We have long considered creating an online musical Christmas card instead of sending paper cards and Christmas letters; this is the year that it happens. “Father Christmas” was composed from a dream that my husband had of his father. Bill handed me the text and music for the chorus, I completed the text and music for the verses and bridge and scored it for keyboards and percussion. Our friend Judy joined us to record it for the “Christmas at Duquesne, Vol. 2” CD. Now we would like to share the video version with our friends and families as our Christmas greeting this year. May the blessings of love and peace be with you throughout the coming year. Enjoy!
Father Christmas Lyrics
©2008 Lynn & Bill Purse, All rights reserved
Father Christmas, Father Time
Mother Earth in ancient rhyme
Help the angels sing your name
I’ll see you Father, once again
Christmas seen through childish eyes
Glitter gold and treasures prized,
and yet around each childish heart
the warmth of love and family start
A world of sorrow, a world of pain,
a world in which there seems no gain.
But nonetheless, remember this,
a world was won by a child of grace
Looking back on memories, I see the joy of family
A father’s love, a mother’s joy for all their children, girl and boy
Fathers, mothers, listen now
Sisters, brothers, make this vow
to love each other on this earth
and share the bonds of love and mirth
Lynn Emberg Purse, vocals and keyboards; Bill Purse, vocals and percussion, sound engineer and producer; Judith Bowman, keyboards. A special thanks to my niece and great niece Jessica and Olivia and to my mother and my husband for allowing me to film them, and to Michael for providing the red rose.
Soundtrack on the “Christmas at Duquesne, Vol. 2” CD available at the Duquesne University’s Mary Pappert School of Music, 412-396-6080. All proceeds go towards scholarships for Duquesne University music students.
Another Christmas music post that you may enjoy – Keeping Christmas
Text and media of “Father Christmas: A Musical Christmas Card” ©2011 Lynn Emberg Purse, All Rights Reserved
composerinthegarden 
Just beautiful! I’m sooooo happy I found you through the “Portraits of Wildflowers” site and can follow you. Yay! I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing your gifts, and the generous ways you share them.
Catherine, thank you for visiting and for your kind comments. Steve has a great blog, doesn’t he? I took the time to visit your site as well and found it truly beautiful. Not only do you write well, you get to the heart of things. I am now following you, so thank you for introducing me to your lovely place! Have a beautiful Christmas.
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What a brilliant Christmas experience in sight and sound!
Thank you for visiting; I have so enjoyed your posts on the terns and the seasonal life in your part of the world. Glad you enjoyed the music!
Beautiful!! Thanks for sharing this song! 😀
Merry Christmas*
Hello, Sunyoung! Thank you for visiting and listening – Merry Christmas to you!
That was amazing, by far the most beautiful christmas song I have heard this season, thank you for sharing! Have a Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much, catcher of stars (love that name!). So glad you enjoyed it!
That was beautiful. Thank you.
Wishing you a wonder-filled and blessed holiday too. 🙂
Robin, thanks for visiting and listening. I have one more “music video” planned for this Friday and plan a link to your blog. I hope that is OK with you; you will understand when you see the post 🙂
Now I’m excited. 🙂 (And in case it needs to be said, yes, it’s OK with me.)
Great and thanks! Hope you like it!
Gorgeous, Lynn! What a beautiful voice you have! This has such a timeless sound; it could easily become my favorite carol!
Thank you Elizabeth, I am so glad you liked it.
Absolutely beautiful, Lynn! Love the pics of your fathers. Merry Christmas to you and I wish you His blessings for the season and always. ~Paula
Paula, many thanks for visiting and commenting, and a Merry Christmas to you too! I had great fun going through old family photos until I found the right images. The one of our fathers at our wedding was the last one I found and seemed just right, as it was taken on the day when they both became our fathers and they were both so happy. Making the video held its own rewards 🙂
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Wow. (Thought I’de return the complement.)
I love this style of this song – do I sence some
Celtic influence? You assembled some real
talent here –
Thanks, Rastelly! Hmmm, I do like Celtic music, both the traditional Chieftains and the modern style of Loreena McKennitt. This definitely has a modal medieval influence, but with a lot of shifting rhythms. My husband set the flavor of the piece and I expanded on it. 🙂 Looking back, I see this as the first of several subsequent pieces that have this sort of feel and construction with increasing complexity and variations. As I worked on the video, this started to become apparent to me; funny how you look on your work and can sometimes see something bigger, an overarching momentum. Doesn’t usually happen when you are in the moment :->
Loreena McKennit, she’s one of my
favorites. She and Enya. Enya’s album,
The Celts – has some of the most
extroidnary instermentals. Father
Christmas, reminds of an instermental
on the album called – “To go Beyond.”
P.S. My mom just shared this on facebook.
I do like Enya’s voice; very haunting. And please thank your Mom for me!
This is beautiful 🙂
Thanks, Karyn! I loved your skater girl photos.
Dear Lynn and Bill,
Thanks for the great Christmas card! Outstanding and using all of your talents. Many blessings this Christmas.
Graham and Marilyn
PS Glad we now know about your blog
Thanks for visiting, glad you enjoyed it! Hope to see you both sometime soon.
Loved the presentation, Lynn. The images images are marvelous complements to wondrous sounds.
Many thanks, Kerry, for taking the time to watch and comment. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for this, Lynne. Alot of effort also for the video clip. Wow.
What’s on my blog for Christmas rhythm…are parodies of some Christmas songs with cycling and blogging themes. One of them, you may have seen already!
I’m sure you’re busy at this time year, performing. Joyeaux Noel!
PS: I had two posts this week featuring interesting handbell pieces.
Beautiful music with meaningful lyrics. Wonderful coordination of images too! Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing your gift to us.
Thank you for the kind words, Frank; I have been wanting to create this video for a while. I’ll definitely check out the handbell pieces, thanks for the links!
Thanks, Bobbie – nice to see you here!
Very nice Lynn! Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful holiday!