Talk:Deck the Halls

Problem

I am absolutely sure that it's not "deck the hall" or "fa la la la la, fa la la la". Could soneone fix this? 156.34.60.112 23:42, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, I'm listening to a recording right now of "Deck the Hall", a version I've never previously heard; I've always heard "Halls" before. I'm really not sure how to cite it, since I don't have the CD case or anything right now. On the other hand, I can't imagine all those extra "fa-s" are correct. If they are, they should be noted, but they should be properly cited. The way the change to the "fa-s" was made, with the intro being seriously mangled, doesn't help my impression of the idea put forward. Nyttend 04:08, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

Why is this song secular? If one is so happy during Christmas, it must have to do with religion.--Orthologist 17:18, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

I found the word "secular" kind of glaring too. It's not as if this song is anti-religious or something. BTW why is it a part of the Anglicanism project? Steve Dufour 13:57, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

Secular doesnt mean anti-religious. it means its not of a religious nature. and its probably in an anglacanism project because it is an old english folk song that describes the archaic symbolism and practices of the anglican culture.75.32.34.72 (talk) 06:10, 9 December 2008 (UTC)

I changed the word to "traditional." I hope that is ok with everyone. Steve Dufour 14:00, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

The early creations as they were published used "fa" twice, it also said hall not halls as the word hall refers to an open room or more specifically a mead hall. the possibly American version from the same time has morphed to become the "popular version" without the second "fa" and hall has since become halls, interpreted as hallways instead of open room. also i have noticed that in the english folk version the word "hoar" was changed to "gay". this is likely because a wikipedian thought it was vandalism referring to a whore but to make this clear for the future, the word "hoar" is an old term meaning white haired, see hoar frost.75.32.34.72 (talk) 06:10, 9 December 2008 (UTC)

Not an English native, and therefore unsure, but isn'nt it "Toll the acient yule..." instead of "Troll"? --94.157.112.61 (talk) 17:36, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

No, it's "troll", as an archaic varient of "trill". As far as secular goes, I agree "traditional" is a fair compromise. Decorating with evergreen boughs (or trees), singing, dressing in festive attire and lighting fires or Yule-logs are all seasonal traditions. None feature in scriptural accounts of the Nativity. One could argue that these are broadly religious, as they date back to pagan customs of pre-Christian Europe, as does the holiday, Yule, which is explicitly mentioned in the song while Christmas and Christ are not. 72.49.43.222 (talk) 00:02, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Welsh Origins

This song was originally attached to a Welsh poem, Oer yw'r gwr, or "Cold is the Man". I have included the poem below. See if you can spot the similarities. Could someone with a knowledge of Welsh provide an accurate translation? On-line "translators" provide nothing but gibberish about beans and heartburn (of course).

Oer yw'r gwr sy'n methu caru,

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

Hen fynyddoedd annwyl Cymru,

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

Iddo ef a'u cêr gynhesaf ,

Ffa la la, la la la, la la la.

Gwyliau llawen flwydd nesaf,

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

I'r helbulus oer yw'r biliau

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

Sydd yn dyfod yn y Gwyliau,

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

Gwrando bregeth mewn un pennill,

Ffa la la, la la la, la la la.

Byth na waria fwy na'th ennill

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

Oer yw'r eira ar Eryri,

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

Er fod gwrthban gwlanen arni,

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

Oer yw'r bobol na ofalan',

Ffa la la, la la la, la la la.

Gwrdd a'u gilydd ar Nos Galan,

Ffa la la la la, la la la la.

Just thought I'd put my two cents' worth in. dm01 06:19, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Mannheim Steamroller

Should we put that Mannheim Steamroller released a notible instrumental version, or am I just obsessed? --69.218.57.236 (talk) 15:14, 29 March 2008 (UTC)

Cutting "Cover versions"

I cut this section.

First, they're hardly "covers" in the usual sense. It's a folk song -- unless someone can name the original artist?

Second, this song is so commonplace and has been recorded so many times, that any list is necessarily incomplete. As for notability of any one recording, that's more in the eye of the individual editor who adds it than anything else. Some of those in the list were obscure, to say the least. But again, there are so many around that none of them are particularly notable compared to the others.

Such a section can therefore never be complete or useful. 63.249.96.218 (talk) 21:41, 28 December 2009 (UTC)

I agree there is far too much of this trivia in songs like this. Enter CambridgeBayWeather, waits for audience applause, not a sausage 08:46, 29 December 2009 (UTC)

2010

Fra

"Fra la la la la, la la la la."

I have never heard of this R. Fra, really? Fra? Can we verify this is not a typo? I am enraged. Nym (talk) 09:20, 21 July 2010 (UTC)

Troll

Troll, in the popular version, can really be toll. --Diamondland (talk) 04:38, 21 November 2010 (UTC)

Highly unlikely. The english translation is highly sarcastic.--207.191.199.237 (talk) 03:50, 21 February 2011 (UTC)

Alleged use by Mozart

While there are several references that claim Mozart used "Nos Galan" in one of his works, I have yet to pin down the actual work and passage in which this use occurs. Some sources suggest the Violin Sonata K301, but I've looked through the score to that work pretty carefully and I don't see any quotation of the melody. At the very least, if it is quoted there, it's done extremely subtly. What's more, I've been unable to find any reference to "Nos Galan", "Deck the Hall(s)" or even "Welsh" (in the appropriate context) in any scholarly work on Mozart. Is it possible that this alleged use by Mozart is actually an urban legend, albeit one that has been widely propagated? Grover cleveland (talk) 09:33, 26 December 2011 (UTC)