Last Month of the Year, from Family Christmas OnlineTMI'm told that this song isn't technically a spiritual, but, like many spirituals, it changes tune and even form depending on the preferences of the singer. I have heard two excellent versions, one by Odetta and one by the Staple Singers. The version presented here is probably closer to the Staple Singers' version. The song has also been performed by the Kingston Trio, Chris Isaak, and several Bluegrass groups, and it holds up well to all those varied treatments.To me, the emphasis on "last month of the year" may have metaphorical intent. In a sense (if you trust the church calendar), Jesus came at almost the last possible moment, at the eleventh hour, so to speak. So the song may be considered a reminder that God will move in our lives when it suits Him, not us. On a lighter note, some commentators have pointed out that a "side benefit" of this song is that it is useful in teaching small children the months of the year. To hear a short instrumental mp3 version of this song - enough to give you an idea how it goes, click here. To download a free printable version of sheet music for the first two verses of this song, click here. To hear Amazon clips of various artists singing this song (and to buy any track that you like), scroll down the page. If you have more than one performer, especially if you have a chorus of some sort backing up the lead vocal, singing the verse in a question-and-answer format will get you closer to the feeling of the original. Tell me when was Jesus born? (or: "What month was Jesus born in?")
Chorus:
He was born to the Virgin Mary,
Chorus
Amazon Sound Clips and RecordingsThis is a new feature to help our traditional Christmas music pages "connect" a little better to our readers in 2010. To help you get a feeling for how various artists perform this song, we're providing a link to the "sound clip" feature on Amazon. By clicking on the arrow, you can hear a 15-25 second clip from each artist. If you decide to buy and download a recording, just click on the Buy MP3 button next to the artist you want and follow the instructions.If the little boxes on the right don't have song, artist, or album names when you first view this page, try hitting the refresh button.
More Great Sound Clips of This SongAmazon has more great sound clips of this song. But if I try to put even the best ten or so on this page, it won't load very well on some computers. So if you want to browse the rest of the clips for yourself, please click the following link: If you have any corrections or comments you would like to make about this page, please contact me and I will be glad to hear from you. God bless - Paul
|
|
To return to the African American Carols page, click here.
To return to the Family Christmas OnlineTM Christmas Music Page, click here.
To return to the Family Christmas OnlineTM Home Page, click here.
Note: Family Christmas OnlineTM is a trademark of Breakthrough Communications(tm) (www.btcomm.com). All information, data, text, and illustrations on this web site are
Copyright (c) 2006, 2007 by Paul D. Race.
Reuse or republication without prior written permission is specifically
forbidden.
Family Christmas Online(tm) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
For more information, please contact us