A Thrill of Hope

Merry Christmas from Hollis Webb and the Reindeer Games!

Placide Cappeau: Not in a holiday mood.

This year will be a new kind of Christmas for me.  First, this will be the first Christmas day I will not spend with my family.  I'll be enjoying the run up to Christmas with my fiancee's family here in San Antonio and then I will fly the day after to get ANOTHER Christmas with my family in Dallas.  I get TWO Christmases!  HO HO HO!!!

Looking back, I reflect with the soundtrack of holiday music in my head.  For the past few years, Clint Buck and I have taken on the name of the Reindeer Games and for the month of December we churn out the holiday hits whenever we get an opportunity.  When this time of year comes around we break out the holiday song book and I think and speak a lot about the tunes.  So because I get TWO Christmases (and hopefully get TWICE AS MANY PRESENTS), I'll be discussing two Christmas carols I've thought about especially this year.

The Reindeer Games: San Antonio's Merriest Holiday Band

The first is "O Holy Night," a traditional song composed by Adolph Adam in 1847.  According to the story however, the lyrics were written by Placide Cappeau, a wine merchant and poet (of course he was a wine merchant and poet, because what other kind of day job could you have as a songwriter in the 19th century?).  The thing that is interesting about this is that Cappeau was commissioned to write the words (or the poem) and he was not a Christian or very interested in religion at all.  I believe this song and the lyrics are some of the most beautifully written in western music and what is particularly poignant to me is the sense of desperate hope conveyed in the tonally ascending tune.  He was able to tap into something amazing through his poetry in this song, despite being sentimentally removed from it.  The lyrics which inspires me the most this holiday season come from this song:

A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Some of us have had a tough year and our souls feel weary.  We may feel as if this past year and coming years stand tall as an insurmountable wall of heartache and disappointment--but we press on and celebrate with gratitude for our family and those we love and who love us.  This is the "thrill of hope."  The new and glorious morn is breaking before us--we just have to lift our heads and hearts to see it.  We can lift others up as well even if our weary souls may not be rejoicing right now.  There is no greater power than the ability to empower others to do great things.  This is my thrill of hope.  What is yours?

The second song I've thought about and played is "I'll Be Home for Christmas"--first sung by Bing Crosby with lyrics by Kim Gannon.  The singer of the song is writing a letter to his family listing off his favorite Christmas traditions so that they will have them ready for him by Christmas.  It isn't until the last verse when we learn he'll only be coming home in his dreams.

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams.

There are many people and families this year who may not get to spend Christmas with the folks they love--for them, the holidays can be a tough time of trying to celebrate, but having the pain of missing someone dear to them.  This season, reach out to the ones you love and the ones who need love the most.  Be thankful for the bounty of blessings and riches we have right now, in this moment.

So I want to wish you out there a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays from me and the Reindeer Games.  Try to get out and let your "love light" gleam for someone.

The Reindeer Games have a Christmas album, if you'd like to hear Clint Buck and I crooning holidays tunes over your stereo speakers.  Click here to purchase the download.

If you'd like to book the Reindeer Games for your holiday event or to surprise someone with a special caroling treat here in San Antonio, click here to book the Reindeer Games!

As always, We appreciate and love you all so very much.  Thank you for listening to our music and have a happy 2017!

-HW

The Reindeer Games with Nicholas Spyker at Ventura's Blue Christmas 2016