After singing at weddings for a few years, he joined with several other choristers to form a group named The Mistletones in 1980. He also sang the national anthems at Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Maple Leafs games since 1988 and continues to do so. From 1984 through 1992 he worked as a circulation representative for the Toronto Sun, Conrad Black heard him singing at company parties. Black, along with other executives, financed McDermott's independent recording of "Danny Boy" in 1992, which was picked up and released in North America by EMI Music Canada. Following this unexpected success, McDermott decided to pursue a professional singing career.
John has annual concerts world wide, and can be seen from Toronto, to Boston, to New York, to Glasgow.
McDermott performed his first concert at the Rebecca Cohn Theatre on October 5, 1993 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. From there he continued to tour the rest of Canada, performing as an opening act for The Chieftains. Throughout 1994 he went on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, following the great success of Danny Boy, which had been ranked Number 1 on the charts there and achieved triple platinum in New Zealand. Next, in 1995 he went on a tour of the United Kingdom with The Seekers.
At this point in his career he was becoming recognized internationally, so he started to tour regularly as a solo act rather than an opening act. He also appeared at several special events including the D-Day ceremonies in France in 1995, and the US Democratic National Convention in 1996. He has also appeared on TV several times, both as a host of CBC Television concert specials in 1997, and in his own television special titled John McDermott: A Time to Remember which aired on PBS in 2002.
McDermott formed The Irish Tenors and after performing a large concert in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, they spent some time touring the US, appearing on TV, and releasing a gold record.
Since leaving The Irish Tenors, McDermott continues to tour extensively throughout the World, performing with his own group and with the great symphonies of the world. He continues to work to support the veteran community in the United States and in Canada. In 2000 McDermott dedicated McDermott House in Washington DC, a transitional home for homeless veterans. His latest release Journeys-Bringing Buddy Home was recorded to help support fundraising for Fisher House Boston and launch the Canadian initiative for an outreach centre for Canadian Veterans.
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
John McDermott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a berry,
As sweet as any flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
To be our sweet savior.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a berry,
As red as any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to do us sinners good.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a prickle,
As sharp as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
On Christmas day in the morn'.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a bark,
As bitter as any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
For to redeem us all.
The rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
John McDermott's "The Holly and The Ivy" is a classic Christmas carol that paints a picture of the significance of the holly and ivy in the Yuletide season. The lyrics highlight that, when fully grown, the holly is a tree to be reckoned with, and indeed bears the crown amongst all trees. The rising of the sun, the running of the deer, and the playing of the merry organ all come together in a blend of sweet singing in the choir.
The second verse goes on to explain that the holly indeed bears a berry that is as sweet as any flower. It shifts the focus to Mary, who bore sweet Jesus Christ as a savior for us. The third verse, much more somber, details how the holly bears a berry red as any blood, symbolic of the blood Jesus shed for the redemption of mankind, a reminder of his sacrifice. The fourth verse tells us that the holly bears a prickle sharp as any thorn and goes on to describe Mary, who gave birth to sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas day in the morning, as a reminder of the joy of his birth. The final verse explains that the holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall, symbolizing Christ's agony on the cross, but also reminding us that his birth began the path to our salvation. Thus, the song captures the trifecta of the Christmas story: Christ's birth, life, and sacrifice.
Line by Line Meaning
The holly and the ivy
The two plants Holly and Ivy
When they are both full grown
When both the plants are fully mature
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
Among all the trees in the forest
The holly bears the crown.
Holly is the most important tree
The rising of the sun,
At sunrise
And the running of the deer,
When deer run
The playing of the merry organ,
Music of a happy organ
Sweet singing in the choir.
Pleasant singing by the choir
The holly bears a berry,
Holly has berries
As sweet as any flower,
Berries taste as sweet as flowers
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ
To be our sweet savior.
Jesus Christ is our Savior
The holly bears a berry,
Holly has berries
As red as any blood,
Berries are as red as blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ
For to do us sinners good.
He came to save sinners
The holly bears a prickle,
Holly has spikes
As sharp as any thorn,
Spikes are sharp as thorns
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ
On Christmas day in the morn'.
On Christmas morning
The holly bears a bark,
Holly has bark
As bitter as any gall,
Bark tastes bitter like gall
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
He came to redeem us all
The playing of the merry organ,
Music of a happy organ
Sweet singing in the choir.
Pleasant singing by the choir
Lyrics © DELLA BLUE MUSIC LLC
Written by: NICK MUNRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
2beniek
Witaj Paola. Dziękuje za ukazanie piękne szopki. Śliczna pieśń John McDermott, na Boże Narodzenie. Dziękuje za szczegółowy opis filmu, co dla mnie jest bardzo pomocne. Serdecznie pozdrawiam, miłego weekendu. Beniek.
Andy Arbeit
ich liebe dieses lied und besonders von diesen sehr guten sänger gesungen.
Raymond LaBay
For some the Christmas air may bring fleeting moments of emptiness to our souls.The tears may flow and burn our cheeks as we remember old friends and love ones who are now departed.We may have these fleeting moments of emptiness ,but also locked in our memories are times of laughter ,old sons sung and of all the good times we shared.When we remember the good times we are no longer alone our departed friends and loved ones have just paid us a Christmas visit.Take care ADonovan43
Raymond LaBay
For some the Christmas air may bring fleeting moments of emptiness.The tears may flow and burn our cheecks as we remember old friends and departed love ones .But also locked in our memories are times of laughter and of old songs sung,laughter, merriment and good times.When we remember the good times we are not alone for our departed friends and love ones have paid us a Christmas visit!.Take care ADonovan43
Ian TheOnlywizFarmer
Where do you find this art work .....and feelings of emptiness can be filled also with good times & joy in our memories.....Tis The Season to Wish Joy to all....I would like to take this opportunity To Wish You & Your's From Sophie & I Best Wishes for Christmas & The New Year....Thanks For All Paola...