At this time of the rolling year, the signs of the fast looming holidays are ubiquitous and readily appreciated. Trees bereft of greenery, the mysterious honking of geese in the night sky, and {well, normally…}, the delightful skirl of snow muting the woods and fields. Perhaps more apposite is the stunned, vacant look on students’ faces as they reel through these final days, cowering with angst und furcht brought on by final examinations and dreaded research papers.
It is at this very pleasant time of year that some academic teachers from HAECC joined some carpentry teachers from CVCEC in order to record some well-known Christmas carols.
The outcome of this seasonal convocation is included with this brief article. “What Child is This” actually began its festive existence some two centuries earlier as Greensleeves , a tune some people believe was penned by none other than Henry VIII; an erroneous notion as the piece may be somewhat older, and is based largely on a Mediterranean motif known as a Romanesca. An intriguing item of trivia posits that the original lyric tells the lamentable story of a young man, hopelessly in the grip of an unrequited love. That the object of his desire was what may be kindly referred to as a woman of negotiable virtue only adds to the heart rending pathos of the thing. And humour, too.
And so, withal, it only remains for us to bid all staff and students a very Happy Christmas, and a well-earned holiday to go with it.
Cheers,
The HAECC Academic Consortium
