Holiday Memories

In an attempt to not be a complete scrooge this holiday season, I picked up a $2.00 Stars of Christmas CD at Walgreen's last week. Yeah, I know...I'm such a big spender. But hey, $2.00 for a CD seemed like a pretty good deal, and it advertised songs by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and more.

Well, that poor CD sat in my car all last week, and I finally put it in yesterday on my way home from work. I was immediately assaulted by the ever plucky Doris Day singing cheerfully about decking the halls with holly - oh boy, I thought - it's Christmas 50's style - great....

It roamed through a swingin Eddie Fisher singing a lounge version of O Come All Ye Faithful, Andy Williams doing his very best to sound pious on Angels We Have Heard On High, Patti Page picking up the beat with a silly yet fun version of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and then came the beautiful pipes of Kate Smith singing a round of The First Noel/Silent Night/O Holy Night. Now that was worth the two bucks.

Frank's in there singing O Little Town of Bethlehem his way, and Bing Crosby shows up for a rousing rendition of O'Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. Then it got to We Three Kings with Jose Feliciano, and all I could think of was the South Park Christmas Special - and I started laughing so hard I almost ran into a ditch.

I recovered in time to hear - of all people - Englebert Humperdink singing Away in a Manger (yes, I'm old enough to know who Englebert Humperdink is...sad huh?)...and then it happened...

Three notes came out of the stereo that instantly transported me back over 30 years to Christmas Eve service at St. Margaret Mary's Church, dressed in my satin Christmas finest, hair all done up with a bow (they were big back then), standing next to my grandfather, who was singing his very favorite Christmas song - in Latin - and he knew all the words. He taught me once, and as the first graceful notes of Ave Maria issued forth from the CD, damn if I don't still remember every single one. It's probably the only Latin I know, and I couldn't even tell you what I'm singing...

But there I am, singing with my Grandpa in church, 8 years old, eyes taking in the heavily candled main altar, the huge nativity scene to the right of the main altar, the stained glass windows, the stations of the cross along the walls, and the beautiful notes of Ave Maria, as sung by Perry Como...and me...and my Grandpa Joe.

What a moment in time to be transported to, and what a blessing - I hadn't thought of my Grandpa Joe in a while, and to be there in that moment with him, it reminded me of all the wonderful musical things he brought to my life, including Opera, the Great Caruso and the beautiful song, Ave Maria.

Here are the Latin words, and below them, the translation in English, so I'll finally know what the heck it is I've been singing all these years...and you will too.

Ave Maria

Gratia plena Maria,

gratia plena Maria,

gratia plena Ave,

ave dominus

Dominus tecum

Benedicta tu in mulieribus

Et benedictus

Et benedictus fructus ventris

Ventris tuae, Jesus.

Ave Maria

Ave Maria

Mater Dei

Ora pro nobis peccatoribus

Ora pro nobis

Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus

Nunc et in hora mortis

Et in hora mortis nostrae

Et in hora mortis nostrae

Et in hora mortis nostrae

Ave Maria

Listen to Andrea Bocelli here:

http://andrea-bocelli-ave-maria-mp3-download.kohit.net/_/422023

and for those of us who slept through Latin class, the English version (without all the repeated stanzas):

Hail Mary

Full of grace

The Lord is with thee

Blessed art thou among women

And blessed is Jesus

The fruit of thy womb

Holy Mary

Mother of God

Pray for us sinners

Now and in the hour of our death

Amen.