Behind the Song: Over the River and Through the Woods

The popular children’s song, Over the River and Through the Woods,  was written by Lydia Maria Child as a Thanksgiving poem. The lyrics represented in the song is often associated with cold.  In the early 19th Century, New England winters were colder and had earlier winters than they do in the present day. The poem Read More

Behind the Song: Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep

Count Your Blessings {Instead of Sheep} was the last hit for the popular composer Irving Berlin. The song was written sometime around 1952. Irving Berlin tells the story best: In the book The Irving Berlin Reader, a letter from Irving Berlin to Joseph Schenck and dated September 1952 includes the following information about the writing Read More

Behind the Song: My Favorite Things

My Favorite Things is another song from a popular musical, The Sound of Music,  that is often heard at Christmas although there is no mention of Christmas in the song. The popularity at Christmas is most likely due to the winter-related imagery of “snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, silver white winters that Read More

Profile of a Performer: The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were a group that comprised of three brothers: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.  Robin and Maurice are fraternal twins. The group is recognized for their three part harmonies.  The Gibb brothers were born on the Isle of Man, England.  The family lived in various parts of England before relocating to Queensland, Australia Read More