Reflecting on the 12 Days

 

I've put the 12 Days of Christmas together for a final look. These postings are always a quiet interlude for me to reflect on the season. This year they were made even more special by the source of the words, Nowell Sing We Clear's book, Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. The voices of Tony Barrand, Andy Davis, Fred Breuning, and John Roberts have been an essential part of our holiday season for close to 40 years. The lettering was done with Calligraphica Crystals and a Hiro/Leonhardt #40 pen nib, both from John Neal, Bookseller. The lettering was all done spontaneously with no sketches or lines.

Twelfth Day of Christmas

 

Twelfth Day of Christmas

from "Rise Up Jock" by Bob Pegg in Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. Hear Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVGJPrCT8Yc

Eleventh Day of Christmas

 

Eleventh Day of Christmas

from "The Old Hark Hark" in Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. Hear Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTfrCvFj-c0

Tenth Day of Christmas

 

Tenth Day of Christmas

from "Villagers All" in Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. Andy Davis set these lines from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame to music. Hear Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPSf6pTVdkA&list=RDUPSf6pTVdkA&index=1

Ninth Day of Christmas

 Ninth Day of Christmas

from "Shepherds Arise" in Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. Hear Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IM-WAVfKto

Eighth Day of Christmas

 

Eighth Day of Christmas

from "Chariots" by John Kirkpatrick in Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. Hear Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYUT5p7yP3A

Seventh Day of Christmas

 

Seventh Day of Christmas

Words from "The Sussex Carol" in Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. Hear Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9leHAuWOUA

Sixth Day of Christmas

 Sixth Day of Christmas

from Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide.

Hear Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZAVN9fBI4A

Fifth Day of Christmas

 

Fifth Day of Christmas

from Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide.

Hear Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX2vVxClAVk

Fourth Day of Christmas

 Fourth Day of Christmas

"Cold December", a Catalonian Carol, from Nowell Sing We Clear’s Book of Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. Listen to Nowell Sing We Clear sing it here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SpqlvreeZE

The lettering for the Twelve Days series is done spontaneously—no sketches, no lines—with Calligraphica Crystals.

Third Day of Christmas

 Third Day of Christmas

Words by Sydney Carter set to the Shaker tune “Simple Gifts” composed by Joseph Brackett in 1848. From Nowell Sing We Clear’s book of songs and carols for midwinter and Christmastide.

Hear It here: https://youtu.be/B4Faxg7MEwg

Second Day of Christmas

Second Day of Christmas

From the Carol “Awake! Behold!” from Nowell Sing We Clear’s book, Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide. You can hear it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rHAWcY3QCM.

First Day of Christmas

First Day of Christmas

From the carol “Sing Nowell” on the album Nowell, Nowell, Nowell by Nowell Sing We Clear.

I’ll be sharing hand-lettered lines from Nowell Sing We Clear’s book, Songs and Carols for Midwinter and Christmastide for the twelve days. Lettering with Calligraphica Crystals and Hiro/Leonardt #40 nib, both from John Neal, Bookseller. Unfortunately, the photograph does not show the true color and sparkle of the letters.

Twelve Days of Christmas Recap

Since I have turned to words for comfort and inspiration often throughout this past year, it made sense to make them the feature of this year's Twelve Days of Christmas posts. I knew I wanted them to be outside and chose the crabapple tree in our backyard.

I used sumi ink and a folded pen I made in Carol DuBosch's Folded Pen Adventures workshop at Masscribes (report will be coming) on strips of Canson edition paper.

I'm thinking about publishing them in a little book for next Christmas. I'll keep you posted.

Twelfth Day of Christmas (belated)

Eleventh Day of Christmas

Tenth Day of Christmas

Ninth Day of Christmas

Eighth Day of Christmas

Seventh Day of Christmas