The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy, from Family Christmas OnlineTMThis is a West Indian carol that probably originated in Trinidad. It became popular when Harry Belafonte recorded it in 1958.Trinidad's Christmas MusicFor centuries before Britain took over Trinidad in 1797, the natives of Trinidad were exposed to Roman Catholicism through Spanish priests and colonists, and later by French colonists. Among the priests were many musicians who sought out talented native musicians and helped to build a native tradition of religious festival music. For centuries, the weeks between October 1 and January 6 were filled with music as "parranderos and parranderas" went from house to house using stringed and rythm instruments to celebrate the birth and life of Christ. In the mid-20th century, outside cultural influences began to overwhelm the local culture, but a few leading musicians made certain that public concerts kept the musical traditions of the "parang" alive. In later years, "Parang" has emerged as a musical genre its own right, and has generally left its religious roots, much as African-American spirituals led to the creation of Jazz and Rock and Roll in the United States. Contemporary Parang music may include steel drums and horns, creating a louder and more percussion-oriented sound than the Parangs of a few decades ago.Note: For more information about Trinidad and Tobago's Christmas traditions, click here. The song on this page is not actually a "parang" by most definitions, but it does draw on centuries of native and colonial traditions. To hear an MP3 file of the song click here. To download the melody only sheet music for this song in pdf format, click here To download the Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Bass sheet music for this song in pdf format, click here The Virgin Mary had a baby boy,
Refrain:
The angels sang when the baby was born,
(Refrain) The shepherds came where the baby was born,
(Refrain) The Wise Men saw where the baby was born,
(Refrain) 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 |
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