Dan Rather and Elliott Kirschner find “a reason to smile” in the music of the season. They even include three beautiful renditions of “Silent Night.”

‘Tis the season for many things, and one of those is music. Christmas carols fill the air. Even those who do not celebrate the holiday often find resonance in the beauty the music can evoke. The songs speak of many things: the story of Christmas, its celebration, and the sights and sounds of winter. There are words of peace, contemplation, and goodwill. 

The very act of caroling is itself an expression of art and a symbol of the bonds that hold us together. The merging of voices in song, with or without accompanying instrumentation, is a profoundly human endeavor present in cultures in every part of the world. And while professional musicians certainly have put their stamp on the season (hello, Mariah Carey), this is also a time for amateur voices — from street corners to holiday parties to church sanctuaries — to shine. 

There is so much beautiful talent in this world, especially when we can come together in peace. The melding voices of a choir offers a particularly precious sign of hope at a time that is all too fractured and discordant. 

We wanted to celebrate Christmas in song as A Reason To Smile, while also acknowledging that this holiday is not a religious tradition of many of our readers. We have chosen what has been dubbed the most recorded Christmas song of all time, “Silent Night.” The words come from an 1816 poem — “Stille Nacht” — written by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. The story goes that he was inspired by an evening walk amid a quiet snow-filled landscape. An era of violent conflict had recently convulsed Europe with the Napoleonic Wars. A silent night was something to cherish. 

The music came a few years later, a collaboration with a local teacher and organist, Franz Xaver Gruber. The original melody evolved slightly over the years to what we know today. A song with more than 137,000 recordings offers a lot of options to feature. We chose a few from different musical genres, proving there are many ways to honor a classic and celebrate the season. 

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, and a restful and reflective time to all. 

We start with the wonderful opera star Jessye Norman accompanied by a boys choir: 

Here is country superstar Brad Paisley’s version:

And we close with a jazzy rendition, courtesy of the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis:

Open the link to listen to the YouTube videos, if you wish.

Every once in a while, I read a beautiful story that has nothing to do with education or politics, and I want to share it. This is one of those stories. It’s about two macaws. One is caged in an aviary. The other is wild and free. They are in love.

Terrence McCoy wrote in The Washington Post:

RIO DE JANEIRO — One recent afternoon, a smitten blue-and-yellow macaw grabbed a clawful of carrots and banana and took flight. He flapped to the top of the aviary at the Rio de Janeiro zoo and latched onto the netting. Just beyond, on the other side of the enclosure, was his love — the only wild macaw in a city that hasn’t seen a free one of their kind in two centuries.

She beckoned to him. He went to her. On opposite sides of the netting, they rubbed beaks. He passed her his food. They clung together, grasping claws, and wouldn’t let go.

Every day for more than two decades, zookeepers attest, the wild macaw has flown to the Rio de Janeiro zoo where dozens of her species are kept captive — including her partner.

In the animal kingdom, blue-and-yellow macaws are among the most faithful. They can live into their fifties, but when one finds a partner, it’s for life. The pair typically spend their days and nights together. They nibble, cuddle and even kiss. Whatever food they have, they share. If one dies, the surviving partner’s anguish is profound. Few ever couple again.

But even for such an animal, zookeepers and biologists say this Rio de Janeiro romance is nothing short of extraordinary.

Because it would violate Brazilian legislation to cage her, and because it would breach zoo policy and ethical standards to free him, the couple have only ever lived and loved on separate sides of the netting, unable to consummate their relationship.

Romeo and Julieta, zookeepers call them. An impossible love.

“I worked at the zoo for 28 years, and I never saw anything like this,” said Anderson Mendes Augusto. “There’s no explanation.”

The tale has long enchanted the city, dazzling visitors, prompting a poem by one of Brazil’s most celebrated poets — and giving rise to a series of interpretations. Some have seen a commentary on fidelity and companionship. Others have discerned the contemporary themes of conservation and environmentalism. And still more have gleaned an allegory for Rio de Janeiro itself, a city carved from a lush forest now grappling with its own loss of wildness.

But at the aviary, the relationship appeared simpler: just two birds in love.

As the zoo closed, they were still up there, holding onto one another. The only person left inside was zookeeper Daniel Miranda. Soon it was time for him to go home, too. So he finished his last duties, walked through the gate and left the aviary empty of all visitors — save one.

To finish the story, open the link. I hope it’s not behind a paywall.

If you have never experienced Halloween on Garden Place in Brooklyn, you are missing a treat. I lived on Garden Place for 25 years and participated in the Halloween frenzy annually. Typically, I bought 3,000 pieces of candy and started handing them out at 4 pm. By 7, we were cleaned out. Three wild and wonderful hours.

This article catches the flavor of happy mayhem.