# Pachelbel's Canon: A Xmas Song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839 "2007-12-13T12:45:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/1 "2007-12-13T12:45:36Z")
Was Pachelbel’s Canon, a classic music piece, originally written to be a Xmas piece? Or, has it shown up in recent years on radio incorporated into one? ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/2 "2007-12-13T13:29:25Z")
Funny, I’ve always associated _Canon_ with weddings, mostly because every time someone hires a string quarter to play before the ceremony it’s a near-guarantee that they’ll segue into Canon at some point. Mmmmm… bland. I think it may be gaining popularity as a Christmas piece since it’s bland, innocuous, and catchy enough that most people no longer think of it as “classical music”. However, Handel would be rolling over in his grave if he knew his masterpiece was being played alongside \*White Christmas \* and _The Little Drummer Boy_ whilst we run around the grocery store trying to find the last can of cranberry sauce. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/3 "2007-12-13T13:30:20Z")
[QUOTE=Mahna Mahna] However, **Handel** would be rolling over in his grave if he knew his masterpiece was being played alongside \*White Christmas \* and _The Little Drummer Boy_ whilst we run around the grocery store trying to find the last can of cranberry sauce. [/QUOTE] …Handel? ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/4 "2007-12-13T13:45:09Z")
[QUOTE=ErinPuff] …Handel? [/QUOTE] Gah. This is what happens when I start digging around my head for Baroque holiday music before I’ve finished my morning coffee. (in my defence, I’m pretty sure both Handel AND Pachebel are rolling over in their graves over the whole supermarket Muzak thing) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/5 "2007-12-13T13:45:42Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Was Pachelbel’s Canon, a classic music piece, originally written to be a Xmas piece? Or, has it shown up in recent years on radio incorporated into one? I’d bet heavily on the latter. He wrote a number of church pieces and some pieces based on Lutheran hymns. But Canon was a chamber piece specifically, which doesn’t exempt it from being a Christmas song per se, but given his other works, if his intention had been to celebrate the Lord’s birth, his subtlety was unprecedented. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/6 "2007-12-13T13:53:08Z")
Wrong forum. Deleted by me. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/7 "2007-12-13T14:45:55Z")
I’ve played a version of Pachebel’s canon on handbells, blended with a piano and choir singing “The First Noel”. Neat, but rhythmically trickier than our group could really manage. (Still, I’m voting with the others, it’s a neat instrumental song, so it shows up during the season of music–otherwise known as Christmas). ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/8 "2007-12-13T21:22:36Z")
I’ve sung a version of \*The First Nowell \* set to Pachelbel’s Canon. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/9 "2007-12-13T21:37:52Z")
Isn’t \*The First Noel \* in 3/4 time and the _Cannon in D_ in 4/4 time? ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/10 "2007-12-13T21:45:53Z")
**Zebra** , I have no clue. And it’s been a few years since I played the music I described–and even then, I only saw the Bell Music, not the piano or vocal music. But I’m not sure it would be a major problem–except for the pianist. Er, . . . let’s stick to the part I’m sure of–I don’t remember. I just remember us struggling to get the rhythm quite right–the music was transparent so it was a major problem. (Um, when I say the music was transparent, I don’t mean the sheet music, I mean that most of the time only two or three notes played at once, as opposed to music which has 6 or 7 notes playing at once, so if someone forgets to play, it’s kinda hard to tell). ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/11 "2007-12-13T21:48:43Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] I’ve sung a version of \*The First Nowell \* set to Pachelbel’s Canon. [/QUOTE] Who was the first Nowell? Arnie? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/12 "2007-12-13T21:58:58Z")
Of course, no discussion would be complete without a link to… [The Pachelbel Rant!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM&) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/13 "2007-12-14T00:26:46Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Isn’t \*The First Noel \* in 3/4 time and the _Cannon in D_ in 4/4 time? [/QUOTE] They are, but it’s possible to stretch 3/4 songs into 4/4. I also seem to recall reading somewhere that Pachelbel’s Canon was originally meant to be performed in a more spritely, uptempo manner, rather than the plaintive, meditative one that has caught on. Somebody with a better knowledge of music history can either confirm or deny. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/14 "2007-12-14T00:29:07Z")
Rant or no, it makes a very welcome change to Rudolph and Grandma etc… ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/15 "2007-12-14T00:37:04Z")
I was wondering the same thing when I heard it at an animal hospital yesterday. The whole time I was thinking “since when is this a Christmas song?” ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/16 "2007-12-14T00:51:17Z")
Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs a song called _Christmas Canon_ which is children singing about Christmas to the tune of Pachelbel’s Canon. At first I thought this was an annoying song because I thought the children were just repeating “Christmas” over and over, but the actual [lyrics](http://www.trans-siberian.com/lyrics/xmasattic4-xmascannon.shtml) show it’s about the birth of Christ. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/17 "2007-12-14T00:53:19Z")
I like Pachebel’s Canon when it’s done well, which my humble opinion, the Christmas version we commonly hear is not. In the same vein, which brainiac decided _My Favorite Things_ should be a Christmas song? Edited to add: Aw, Trans Siberian Orchestra did that? Now I feel sad for calling it not well done. It’s just not in my taste, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/18 "2007-12-14T01:11:03Z")
[QUOTE=Mahna Mahna] (in my defence, I’m pretty sure both Handel AND Pachebel are rolling over in their graves over the whole supermarket Muzak thing) [/QUOTE] I’m sure Handel is. “Messiah” definitely wasn’t written for Christmas; Handel conducted the premiere in April of 1742. It’s much more fitted to Easter than Christmas, yet no one ever seems to have a sing-along Messiah concert at Eastertime. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/19 "2007-12-14T01:18:35Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] Who was the first Nowell? Arnie? [/QUOTE] I don’t get this at all. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pachelbels-canon-a-xmas-song/429839/20 "2007-12-14T02:16:51Z")
[QUOTE=Tikki] I like Pachebel’s Canon when it’s done well, which my humble opinion, the Christmas version we commonly hear is not. In the same vein, which brainiac decided _My Favorite Things_ should be a Christmas song? [/QUOTE] the only thing I can think of is that the song mentions “snowflakes that fall on my nose and my lashes.” Nose=reference to Rudolph; Snow=Christmas season for Western Civilization (for the most part). And perhaps girls in blue satin sashes go to the Nutcracker? Satin is usually a cold weather fabric… I’m not saying this makes sense. I’m only trying to make some type of connection.