Music Video: “This Christmastide” and the Story Behind Why I Chose to Sing It
Get ready to unwrap a heartwarming dose of Christmas cheer! It has been my dream to create a Christmas music video, and I am excited to share it with you all! This is not just my music video, it is a journey back to the simple, joyful Christmases we cherish.
Prepare to rediscover the magic of the season through This Christmastide by Donald Fraser, sung with a passion that will resonate with your holiday spirit. Let us celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ together!
Fun fact: This song was written for the late opera singer Jessye Norman, who is from Augusta, Georgia, the area my family now lives! I actually recorded the song next door to the Jessye Norman Center for the Arts.
Remember the magic and beauty of simple Christmases? Those were cozy nights spent with loved ones, sharing the story of the birth Jesus and laughter erupting as gifts were unwrapped. Candlelight services on Christmas Eve, bathed in warm anticipation. Children's squeals echoing at family friend's parties with contagious energy. Decorating your home with twinkling lights, transforming it into a winter wonderland. Bundling up for frosty adventures, gliding across ice rinks, and leaving laughter trails on snowy hills. The thrill of gift exchanges and white elephants, as well as Christmas caroling?
Those were the Christmas traditions for my family and our family friends growing up. I remember going to houses in my Salt Lake community singing carols, including Filipino carols, songs I still sing to this day!
In our house, Christmas Eve evenings or Christmas mornings were so joyful, accompanied by the sweet sounds of carols and classical melodies. While other kids ripped open presents like eager puppies, my sister and I had a unique tradition: performing music before unwrapping.
Each gift held a promise of delight, but we had to perform to get it. Whether it was belting out carols, or playing the flute, violin, or piano, we had to “earn” our presents with a song.
This musical tradition wasn't just about the presents, although it certainly made them feel more special. It was about slowing down, savoring the anticipation, and expressing gratitude through the universal language of music and remembering the birth of Jesus Christ.
Not only was music in our home. Some of my fondest memories were my school’s Christmas music programs.
I remember arriving at my school at night seeing the snow and seeing everyone all dressed up singing Christmas songs. I was in 2nd grade when I first heard and sang O Holy Night, which is now my favorite Christmas song.
Without her, I do not think I would have become serious about music. As much as I loved my voice, band, piano, and flute teachers, I have to credit her for helping me fall in love with music. Attending a Christian school was a blessing, especially with how we could openly celebrate the birth of Christ.
In 5th grade, I started to play the flute and did band, then in 6th grade, I did both band and handbells. It made the holiday season extra special being able to play numerous instruments. I am glad the school made music a requirement from Kindergarten to 8th grade, even if I did not stay until then. Choir classes were required for all students, too.
You will hear handbells in the background during “Let the bells ring loud and clear,” as well as a trumpet later on. Not only are these mentioned in the song as well as part of the additions added to a children’s choir I joined later, but they are also reminiscent of my time learning music at my old school, Intermountain Christian School.
When I was in middle school, I joined the International Children’s Choir, and I was singing carols in many I had never heard in many different languages, along with well-known carols with beautiful arrangements. Some of them are Once in Royal David’s City, God Bless the Master, Campana Sobre Campana, D’ou viens-tu bergère, Betelehemu, and more. It even taught me about how other countries celebrated Christmas.
That was also when I first sung This Christmastide. Not only did it have a beautiful melody, but it often mentioned the words “truth, and love, and hope abide” - the truth, love, and hope Christ brings to this world. I will never forget this song as long as I live!
Even if you don’t believe in Christ, the ideas of truth, hope, and love are prominent this time of year. This Christmastide reminds us how we should be lighting the world each year.
Enjoy a short clip of the International Children’s Choir singing the song.
I also remember being inspired as a teenager by musicians, including the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square, Peter Hollens, David Archuleta, and The Piano Guys performing their popular rendition Angels we Have Heard on High. In fact, some of the scenes actually directly inspired my video!
After graduating high school, I had the opportunity to sing for many Christmas and holiday events. I even performed Handel’s Messiah as a soloist or in the chorus many times. Hopefully, I will be able to perform again soon, not just on video, and while the Christmas spirit and story of Christ’s births have been even more prominent in my life as an adult, there was just something special about it as a child.
I have tried to recreate so many memories from childhood, whether it was in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, or now in Georgia, but it is just not the same as those cozy Christmases. Maybe it is because I am now an adult or because our world has changed so much that it cannot be the same. That was when I decided I needed to create some of my own, especially with my husband and son. Hopefully, we can do a lot of what I did as a child, but I hope to incorporate new traditions and opportunities.
This includes singing and playing This Christmastide. My husband, Alec has even started to sing it, and my son Daniel has smiled when he hears me sing. The two are also seen throughout my video. I hope Daniel will love Christ, Christmas, and music as he grows up.
2023 was also a crazy year for the whole world. My family went through some hardships, and Alec will be overseas for some time. However, it has ended on a high note for us as we bought a house in the Augusta, Georgia area.
There has been war, political drama, and hardships many people have faced. Again, it brings me back to the truth, love, hope, joy, and peace that Christ brings to us this time of year (and all the time). It reminds me how we can Light the World by showing Christ’s love to others!
Again, I hope you enjoy the video reminiscent of the nostalgic Christmases of our childhoods.
