L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano ITALIAN SECTION | Dear Readers, Christmas Sing-Alongs are always fun, be they in Italian, English or a little of both. Here are some lyrics to help you and your family get started: T U S C E N D I D A L L E STELLE Tu scendi dalle stelle, O re del Cielo E vieni in una grotta Al freddo e al gelo; O Bambino mio divino, lo ti vedo qui a tremar O Dio beato Oh! quanto ti costò L'avermi amato! A te, che sei del mondo Il Creatore Mancano panni e fuoco O mio Signore Caro eletto pargoletto Quanto questa povertà Più m'innamora, Giacchè si fece amor Povero ancora! In English: Y o u c o m e d o w n f r o m t h e stars, oh King of heaven, And come into a cave, in the cold and ice, Oh my divine Child, I see you shivering here, oh blessed God. Oh, how much it cost you to have loved me. You, who are the creator of the world, lack clothing and fire. Oh, my Lord, dear chosen Babe, how much this poverty makes me love you, Since love made itself poor also. *** ADESTE FIDELES A d e s t e f i d e l e s , l a e t i t r i - umphantes Venite, Venite, in Bethlehem N a t u m v i d e t i , R e g e m Angelorum V e n i t e A d o r e m u s , V e n i t e Adoremus Venite Adoremus, Dominum C a n t e t n u c i o , C h o r u s Angelorum Cantet nunc aula caelestium: Gloria, Gloria, in excelsis Deo V e n i t e A d o r e m u s , V e n i t e Adoremus Venite Adoremus, Dominum Ergo qui natus die hodierna Jesu, tibi sit Gloria! Patris aeterni Verbum caro factum V e n i t e A d o r e m u s , V e n i t e Adoremus Venite Adoremus, Dominum In English: OH COME ALL YE FAITH- FUL Oh come, all ye faithful, joy- ful and triumphant; Oh come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him born the King of Angels; Oh come, let us adore Him, oh come, let us adore Him, Oh come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, S i n g a l l y e c i t i z e n s o f Heaven above; Glory to God in the highest; Oh come, let us adore Him, oh come, let us adore Him, Oh come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. Ye Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus to Thee be glory given; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; Oh come, let us adore Him, oh come, let us adore Him, Oh come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. *** SANTA LUCIA Sul mare luccica L'astro d'argento, Placida è l'onda Prospero è il vento, Venite all'agile Barchetta mia! Chorus: Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia. Con questo zeffiro Così soave Oh! com 'è bello Star su la nave! Su passagieri Venite via! Chorus: Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia Or che tardate Bella è la sera, Spira un'auretta Fresca e leggera Venite all'agile Barchetta mia! Chorus: Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia In English: On the sea shines the silver star, Calm is the water, favorable the wind. C o m e t o m y s u p p l e b o a t , Santa Lucia. With this zephyr, so smooth, H o w b e a u t i f u l i t i s t o b e aboard Come travelers, come away. N o w , w h y d e l a y ? T h e evening is beautiful A cool, light breeze is blow- ing, C o m e t o m y s u p p l e b o a t , Santa Lucia *** SILENT NIGHT Silent Night, Holy Night All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin, mother and child Holy infant, tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. *** SANTA NOTTE Dolce Natal, Santo Natal, Che silenzo intorno c'è Nasce in terra il Bambino Gesù E nel ciel si fa luce lassù Nato è il Salvatore Nasce il Bambino Gesù. *** In a few days we will wel- come New Year's Eve. For near- ly half a century, 1929 to 1977, Guy Lombardo and his Royal C a n a d i a n s b a n d w a s a N e w Year's Eve institution. Millions o f p e o p l e w o u l d c r o w d i n t o Times Square and at midnight Guy Lombardo's band would p l a y " A u l d L a n g S y n e . " H i s orchestra's slow, dreamy style, "the sweetest music this side of heaven" was often disparaged by critics who called him the "King of Corn," but Lombardo a n s w e r e d s i m p l y - " I p l a y f o r people in love, not acrobats." Evidently there were more peo- p l e i n l o v e t h a n a c r o b a t s , because shortly after the Royal Canadians opened their first e n g a g e m e n t a t N e w Y o r k ' s Roosevelt Grill in 1929, they had to enlarge the room. Gaetano "Guy" Lombardo w a s b o r n i n a s m a l l t o w n i n O n t a r i o , C a n a d a , w h e r e h e joined the swelling ranks of a music loving Italian family in 1902. At age twelve, he had his own three-piece orchestra. His instrument was violin. At nine- t e e n , h e h i r e d s i x a d d i t i o n a l musicians, including his broth- ers Carmen, Lee and Victor and began to play Lake Erie resorts. Lombardo was convinced that this new thing called radio was the best possible shortcut to suc- cess; and so in 1924 he brought the Royal Canadians across the border, signed with a night club in Cleveland, and persuaded a local radio station to put them on the air as wageless wonders. His first network (CBS) broad- c a s t o r i g i n a t e d i n C h i c a g o i n 1 9 2 7 . I n 1 9 2 9 , t h e R o y a l Canadians made their Roosevelt Grill debut and were such top favorites in New York that the r o o m h a d t o b e e n l a r g e d t o accommodate 500. Through the years the music stayed the same, same style and often the same tunes-Stardust, Fascination, Begin the Beguine, and Smoke Gets in your Eyes. For nearly half a century, G u y L o m b a r d o c o n s i s t e n t l y topped polls as America's out- standing dance band leader and sold millions of Royal Canadian recordings from coast to coast. The orchestra appeared in sever- a l p o p u l a r m o t i o n p i c t u r e s , a m o n g t h e m S t a g e D o o r Canteen. L o m b a r d o ' s b a t o n s w u n g majestically over the group until his death early in the New Year of 1978, but for couples of a c e r t a i n v i n t a g e m e m o r i e s o f dancing via radio, or records of his romantic music or watching on television on New Year's Eves past, will live forever in their hearts. LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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