The away in the manger wind up music boxes are approximately 3.5 inches long, 2¼ inches wide and 1 inch tall when the box is closed. When the away in the manger music boxes are open they are approximately 5.5 inches long. When the away in the manger music boxes are wound they play the much loved carol, Away in the Manger. The animation is in a 2 by 2 inch section of the music box. The center scene is the Holy Family with a manger. In the second ring of the music box the Three Kings rotate around the Holy Family. There are bushes, animals and two shepherds in the four corners of the music box. Even the outside cover of the box has a beautiful picture of the Holy Family.
Note: Do Not Over Wind. Over winding will lock or damage the music box mechanism.
Operating instructions.
- Carefully open the box and pull out the unit inside.
- Gently push the inside tray from right to left until full extended to find the wind up key.
- Turn the wind up key. Be very careful not to over wind. You will permanently damage the music box mechanism.
- Gently push the inside tray from left to right until full extended and the song will start to play and the figures will move.
- Wind up the unit again by repeating steps 1 to 3 if you wish to continue playing.
- To stop, push the inside tray from right to left.
What is a Christmas Carol?
A carol is a song of joy celebrating the great Christmas festivals of Easter, Christmas and New Years. Carols are most often sung at Christmastime. The custom of singing carols has been popular in Europe since the middle Ages. It still forms a special feature of the Christmas season in many parts of the world. Bands of singers go about the streets for several nights before Christmas. They sing in the open air or visit hospitals and homes to cheer the sick and aged.
Deck the Halls.
Deck the Halls is a secular Christmas carol. The melody is welsh and belongs to a winter carol called, “Nos Galan.” The “fa-la-la” refrains were probably originally played on the harp. The English words generally sung today are American in origin and date from the 19th century.
The First Noel.
The First Noel is a traditional English Christmas carol, most likely form the 16th or 17th century, but possibly from as early as the 13th century. In its current form it is of Cornish origin and was first published in “Some Ancient Christmas Carols” in 1823 and “Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern” in 1833. the melody is unusual among English folk melodies in that it consists of essentially the same musical phrase repeated three times and ends in the third of the scale. It is thought to be a corruption of an earlier melody sung in a church gallery setting.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.
”Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is a Christmas hymn or carol written by Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley. It appeared in “Hymns and Sacred Poems” in 1739. The original opening line was “Hark! How all the welkin rings.” The version know today is the result of alterations by various hands. The tune that is now used was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840 as part of the cantata “Festgesang” honoring printer Johann Gutenberg and commemoration the invention of his printing press. The cantata was presented at the great festival held at Leipzig. Festgesang’s second chorus, “gott ist licht,” or God is Light, wwas adapted in 1855 by William Hayman Cummings.
the most popular arrangement of the Mendelssohn tune for “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is thought to be by David Willcocks and published in 1961 and adds a descant for the third verse.