Dianne Joy’s arrangements and performances of songs written by other artists are drawn from many genres, eras and musical styles.

"Silent Night" (originally "Stille Nacht") originated in 1818 as a poem by Joseph Mohr, curate of the parish church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria. Legend has it that the church organ broke down, and organist Franz Gruber took the poem and wrote a simple tune that could be played on guitar. The song has been translated into at least 140 languages and in 2011 was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.

"Away in a Manger" was written in the late 1800s and is one of the most beautiful of the traditional Christmas carols. The authorship is uncertain - many think it was written by German religious reformer Martin Luther, but historians now believe it is of American origin. There are multiple versions of the words and melody. I've chosen to sing the verses and melodies that I knew growing up.

"O Come, All Ye Faithful" was originally written in Latin as "Adeste Fideles." It first appeared in mid-1700s in a collection by the English hymnist John Francis Wade. The actual authorship is uncertain, as it seems he and many others had a hand in shaping this beautiful carol over the years.

"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" was a poem written in 1849 by Edmund Sears, pastor of the Unitarian Church in Wayland, Massachusetts. The next year, he asked Richard Willis, music critic for the New York Herald Tribune, to put the poem to music.

"A Marshmallow World" will whet your winter imagination. Written in 1949 by Carl Sigman (lyrics) and Peter DeRose (music), it was published in 1950 and recorded that year by several artists, including Bing Crosby. The song didn't achieve widespread popularity until Dean Martin recorded it on his 1966 Christmas Album and featured it on his 1968 Christmas special.

"Jingle Bells" was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857, intended for a Thanksgiving program at a church in Savannah, Georgia. Among its rich historical trivia, Jingle Bells was the first song broadcast from space. Nine days before Christmas 1965, the crew of Gemini 6 reported a UFO heading in a polar orbit. This was followed by Walter Schirra Jr, command pilot, playing Jingle Bells on a harmonica and Tom Stafford, pilot, shaking some small sleigh bells.

“Winter Wonderland” was written in 1934, with music by Felix Bernard and lyrics by Richard Smith who was in hospital at the time, being treated for tuberculosis. He looked out the window and saw a field covered with snow and wrote a poem about a couple’s romance during the winter season. A 1947 version added a verse for children, with the snowman and clown.

For this week of Remembrance Day, these songs are all from the WW2 era. They are dedicated to the men and women who have served in the military in war and in peacetime, as well as the families and others who have supported them. This is a story of our family, where the history of service runs deep.

Nat Burton wrote the lyrics to “White Cliffs of Dover” in 1941, a year after the Battle of Britain waged in the air over southern England, including the white cliffs of Dover. Walter Kent put the lyrics to music. The song was made famous by Vera Lynn in 1942, and remains one of the most popular songs of that era. It expresses determined optimism that WW2 would be the war to end all wars, and that there would be “peace ever after, tomorrow, when the world is free.”

“I’ll Be Seeing You” was written in 1938 by Irving Kahal, with music by Sammy Fain. It was a major hit for Bing Crosby, as well as Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra. In the 1950s, it was the theme for Liberace’s TV show. The soundtrack to the “The Notebook” has two iconic versions of the song - opening with Billie Holliday and the Jimmy Durante rendition at the end.

“We’ll Meet Again” was an emblematic hit of WW2, ringing with hope for soldiers going off to war and leaving their sweethearts and families behind. It was written in 1939 by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles, with the most famous version recorded by Vera Lynn. She also sang the song in London on the 60th anniversary of VE Day in 2005.

In 1915, Hans Leip, a 22-year-old soldier in WW1, wrote a poem about his sadness in being separated from his sweetheart, Lili. He also reflected on a nurse named Marlene, who waved at him when he was on sentry duty. Through a series of coincidences, “Lili Marlene” was recorded in 1943 by Marlene Dietrich and became an international hit. Years later, Vera Lynn recorded a version with modified lyrics and new verses. I’ve recorded a blending of the two.

Bobby “Boris” Pickett wrote "The Monster Mash" in 1962 and recorded it with his band, The Crypt Kickers. The BBC banned the song for a decade on the grounds that it was too morbid. Pickett also released a Christmas “Monsters' Holiday,” a “Monster Rap” version, and “Monster Slash” used in the 2004 presidential election campaign to criticize the environmental policies of George W. Bush. Spooky sound effects in my version are by "The Bear." Sound effects info

Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler wrote "Stormy Weather" in 1933 and Ethel Waters was the first to record the song. Lena Horne recorded it at least five times, including in 1943 for the movie of the same name, and her original 1941 version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. Many artists have recorded the song, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Etta James, Billie Holiday and, more recently, Joni Mitchell and Jeff Lynne.

"Come Go With Me" was a 1956 hit for the Del-Vikings, a doo-wop group whose members met in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Pittsburgh. The bass vocalist, C.E. (Clarence) Quick, wrote the song. It was covered by the Beach Boys in 1978, and has been in many films, including "American Graffiti" (1973), "Diner" (1982), "Stand by Me" (1986), "Joe Versus the Volcano" (1990) and "Set It Up" (2018).

Hank Williams released “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” in 1949 on the B-side of “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It,” which producers thought would be more suited to the jukebox trade than melancholy ballads. "I'm So Lonesome" proved the producers wrong when it reached No. 4 on the country charts that year. It’s stood the test of time, with artists from many genres recording the song over the years.

“The Glory of Love" was written by Billy Hill, a songwriter in Tin Pan Alley, New York. It was a hit for Benny Goodman in 1936 and has been recorded by many artists, including Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante and Paul McCartney. It's often in TV shows and movie soundtracks, including "Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner" (1967, sung by Jacqueline Fontaine) and "Beaches" (1988, sung by Mayim Bialik and Bette Midler).

Rev. Josiah Kelley Alwood wrote "Unclouded Day" in 1879, inspired by a vision in the early morning sky. An indispensable song in old hymnals, it found its way into popular music with a 1956 recording by The Staple Sisters. Since then, it has been covered by many artists, the most widely known by Willie Nelson in 1977.

In 1868, Septimus Winner wrote the hymn, "Whispering Hope" which is sometimes attributed to one of his pseudonyms, Alice Hawthorne. In addition to song writing, he was a teacher, performer and music publisher.

In the 1956 movie, "High Society," Bing Crosby serenades Grace Kelly with the song, "True Love," written by Cole Porter. The song has been widely recorded since then, right up to an album by Harry Connick Jr. last year. I've done two takes: first in the style of Patsy Cline's 1961 cover, and then with influences from the 1977 George Harrison recording. PS...look on YouTube for the campy, but brilliant video of George as a gondolier wooing his "true love" with the song.

Buddy Holly recorded "It Doesn't Matter Any More" a few months before he was killed in a plane crash in February 1959. It became a posthumous hit and Paul Anka, who wrote the song, gave the composer's royalties to Buddy's wife. Many artists have recorded the song, with my favorite being Linda Ronstadt on her 1974 album, "Heart Like a Wheel."

Herbert "Happy" Lawson wrote "Anytime" a century ago, and the beautiful lyric and melody still stand up today. The song was a hit for several early country artists, including three "Eddys" - Eddy Arnold, Eddie Fisher and Duane Eddy. Patsy Cline recorded it on her 1962 album, "Sentimentally Yours."

Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton went to Cornell University in the late 1950s. “Custard the Dragon,” an Ogden Nash poem about a “realio, trulio little pet dragon,” became like an earworm for Lipton and, to get it out of his head, he borrowed Yarrow’s typewriter to write his own poem. Yarrow found the poem and turned it into the song, “Puff the Magic Dragon,” recorded by Peter Paul and Mary in 1963.