I felt motivated again this year to set up a "Wargamer's Christmas Card" in the basement once again this year, and who better to gather for a Christmas Eve service this year than all of my Napoleonic Danes - talk about red and green!
King Frederick VI enters at the head of his Livgard of Horse, preparing to complete the Great Square of troops surrounding the Chapel on the hill. Hereafter, I'll use the words of one of my favorite carols, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". The words are based upon those written by Charles Wesley, Brother of John Wesley, the founder of what became the Methodist movement, in 1739, and the music we sing it to by the great Felix Mendelssohn (for quite another celebration, that of the 400th Gutenberg's invention of the Printing press - it was not until 1857 that the two were put together.). As the first work printed was the Holy Bible, I suppose that brings it full circle. For those of my friends who don't celebrate the holiday, let me just wish you Peace on Earth, and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King".
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies!
With th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King!"
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that Man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of Earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new born King!"
"Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", as performed by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge.
Merry Christmas - Glædelig Jul!
Cheers - Skål!
That's a great post!! Thanks...and Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Phil, and a joyous Christmas to you and yours as well!
DeleteWonderful music,lyrics and figures set up so fantastically!
ReplyDeletemerry Christmas from the Duchy of Tradgardland
Glad you enjoyed it, and a very Merry Christmas to Your Grace and your citizens! :-)
DeleteMerry Christmas!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, and the same to you, Greg!
ReplyDeleteA brilliant scene. It really warmed the cockles. Have a Very Merry Chistmas.
ReplyDeleteThank you and have a very Merry Christmas yourself!
DeleteVery fitting tribute for the occasion. Red and green Danes...perfect!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Peter!
Thanks and likewise, Jon. I hope you have a wonderful day with your family.
DeleteMerry Christmas, Peter. Lots of red on that table!
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed!
DeleteA most blessed Christmas to you and all of your family, Joe!
Merry Christmas, Peter! I like the church parade. I've wanted to do that with my Imagi-nations army but there's only so much time.
ReplyDeleteThanks, John!
DeleteYou're right about only so much time, especially for clergy at this time of the year!
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Peter. This is a great idea; I like it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike. In a way, it is a bit of a continuation of a long Holiday tradition. Growing up, underneath the tree we made a winter scene using the empty ornament boxes to form hills and mountains (Covered by one of those "snow" sheets), lighted houses (from the tree lights), winter trees, people, ice skating rink, campfire - many of the figures were hand made by my mom well before my arrival.
ReplyDeleteThe same is true of a manger that my dad (an engineer) built from scratch in the early 1950's (including an interior light). My mom made figures of Mary, Joseph, the Three Kings, the infant Jesus and shepherds from cheap flexible dolls and hand sewed their costumes, those of the kings ornamented with "gold' thread, fake pearls, etc -0 one of the Kings had a jeweled Emerald crown adopted from the top of an old perfume bottle or similar. I suppose it's pretty easy to see that I got my scientific side from my dad, and my (limited) artistic side from my Mom!
When we got married, we started a collection of Studio 57 buildings, starting with a New England church our first Christmas. As we added more buildings, they went on display in the bay window of our dining room, and it gradually acquired figures, and ice skating rink, train set, trees, roads and fence, etc from my wargames stuff - it got so big that I had to build a platform, painted white, to expand the area available to hold it all. In recent years, as the number of attendees at our home on Christmas Eve has grown, there simply isn't room for it in the dining room, so I usually don't set it up... hence (in part) the basement display!
Great idea Peter. I hope you had a great Christmas, and all the best for the New Year.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lawrence, we did, and best wishes for the New Year vto you nas well!
ReplyDelete