Secular Christmas Children's Cantatas - Background
Children's cantatas involving Santa and a motley assortment of other characters were the done thing for a several decades beginning around 1880. Loosely strung together assortments of music and theatre with minimal staging requirements, these were clearly developed to involve the young people of all ages from a school or a Sunday school
A couple of American publishers churned these out by the dozen. They often involved Santa's adoption of new technology - with titles like Santa and His Auto Sleigh and Santa's Airplane.
Lorenz Publishing (still in operation) seemed to be particularly productive in creating these pieces. But they weren't just created by American publishers. For instance, the Waterford Town Hall saw a production of a play called "Santa Claus and Johnny Canuck" of which no trace can be found. It may have been an adaptation of one called "Santa Claus and Uncle Sam"
Another thing that went along with these Cantatas was a "Christmas tree" as an event. The papers regularly said that there a Christmas Tree would be held and that the children were delighted with their gifts from the tree - this happens in the story of the Baptist Cantata below.
(Think "Please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree").
The great waterford battle of the christmas cantatas - 1903
1903 was the first year that Waterford's new Town Hall was open for Christmas. Two of the Sunday schools - the Methodists and the Baptists - undertook eager preparations to present Christmas Cantatas at the Hall. The Waterford Star promoted the upcoming concerts for weeks in advance.
But questions are raised. Serious questions about journalistic integrity and bias in contemporary cantata reportage.
But questions are raised. Serious questions about journalistic integrity and bias in contemporary cantata reportage.
Methodist Sunday School |
baptist sunday school |
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"A pretty Cantata" vs. "The best Cantata ever produced in Waterford" -
"Much credit" vs. "gorgeously attired"
"Much credit" vs. "gorgeously attired"
Which cantata do you think our correspondent favoured? Which cantata did our correspondent appear to actually attend, while spurning the earnest efforts of the other????
The journalistic bias in favour of the Baptist presentation is clear.
And "Why? Why?" I hear you cry. "Why did the paper so favour the Baptist cantata over the Methodist one, even before the shows went on?
A clear conflict of interest was at work here.
The journalistic bias in favour of the Baptist presentation is clear.
And "Why? Why?" I hear you cry. "Why did the paper so favour the Baptist cantata over the Methodist one, even before the shows went on?
A clear conflict of interest was at work here.
Imagine yourself in the shoes of a Methodist child in the face of such bias.
All your work, your practice, for weeks, reduced to the word "pretty"
by a critic who did not even deign to see your production.
Perhaps another trial - not of Santa, but of journalistic integrity - would have been in order.
And to all a good night!