“The Harmonious Blacksmith” is the popular name of the final movement, Air and Variations, of George Frederic Handel's Suite No. 5 in E major, HWV 430. The story is that Handel, when working for James Brydges the future Duke of Chandos at Cannons between 1717 and 1718, once took shelter from the rain in a smithy, and was inspired to write his tune upon hearing the hammer on the anvil; the regularly repeated pedal note (B in the right hand) in the first variation, can give the impression of a blacksmith hammering. A variation on the story is that he heard the blacksmith singing the tune which would later become the Air; this explanation fits in nicely with Handel's general technique of borrowing tunes. Neither story is true. The legend began three-quarters of a century after Handel's death with Richard Clark in his Reminiscences of Handel (1836).
Regardless of the legends, I heard the piece yesterday while preparing for Sunday service and I thought what a delightful way to end the 12 Days of Christmas. Here is Benjamin Smith at the piano recorded live in August of 2008.
A reminder about the true work of Christmas....
The Work of Christmas by Howard Thurman
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among people,
To make music in the heart.
Love One Another - Brian
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