• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Become a Friend of the River Houses today!

The River Houses

A National Network of Local Homeschool Societies

  • Subscribe!
  • Home
  • Topics โ–พ
    • Arts & Music
    • Astronomy
    • Books & Libraries
    • Collections & Collecting
    • Friday Bird Families
    • Great Stars
    • Holidays & History
    • Language & Literature
    • Lunar Society Bulletins
    • Maps & Geography
    • Museums & Monuments
    • Natural History
    • Poems-of-the-Week
    • Quick Freshes
    • Research & News
    • States & Countries
    • Terms & Calendars
    • Weekly World Heritage
  • Calendars
  • Six Books
  • TWOC โ–พ
    • The Lunar Society of the River Houses
  • About Us โ–พ
    • Our Mascots
  • Friends
  • Shop!
You are here: Home > Homeschool Arts & Music > Holiday Music Month > This Post

๐ŸŽต ๐ŸŽ„ HOLIDAY MUSIC MONTH: Introducing Vince Guaraldi

9 December 2022 by Bob O'Hara

The origins of some seasonal classics are lost in the mists of time, but for others, we know just when and where they arrived on the scene. That’s the case for Vince Guaraldi’s instant American classic “Christmas Time is Here,” one of the musical favorites from the TV special โ€œAย Charlie Brown Christmas,โ€ first broadcast on this day (December 9th) in 1965.

December is Homeschool Holiday Music Month in the River Houses, and throughout the month we’re sharing an assortment of seasonal favorites in a great variety of styles and genresย โ€” classical and modern, sacred and secular, serious and sillyย โ€” along with a collection of easy educational notes that will let you teach little homeschool lessons all along the way.

The American composer and jazz musician Vince Guaraldi (1928โ€“1976) was born in San Francisco and achieved early success in west coast music circles in the 1950s. Producer Lee Mendelson (1933โ€“2019), who was developing the first Peanuts holiday specials in the early 1960s, heard Guaraldi’s music on the radio and invited him to write the score for “Aย Charlie Brown Christmas,” and the rest is musical history.

Most of Guaraldi’s compositions were intended to be purely instrumental, but for the best-known piece, “Christmas Time is Here,” Mendelson himself wrote lyrics.

Christmas Time is Here

Christmas time is here,
Happiness and cheer,
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of year.
Snowflakes in the air,
Carols everywhere,
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share.
Sleigh bells in the air,
Beauty everywhere,
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there.
Christmas time is here,
Families drawing near,
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year.
Sleigh bells in the air,
Beauty everywhere,
Yuletide by the fireside,
And joyful memories there.
Christmas time is here,
Families drawing near,
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year.

Jazz is a distinctly American genre of music, although it is now played all over the world. Guaraldi’s work for the Peanuts specials included not only fully original jazz pieces, but also new jazz arrangements of traditional Christmas carols such as the old German classic โ€œOย Tannenbaum.โ€

Why not introduce your students to some of Guaraldi’s wonderful works this month and invite them to learn more about jazz and its rich history.

What marvelous musical discoveries will you be making in your homeschool during this delightful Holiday Music Month?ย ๐ŸŽ„ย ๐ŸŽต

โกโ€…Musical memories: If you’d like to fill your homeschool with some beautiful background sounds during the holidays, why not tune in to the 24-hour Holiday Channel from WQXR, the famous classical music radio station in New York City. “Enjoy the sounds of orchestras, choirs, brass ensembles and more as we celebrate the sacred and secular sounds of the season.” Iย have it on as background music almost every day at this time of year. Won’t you join me?ย ๐Ÿ“ป

โกโ€…Olden times and ancient rhymes: What did the Christmas season sound like aย hundred years ago and more? Find out from this wonderful collection of historic recordings of American Christmas music, brought together by the Library of Congress.ย ๐ŸŽ„

โกโ€…Lift every voice: This is one of our occasional posts on Homeschool Arts & Music. Add your name to our weekly mailing list and get great homeschool teaching ideas delivered right to your mailbox all through the year.ย ๐Ÿ—ž

โกโ€…Become a Friend! If you enjoy the educational materials we distribute each week, please support our work and the noble cause of homeschooling by becoming a Friend of the River Houses! Your support keeps us going and growing!ย ๐Ÿ˜Š

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related Posts:

  • ๐ŸŽต HOMESCHOOL MUSIC: Happy Birthday Bach!๐ŸŽต HOMESCHOOL MUSIC: Happy Birthday Bach!
  • ๐ŸŽต HOMESCHOOL MUSIC: Relax With Randall Thompsonโ€™s โ€œAlleluiaโ€๐ŸŽต HOMESCHOOL MUSIC: Relax With Randall Thompsonโ€™s โ€œAlleluiaโ€
  • ๐ŸŽต ๐ŸŽ„ HOLIDAY MUSIC MONTH: What Sweeter Music๐ŸŽต ๐ŸŽ„ HOLIDAY MUSIC MONTH: What Sweeter Music
  • ๐ŸŽต ๐ŸŽ„ HOLIDAY MUSIC MONTH 2022 is Here! Good Morrow, Masters All!๐ŸŽต ๐ŸŽ„ HOLIDAY MUSIC MONTH 2022 is Here! Good Morrow, Masters All!

Filed Under: Holiday Music Month, Homeschool Arts & Music

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

Itโ€™s free! Your name and email address are never shared with any third parties.

CHECK YOUR INBOX (or spam folder) to confirm your subscription. Thank you! ๐Ÿ˜Š

Search the River Houses

Recent Posts

  • ๐ŸŽต HOMESCHOOL MUSIC: Happy Birthday Mozart!
  • ๐Ÿฆ‰ FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Barn Owls and Typical Owls
  • ๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ฒ WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: Blue and John Crow Mountains in Jamaica
  • ๐ŸŒŠ HOMESCHOOL HISTORY & LITERATURE: Remembering Challenger
  • ๐Ÿ—“ QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Familiesย โ€“ Week of 22 January 2023
  • ๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ SUNDAY STATES: Illinois, Ireland, Jamaica, and More
  • ๐Ÿฆ… FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Vultures, Ospreys, Hawks, Kites, and Eagles
  • ๐ŸŒ ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ถ WEEKLY WORLD HERITAGE: Ancient Babylon in Iraq
  • ๐Ÿ”Ž HOMESCHOOL RESEARCH & NEWS โ€“ January 2023
  • ๐Ÿ–‹ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ WONDERFUL WORDS (and Music!): Lift Every Voice and Sing
  • ๐Ÿ—“ QUICK FRESHES for Homeschool Familiesย โ€“ Week of 15 January 2023
  • ๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ SUNDAY STATES: Mississippi, India, Iraq, and More
  • ๐ŸŒŸ STAR BRIGHT: Capella for January
  • ๐Ÿ—“ ๐Ÿ—ก HAPPY CROSS-QUARTER DAY of Orion Term 2022โ€“2023
  • ๐Ÿฆ… FRIDAY BIRD FAMILIES: Herons, Bitterns, Ibises, and Spoonbills

Post Calendar

January 2023
S M T W T F S
« Dec    
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031  

Post Categories

  • ๐ŸŽต Homeschool Arts & Music
  • ๐Ÿ”ญ Homeschool Astronomy
  • ๐Ÿ“š Homeschool Books & Libraries
  • ๐Ÿ’ฐ Homeschool Collections & Collecting
  • ๐Ÿ“… Homeschool Holidays & History
  • ๐Ÿ“– Homeschool Language & Literature
  • ๐ŸŒ• Lunar Society Bulletins
  • ๐Ÿ—บ Homeschool Maps & Geography
  • ๐Ÿ› Homeschool Museums & Monuments
  • ๐Ÿž Homeschool Natural History
  • ๐Ÿ—“ Quick Freshes for Homeschool Families
  • ๐Ÿ”Ž Homeschool Research & News
  • ๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Homeschool States & Countries
  • ๐Ÿ—“ Homeschool Terms & Calendars

Astronomy

  • American Meteor Society
    • โ€“ Fireball Reporting System
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day
  • Evening Sky Maps
  • Homeschool Astronomy (Sky & Telescope)
  • Hubble Space Telescope
    • โ€“ย Learning Resources
  • NASA
    • โ€“ย Asteroid Watch
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
    • โ€“ Our Solar System
    • โ€“ Spot the Station
    • โ€“ Webb Space Telescope
  • The Planets Today
    • โ€“ย Light-Distance to the Planets
  • The Sky This Week (USNO)
  • Space Weather
  • Stellarium Night Sky Charts
  • Time and Date
    • โ€“ Eclipses
    • โ€“ Meteor Showers
    • โ€“ Moon Phases
    • โ€“ Seasons
  • Tonight’s Sky (hubblesite.com)
  • Virtual Planisphere

Books & Libraries

  • Baldwin Library of Children’s Literature
  • Biodiversity Heritage Library
  • Classic Children’s Books (read.gov)
  • Folger Shakespeare Library
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
    • โ€“ Shakespeare’s Plays Online
  • HathiTrust Digital Library
  • In Our Time (BBC Podcasts)
  • New York Public Library Digital Collections
  • Project Gutenberg
  • US Library of Congress
    • โ€“ Children’s Book Selections
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
    • โ€“ LC Blogs
    • โ€“ LC Digital Collections
    • โ€“ Minerva’s Kaleidoscope
  • US National Archives
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
    • โ€“ Founders Online
    • โ€“ Kโ€“5 Resources
    • โ€“ Teaching With Documents
  • Vatican Library Digital Collections
  • WorldCat Library Catalog
    • โ€“ WorldCat Library Finder
  • World Digital Library

Museums, Parks, & Monuments

  • Art Collections Online
  • British Museum Collections Online
  • Google Arts & Culture Collections
  • Smithsonian Institution
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
    • โ€“ Smithsonian Museums
    • โ€“ Smithsonian Open Access
  • Timeline of Art History
  • US National Park Service
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
    • โ€“ National Memorials
    • โ€“ National Monuments
    • โ€“ National Parks
    • โ€“ Wild & Scenic Rivers Program
  • US National Wildlife Refuges
  • US State Parks
  • Watercolour World

Natural History

  • All About Birds (Cornell University)
    • โ€“ Bird Identification Guide
    • โ€“ eBird Online
  • Biodiversity Heritage Library
  • BirdCast Daily Migration Maps
  • Time and Date
    • โ€“ Seasons
  • UC Museum of Paleontology
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
  • US Fish & Wildlife Service
    • โ€“ Education Programs
  • US Geological Survey
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
    • โ€“ Latest Earthquakes
  • US National Weather Service
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
    • โ€“ Nationwide Air Quality
    • โ€“ Nationwide River Conditions
    • โ€“ Wildfire and Smoke Map
  • Wild & Scenic Rivers Program

Maps & Geography

  • Antipodes Map
  • FlightAware (Planes in the Air)
  • Mapquest World Maps
  • MarineTraffic (Ships at Sea)
  • OpenStreetMap World Maps
  • Printable Blank Maps & Flags
  • Printable Outline Maps (d-maps.com)
  • River Runner
  • USGS Topographic Maps
  • World Factbook (cia.gov)
  • World Heritage Sites (UNESCO)
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
  • Zoom Earth

Civics & Social Science

  • Bill of Rights Institute
  • Constitution Center
  • C-Span Classroom
  • Free Speech Curriculum from FIRE
  • Foundation for Economic Education
  • History of the Western World (I)
    • โ€“ Western World (II)
  • iCivics.org
  • Learn Liberty
  • Mises Institute Economics
  • MyMoney.gov
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
  • Online Library of Liberty
  • US Founding Documents
  • US Government Portal
    • โ€“ The Congress
    • โ€“ The Supreme Court
    • โ€“ The White House
  • US Mint
    • โ€“ Coin Activities for Kids
    • โ€“ Educator Resources
  • US Postal Museum
    • โ€“ Explore the Collections
    • โ€“ Activities for Kids
    • โ€“ Stamps Teach (from APS)
  • Visual Capitalist

Post Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • April 2017
Sign up for our free newsletter and get great homeschool teaching ideas delivered right to your mailbox every week!

All original content ยฉ 2017โ€“2023 by The River Houses ยท The River Houses and the River Houses emblem are Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.