Day 15 - The Night Before Christmas
The Night Before Christmas - play song on Bandcamp
"The Night Before Christmas" (or "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ) is one of the most iconic and enduring poems, especially around Christmas time.
It was first published anonymously in December 23, 1823, in the Troy Sentinel newspaper. It's authorship has remained in dispute between Clement Clarke Moore, a professor and biblical scholar from New York. Moore claimed authorship in 1837, saying he wrote it for his children in 1822 and included it in a poetry anthology in 1844.
Alternatively, some think Henry Livingston Jr., a New York farmer and poet of Dutch and Scottish ancestry wrote the poem, likely before 1823.
Assuming the text was written by Moore and published before January 1, 1930, it is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
I set part of the text to an instrumental piece I'd recently written and hoped would be part of a Christmas song. Lyrics were evading me but the poem seemed an obvious fit. I think it works really well.
'The Night Before Christmas' by Les Bicyclettes de Belsize
Written, recorded, performed, produced by Les Bicyclettes de Belsize
Music (c) Richard Longley 2025
Text (c) Clement Clarke Moore 1779 – 1863*
(*This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.)
lyrics
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer
With a little old driver, so lively and quick
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof
As I drew in my head, and was turning around
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
To his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
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