Christmas Cats and Cartoons

Christmas Cats - how cats think they help out at Christmas time. 

More cats and Christmas trees . . .  No cats, but plenty of Christmas trees,  suffered in the making of this compilation. 

Animals sing the The Twelve Days of Christmas   but don't expect the words to be the ones you know. 

Simon's Cat and the Christmas Tree  (Santa Claws)
Deck the Halls - animal version 
 


Mickey Mouse cartoon - Pluto's Christmas tree (with Chip 'n' Dale).  

The Muppets Carol of the Bells




The Muppets with Andrea Bocelli sing Jingle Bells 

The Muppet Chickens cluck "Joy to the World"

2015 Term 4, Week 8: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and the Story of The Christmas Tree.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer  was written as a poem. It first appeared in a 1939 booklet written by Robert L May especially for a department store called Montgomery Ward to give away as a free gift at Christmas.  The names Reginald and Rollo were considered, and a moose was initially considered but reindeer were thought to be more friendly.  In its first year, over two and a half million copies were given out. 

May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks changed the story slightly and wrote the song Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, and it was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949. It was an instant hit and has sold over 25 million copies. A short cartoon movie was made of the story in 1944 and was re-issued with Johnny Mark's song in 1949.  

The other 8 reindeer (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid,   Donner and Blitzen)  first appeared in a poem known as  'Twas the NIght Before Christmas  by Clement Clarke Moore  and first published in USA in 1823.  The poem is also known as "A Visit from Saint Nicholas." 

This is a Walt Disney Silly Symphony  classic cartoon of The Night Before Christmas (1933). 

 This is a 1948 cartoon based on the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer story.

This is a video of the original story book  of Rudolph being read aloud. See how the original Rudolph looked. 

 

Follow this link for an easy-to-play score of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. (See below) 
The numbers in circles tell you what fingers to use if you are playing the piano.

 Here's another version telling you what notes to play on the glockenspiel or recorder - but there's no timing given, so you'll have to play the rhythm pattern by ear.

 

It might take you a while to get this joke. Here's a clue: Rudolph's subjects are maths, science, English, history, art and gym.

Here's a very traditional Christmas song, originally from Germany, called Oh Christmas Tree. 

This is faster karaoke version .   

And here's  how a cat would sing Oh Christmas tree. 

This is the Horrible Histories  version of how we came to have Christmas Trees in our homes. 

And here's the History Channel's history of the Christmas tree.  



Here's some interesting ideas to decorate your Christmas tree. 

 Link to National Anthem backing track by TGS Orchestra. 

2015 Term 4, Week 7: The story of "Small One" told by Bing Crosby

 

Bing Crosby was an American singer and actor.  His full name was Harry Lillis Crosby Junior, and he was born in 1903 and died in 1977.  He was the best-selling artist of the twentieth century and sold over one billion records, tapes, CDs and digital downloads around the world.

His recording of "White Christmas" is the biggest-selling record of all time, and was first heard on a radio broadcast on Christmas Day, 1941.  Soon after, the song appeared in the Bing Crosby movie called Holiday Inn.   This version of White Christmas is from a 1954 film called White Christmas also starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

"The Small One" is one of the most loved Christmas stories. The story was written by Charles Tazewell and was first produced for a radio show in 1939.  This version narrated by  Bing Crosby was recorded in 1947.
This is the Disney version of The Small One from 1972.

It's a story set in Mexico where a young boy called Pablo is complaining because his donkey is so stubborn.  The narrator (Bing Crosby) tells him it's not stubbornness but pride, and he goes on to tell Pablo the story of another donkey in another country a long time ago . . .

  Here's some vocabulary to help you understand the story: 

drowse - doze or snooze        berating - growling at          disreputable - not respectable
stout - big and stocky            aloof - keeping distant          destiny - future 
envy - jealousy                      drooped - sagged or dropped   
tanner - person who makes leather out of animal skins      homage - respect

Spanish vocabulary: 
el camino del norte - the road north
siesta - an afternoon nap 
estupido - stupid
Buenos días - good morning  

si - yes 

Señor - Mister or Sir
amigos - friends 

 
 
Listen to the background music of the story. 
Can you hear how the music changes to match the mood of the story?  
How does the music represent the happy and sad parts of the story? 
How is the sound of the donkey's hooves represented by music? 
How does the music represent the donkey's ear that stick up, the ear that droops, and the leg that limps? 
Can you work out what well known Christmas carol is used as a theme for the background music?  

This is a video from 1970of Bing Crosby singing a Christmas duet with David Bowie.

This week's dances: 
Run Run Run Rudolph ( Chuck Berry - with lyrics) 

Run Run Rudolph  Lynyrd Skynyrd Cover 

Run Run Rudolph Keith Richards Cover

Crazy Christmas Dance 

Jingle Bells 
Cotton Eye Joe.  

I'm Gonna Catch You  

Johnny B Goode  

Our favourite Christmas songs:  

Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight!
(chorus)

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon, Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot.
 

And just for fun - here's a video of Mr Bean conducting the Salvation Army Band performing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. 
Watch how the musicians follow his moves exactly.