Christmas is Dead
Christmas Is Dead
The day of Light is gone for this year. All of the world's major religions recognize this sacred season of winter holidays as representing a time of Renewal, Light and Vitality. Islam's month of Ramadan - when Holy Quran sent down heaven as guidance for man and a means of salvation. Some Buddhists celebrate Dec 8 as the day the Buddha received enlightenment. Judaism celebrates Hanukkah -festival of lights. Pagans celebrate Yule on Winter Solstice - birth of new Sun King. We celebrate Christmas as more than the birth of Jesus who was one of the world's best known teachers -in fact a true master. Christmas for us is about the awakening of the Christ Consciousness.
In spite of all the fine rhetoric about spiritualiy, brotherhood and compassion, we remain divisive, petty, narrow minded and poverty stricken in spirit.I talk of this as a reaction to a Christmas CD I produced and offered to Temples, Unity Churches and various organization of a religious nature.
This new compact disc, entitled "A Christmas Gift," contains works by noted composers including Irving Berlin, Sammy Cahn, and Kurt Weill. But what is unique about the CD and the reason for this message is the inclusion of Eli, Eli and Kol Nidre. Few popular music singers, if any, can bring a dramatic and emotional rendering of these two traditional songs of the Jewish faith. This is one of the highlights on the CD as they are seldom performed in a secular music environment. Included in this collection are traditional Christmas favorites such as Oh Christmas Tree, White Christmas, and Christmas Waltz. Expanding the spirit of Christmas to go beyond the usual commercial CD, Pyatt includes songs of deep faith such as I Believe, Ave Maria, and Bless This House.
"I took time to carefully select songs that would be appropriate to the season and to the need for feelings that inspire and give deeper meaning to our lives." I find it is difficult to locate new music for vocalists today that evoke the same quality and feelings as those of the masters,. said Pyatt.
In this context, one of the delights included on the CD is composer Al Petrone's A Christmas Gift recorded by Julius La Rosa among others . Petrone's style fits in with the classic standards but with an unmistakable contemporary sound. Pyatt performs each song with exquisite tone and nuance with a wide vocal range, and an artistic awareness for the lyrical message and distinct need required for the variety of songs selected. His artistic style and rich baritone voice has been described by audiences as unique and a distinctly different sound in the popular music scene but reminiscent of the panorama of great vocalists that include the voices of Dick Haymes, Vic Damone, and of course, Frank Sinatra. The music is arranged and produced by the talented musician Robin Foreman.
There is a trend today with interfaith couples sharing spirituuality as they blend their holiday traditions with family.I thought that such entities as the Temple Ahavat Shalom in Palm Harbor, Fla and the Unity Community Church in Dunedin, Fla along with others and a radio station in New York would be interested in playing this CD for one of their group events. Now there may be reasons for the lack of interest, but they were not stated. They asked me to send copies of the CD, but when I sent them a press release describing the Jewish and Christian content, They disappeared from the radar. Apparently, small minded members of the Jewish faith do not want to be contaminated by words and pictures that denote Christmas and Christians do not want to be labored with holy songs of the Jewish faith.
Amazing when you think about it and easy to see why innocent lives are slaughtered throughout the world on a daily basis.
Merry Christmas Past
If you wish to hear for yourself go to dickpyatt.com
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rpyatt.com/blog
About the Author:
A native New Yorker splitting time in Florida, Pyatt , somewhat of a renaissance man, has been a favorite radio personality for over 20 years in New York City as producer and director of programming for WNYC-AM-FM radio and host of a weekly radio feature at WFAS in Westchester.. On stage, he has directed noted actresses Susan Strasberg and Ruth Warrick in classic drama. As a writer, he has published three books on health and medical advances. He has also been on the faculty of numerous colleges in New York including Pace University, Elizabeth Seton College and Iona College in New York teaching speech and media.
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