James Lord Pierpont "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas"). In this slightly modified form, "Jingle Bells" became one of the most popular and most recognizable songs ever written. In 1859, the Unitarian Church in Savannah had closed because of its abolitionist position, which was unpopular in the South. By 1860, the Rev. John Pierpont, Jr. had returned to the North. James, however, stayed in Savannah with his second wife Eliza Jane, and at the beginning of the Civil War, joined the Lamar Rangers, which became part of the Fifth Georgia Cavalry of the Confederacy. Records indicate that he served as a company clerk. He also
Christmas Time Is Here Christmas Time Is Here "Christmas Time Is Here" is a popular Christmas song written by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi for the 1965 TV special "A Charlie Brown Christmas", one of the first animated Christmas specials produced for network TV in the United States. Because the song became a hit, two versions were included on the album "A Charlie Brown Christmas": an instrumental version by the Vince Guaraldi Trio and a vocal version by choristers from St. Paul's Episcopal Church in San Rafael, California. The first person to record a cover version of the song was jazz guitarist Ron Escheté