Which Australian Carols are you singing this Christmas?
In my experiences, there are few places that want to use the many carols that have been created over the years for Australians by Australian composers.The first ones of which I became aware were written by William G James in the early half of the 1900s. As I went to school in Melbourne, where WG James had his early influences, I suspect that he was well known because of his many works, some of which appear in Together in Song, the Australian Hymn Book. Of course John Wheeler wrote the lyrics. We sang many of these carols in our school choirs and they were included in the ever-popular Sidney Myer Music Bowl Carols by Candlelight. James's work with the ABC probably put him in a unique position to promulgate new songs that help people to experience the joy of Christmas with an Australian flavour. Read more at Whispering Gums.
Moving forward to later in the 1900s many songwriters included Christmas in Australia.
Still others retell the Biblical stories of Christmas using their own creativity. Many beautiful tunes and stories of Christmas that largely go unnoticed maybe as it is deemed that most people prefer to have the traditional carols rather than a new batch of unknown Christmas songs.
Some of these creative people are:
Peter Combe : Peter Combe Christmas Album Happy Christmas to You (you tube video)
Leigh Newton: Leigh Newton Christmas in the scrub, Christmas in the shed.
My kids, now adults, grew up with these Peter Combe and Leigh Newton songs used many times in Christmas nativity plays and just singing along in the car. Peter was always thrilled to know that we were using them.
Jennie Flack: Among many other wonderful songs is Christmas is a birthday party
Robin Mann: The Songs of Outback Christmas (This link takes you to this specific album, but R Mann has written numerous songs for worship purposes and is very encouraging f songwriters in general.) Colin Buchanan has written a huge amount of songs for Kids. This album has been around for at least 12 years: King Of Christmas
Truth about Christmas day 1975 includes reference to Santa and is a loved song because it tells something of the traditional Aussie spirit which is to look after your mates. Santa centered Australian songwriters include:
Robin Bates: The Aussie Christmas Song ;
Bill & Boyd: Santa never made it into Darwin Lyricsby Bill Cate ;
Rolf Harris: Australian Music Songs Six White Boomers ;
And more about Santa: When Santa learned the Gospel - a poem by Simon Camilleri . Help get the book happen
Other sites with songs by Australians include: 10 Greatest Ever Australian Christmas Songs
I, (Ian Conabere), have also written quite a few Christmas carols over the years:
Christmas in the park: Purchase Sheet Music
Christmassing: ( a book of my carols link to come)
The Party; (a musical written by my wife Kerryn Conabere, daughter, Cathlyn Cornwell, son-in-law, Richard Cornwell and myself and performed in Traralgon Uniting Church in 200
