John: A knife! He’s got a knife!
Eleanor of Aquitaine: Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It’s 1183 and we’re barbarians! How clear we make it. Oh, my piglets, we are the origins of war: not history’s forces, nor the times, nor justice, nor the lack of it, nor causes, nor religions, nor ideas, nor kinds of government, nor any other thing. We are the killers. We breed wars. We carry it like syphilis inside. Dead bodies rot in field and stream because the living ones are rotten. For the love of God, can’t we love one another just a little – that’s how peace begins. We have so much to love each other for. We have such possibilities, my children. We could change the world.
James Goldman’s Lion in Winter
One of our centuries old Estate traditions among the inhabitants here is to leave presents anonymously for each other in places where the intended will be likely to find them. I was the recipient a few years ago of a leather case with silver workings for my button concertina. I suspected Ingrid, my wife, was the gifter but she said no and gave me a lovely goat shearling lined leather duster. Some of the gifts are clearly intended for everyone here, such as the new stove in the sauna that appeared overnight.
Mrs. Ware and her oh so talented Kitchen staff spend much of the period from late November right through to lambing season providing lots of edible treats that are placed around Kinrowan Hall and the grounds as well, such as peanut butter sea salt dark chocolate fudge behind the bar in the Pub; s’mores ready for roasting in the warming hut out by the Mill Pond; and carefully wrapped clay pots of smoked sausage and veggie soup in the Barn for those doing outdoor chores in this cold weather, to name but a few of them.
But I keep myself busy here in the Pub and elsewhere in this Hall as my aging bones no longer tolerate the cold all that well as they used to. We old foxes need our warmth in the winter. Iain’s off with his wife Catherine on a concert tour in Sweden which means that I’m doing this Edition, so let’s get started…
Cat delved into Paul Davis’s The Lives & Times of Ebenezer Scrooge, a semi-scholarly book that investigates the cultural significance of Ebenezer Scrooge. ‘A Christmas Carol and Scrooge remain meaningful, as Paul Davis points out again and again in The Lives and Times of Ebenezer Scrooge, because they have been revised, adapted, condensed, expanded, turned into an opera, and modernized more than any other work in the English language (A Muppet Christmas Carol, anyone?).’
What’s a murder mystery doing in a lineup of Christmas books?! Well, Eric came around to liking Karen Harper’s The Queene’s Christmas, set in Elizabeth I’s court. ‘Murders and attempted murders threaten to disrupt the court’s Christmas festivities, and only Queen Elizabeth and her trusted group of friends (nobles and commoners) can root out the murderer.’
Jack had slightly mixed feelings about a book called Celebrate the Winter: Winter Solstice Celebrations for Schools and Communities, put out by The Revels and authored by John Langstaff, George Emlen & Patrick Swanson. ‘Celebrate the Winter is Revels’ second volume of seasonal music, dance and participatory drama focused on helping schools and communities in presenting participatory winter solstice celebrations,’ he notes. ‘It’s quite good for what it does, but bloody ‘ell, Revels needs to be a bit more innovative than they apparently are!’
Is it even Christmas without a little Dylan Thomas? Mia was thrilled with the audiobook of A Child’s Christmas in Wales and Five Poems. ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales has always been one of my favorite pieces, but reading it on the page, even reading it aloud, is nothing — nothing — like hearing it read by Dylan Thomas himself. Though this recording was made in 1952, I had never heard the reading until the 50th anniversary CD release this past year.’
Rebecca reviewed Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, an audio book of playwright Tom Mula’s alternate take on A Christmas Carol, narrated by Mula himself. She explains: ‘A few years ago, Mula says, a friend’s daughter pointed out that Jacob Marley got a raw deal in Dickens’s Christmas Carol. Thanks to him, Scrooge was redeemed, but Marley stayed in chains. Mula agreed that this was grossly unfair, and wrote his version of the story, told from Marley’s point of view.’
Richard waxed elequently about James Goldman’s Lion in Winter which has of course been turned into two successful movies. ‘Lion In Winter details one rather dysfunctional family’s Christmas gathering in France. Of course, the family is that of Henry II of England (including Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard the Lionhearted and the future King John, among others); the invited guest is Philip Capet of France, and the holiday gathering takes place at Henry’s castle of Chinon. No one’s mind is on presents; rather, everyone is thinking of provinces — who controls them, who gives up which in exchange for which concession, and so on. A merrier holiday gathering could hardly be imagined.’
I’ve been looking for an article I remember being in The Sleeping Hedgehog on eggnog on how it came to be a tradition here maybe forty years back but I can’t find it. What I do have is Jennifer Stevenson’s recipe for eggnog for Stay Home Egg Nog Fluff as she calls it so you can try it out in your drink making.
I’m know it won’t surprise you that everyone has food traditions. Our Editor asked a number of folks about what Winter Holiday food and drink traditions they had. By the way Ellen Kushner, a Winter Queen for us a few years back, answered concisely with ‘latkes and candle-lighting’.
Aurora compared and contrasted the two film versions of James Goldman’s Lion in Winter: Anthony Harvey’s 1968 version, and Andrei Konchalovsky’s from 2003. ‘Goldman’s story is a fictional account of the Christmas court held to determine the future king. A complicated story this is, and the wit in the script combined with the actors’ stellar timing make it worth watching again and again,’ she says of the earlier version. ‘I can fully recommend both versions to anyone who might be interested in this little bit of fictionalized history. In fact, watch them both, one after the other in either order; you won’t be sorry.’
For something a little lighter, Craig reviewed It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and he had some misgivings. ‘In fact, the main thing I noticed about It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie was the amount of sexual innuendo. Not only is the “Voulez vous coucher avec moi, c’est soir” line from Moulin Rouge featured (and given a funny twist) in the “Moulin Scrooge” centerpiece (the highlight of the feature), but lines about topless bars, ogling of cleavage, and a stereotypically “dramatic” gay character (who admires Kermit as he walks away) round out the mix.’
It’s not actually a graphic novel or comic, but The Polar Express is lavishly illustrated and Christopher just raved about the 20th anniversary edition. ‘A child on the cusp of losing their belief in Santa and the magic of Christmas is the protagonist of (and perfect target audience for) The Polar Express. This book brings that struggle into the light as it makes the case for believing and magic. Its potent magic lies in the utter simplicity and clarity of the story line combined with the phenomenal illustrations.’
In new music, Gary says “Put this one on your holiday party playlist,’ speaking of Tree Jazz: The Shape of Christmas to Come, a jazzy holiday album from Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O. ‘ mean, who else would mash up the syrupy modern Christmas classic “Do You Hear What I Hear?” with the Queen/Bowie megahit “Under Pressure.”?’
‘It’s quite wonderful actually,’ Donna said of The Jethro Tull Christmas Album. ‘The songs are interspersed with instrumentals, again based on traditional seasonal songs. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Pavanne,” and “Greensleeved” (Anderson’s interpretation of “Greensleeves”). The music is classic Tull, solid rock, with Celtic and classical flourishes.’
Gary found the music on Nils Økland & Sigbjørn Apeland’s Glimmer perfect for the Winter Solstice. ‘Smack in the middle of the tracklist are two traditional pieces that lighten the mood considerably. The transcription “O, venner” (Oh, Friends) is warm and uplifting, with both of the musicians providing lots of twinkly improvised grace notes. And even warmer is the lovely, hymnlike “Se solens skjønne lys og prakt” (See the beautiful light and splendor of the sun), which was a perfect listen on the evening of the solstice, I assure you.’
Jayme pulled out all the stops in his review of Smithfield Fair’s The Winter Kirk. ‘Don’t expect non-stop jingle bells and a happy brass section blowing away. What Smithfield Fair instead offers up are tracks built around vocals. Particularly striking are “The Lord’s My Shepherd” and “The Lord’s Prayer/What Child is This?” along with Dudley-Brian Smith’s recitation of the respective biblical passages in a gruff Scottish brogue prior to the beginning of the song. It simply feels like medieval Scotland.’
Kim had high praise for Christine Lavin and the Mistletones’ The Runaway Christmas Tree: ‘This is a refreshing change from those horrid holiday songs that blare out at folks in every public place here in North America, and a great choice for a family holiday soundtrack. The music is lovely choral arrangements that will not grate on adult ears, and will please those with chamber music leanings.’
A full 20 years ago now, Steeleye Span put out its first winter holiday album, appropriately titled Winter. Lars in his close review said it was ‘…not only the Christmas album of the year, but also proof that Steeleye Span is once again to be considered a major force in music.’
Our What Not this time starts off with a look at Charles de Lint’s Newford Stories: The Crow Girls. Of all the immortal shapeshifting being that inhabit the Newford stories, the most charming at least for me are Maida and Zia, the two crow girls, who look like pinkish teenagers all in black naturally. After you read Cat’s review, you can experience them first hand in A Crow Girls Christmas written by (obviously) Charles de Lint and charmingly illustrated by his late wife, MaryAnn Harris.
We all tell stories and Jennifer Stevenson tells a great one in ‘Solstice’ which Grey reviews for us here: ‘The reader somehow senses that everything Dawn sees, each action she takes, even her name, has a deeper significance. She’s not just playing for a great party, she’s playing to keep a shrinking, fading man alive on the longest night. And if it’s an over-the-top, splendid bash that keeps the sun alive for another year, well, human beings believed that for a very long time. Maybe this story will help us remember some of what we’ve forgotten.’
You can hear the author splendidly reading ‘Solstice’ here. You can read the story thisaway.
