With Come Darkness, Come Light, Mary Chapin Carpenter Offers Twelve Unusual Christmas Songs

I don’t know that I had ever listened to Mary Chapin Carpenter before I ran across Come Darkness, Come Light, the Christmas album she released in 2008. But thanks to Art Garfunkel, who covers her song Dreamland on Songs from a Parent to a Child and sings her praises as a songwriter, I knew who she was, and his endorsement was more than enough motivation for me to check out her album. I’m glad I did.

Once In Royal David's City - Carpenter sings this traditional carol, while John Jennings contributes electric guitar, percussion and, most strikingly, accordion. “For that child so dear and gentle / Is our Lord in heaven above / And he leads his children on / To the place where he is gone.”

Hot Buttered Rum - This soft, reflective song is not one I’d heard before. Jon Carroll’s piano and Jennings’ guitar give this romantic ode a slightly country flavor. A sweet song that gives me an odd hankerin’ for butterbeer... “In the dead of winter when the cold feelings come / You’re my sweet maple sugar, honey, hot buttered rum.”

Still, Still, Still - Carpenter harmonizes with herself a bit on this gentle lullaby that makes good use of the piano and acoustic guitar. I’m not familiar with the tune, but it’s listed as traditional, and it’s easy to imagine it being sung by a chorus of carolers. “Still, still, still, / One can hear the falling snow. / For all is hushed, / The world is sleeping, / Winter Star, its vigil keeping.”

On a Quiet Christmas Morn - Prairie Home Companion mainstays Robin and Linda Williams wrote this reflective song about the beauty of Christmas, 2000 years ago and today. The verses focus on tranquil modern images, while the choruses take us back to the Nativity. “The hardest heart is softened by the blessing that was born / When the gift of grace was offered on a quiet Christmas morn.”

Come Darkness, Come Light - Carpenter wrote this welcoming song that invites everyone from all walks of life to embrace the Child in the manger. Guitar and piano alternate in prominence as the song gradually grows louder. “Come doubting, come sure / Come fearful to this door / Come see what love is for / Alleluia.”

Christmas Time In the City - Carpenter and Jennings share writing credits on this piano-driven song reminiscent of Pretty Paper. A tender narrative that acknowledges both the beauty of the season and the many disenfranchised people for whom the holiday is more of a struggle, this song nonetheless has a much more optimistic tone to it than that classic. “And it’s Christmas time in the city / When the air is filled with cheer / And the storefronts looks this pretty only once a year...”

Candlelight Carol - Another gentle lullaby, this one by John Rutter, the verses pose a series of hypothetical questions, while the choruses paint a lovely picture of the first Christmas. I first heard this one on Neil Diamond’s second Christmas album; I’m not sure which version I prefer, but both are very nice and soothing. “How do you capture the wind on the water? / How do you count all the stars in the sky? / How can you measure the love of a mother / Or how can you write down a baby’s first cry?”

Longest Night of the Year - Carpenter wrote this song about the winter solstice and the darkness that accompanies it. Acoustic and electric guitar join together for a nice instrumental duet midway through, while Jennings adds harmonies to her vocals on this song speaking of hope in difficult times. “So keep me safe, hold me tight / Let the candle burn all night / Tomorrow welcome back the light / After the longest night of the year.”

Thanksgiving Song - This piano-driven Carpenter song is a soft blessing for Thanksgiving or anytime people are gathered together. Thanksgiving is a rather neglected holiday song-wise, so it’s nice to see a specific nod to it here. “Father, mother, daughter, son / Neighbor, friend and friendless / All together, every one / Let grateful days be endless.”

Bells Are Ringing - Carpenter and Jennings co-wrote this song that catalogs a list of absent comforts, assuring the bereft that there is still hope to be found in seeming emptiness. A heartening song with a faint ripple of jingle bells to accentuate the message. “Wherever you’re walking tonight / Whoever you’re waiting for / Somehow by a stable’s faint light / Peace in your heart is restored.”

Christmas Carol - This final Carpenter original on the album deals with Christmastime malaise and the desire to recapture the unadulterated joy of a childhood Christmas. A really lovely and fairly lengthy song dealing with many of the disappointments of the season while focusing on some specific cherished memories - particularly involving snow and Beatles records - and a hope for peace on Earth. Probably my favorite track. “And maybe next year we won’t go insane / When they rush to hang the bows and candy canes / Because peace will shine in me and you / From Bethlehem to Timbuktu / Even if the forecast is for rain.”

Children, Go Where I Send Thee - A very mellow take on this cumulative folk song. I prefer the much more exuberant Peter Paul and Mary version, but if you’re in a quieter mood, this one is nice too. Besides the tone of the song, the major difference here is that there are twelve verses instead of ten, making it more comparable to The 12 Days of Christmas and hence a very appropriate way to close an album subtitled Twelve Songs of Christmas. “Children, go where I send thee. / How shall I send thee? / I’m gonna send thee one by one / One for the little bitty baby / Was born, born / Born in Bethlehem.”

This is a beautiful album with an overall tone of reverence, as most of the songs are at least partly religious in nature. There’s also an undercurrent of sadness here, with negative elements a part of several of the songs, but optimism always wins out. Carpenter has a deep, mellow voice that fits well with her folksy songs, and when Christmas has come and gone, I’d be interested in listening to what else she has to offer. In the meantime, I heartily recommend Come Darkness, Come Light, especially if you‘re looking for a change from all of those well-worn Christmas classics.