© 1993 Macleans
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[Excerpt -- non-Bruce material deleted]
Blame it on Bing. Ever since Crosby crooned his way onto the pop charts with White Christmas, Yuletide tunes have become a predictable--and, at times, insufferable--staple of the record industry. Every year, artists feel compelled to don their gay apparel and trot out new versions of old favorites. Sometimes, they are inspired--like last year's reissue of James Brown's Santa's Got a Brand New Bag. But more often, they are obligatory efforts that lack innovation. Seasonal songs come in classical, country, rock and reggae varieties. Even rap renditions have begun to appear. Judging by recent albums, Canadian artists are resurrecting old Christmas carols, singing familiar ones in a different language or offering entirely original compositions.
Taking an archeological approach to the task, Bruce Cockburn has unearthed some rare gems on his lovingly crafted collection, Christmas (True North/Sony). Drawing material from an old carol book his father gave him and from vintage recordings in his own collection, Cockburn presents a treasure trove of obscure or forgotten holiday tunes. Gospel songs such as "Early on One Christmas Morn" and Mary Had a Baby" have a vitality lacking in many carols. And numbers like the eerie Down in Yon Forest", an early American folksong, and the ominous-sounding Riu Riu Chiu", a 16th-century Spanish composition, offer sober reflection--a refreshing contrast to the season's incessant good cheer. The singer-guitarist also performs instrumental and vocal versions of better-known carols such as "Joy to the World".
But the standout, and the one for which Cockburn deserves the most credit, is "Iesus Ahatonnia," otherwise known as "The Huron Carol," which is probably the first Canadian Christmas hymn. The singer recorded the 17th-century composition, attributed to Jesuit priest Jean de Brebeuf, in the language of the Huron Indian tribe. (Translator John Steckley, a professor of native studies at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont., coached him in pronunciation.) The result is both a passionate musical number and a faithfully restored piece of Canadian history.
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