\/p>\n

“Merry! Don\u2019t You Know?”<\/strong> is a playful melding of these sacred songs, acting as a reminder that Christmas is a time to be merry and joyful as we celebrate the nature, power, and love of God.<\/p>\n

You are purchasing this product in downloadable PDF format.<\/p>\n