Carols and other Seasonal Tunes?

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:25 am

Silent Night,

God Rest Yee Merry,

Angels we have heard on high,

The First Noel,

Joy to the World,

Santa Claus is Coming to Town,

Frosty the Snowman,

Rudolph,

Hark the Herald Angels Sing,

What Child is This?

Deck the Halls,

Away in a Manger

We Three Kings,

Silver Bells,

I heard the bells on Christmas Day,

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

White Christmas

Adeste Fideles

The Holly and the Ivy

Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ

This is a good season for buskers, except for the cold.

Above a list of tunes I know.
But there always seem to be some I don't.

Suggestions, additions? Favorites?

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:51 am

I've always associated "O Come, O come Emmanuel" with Christmas.
Not sure how accurate that is, but should be okay as a busking tune.

How about "The Boar's Head Carol"?

And "When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along"?

"Let it Snow" (x3)

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland"

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:59 am

Every year at this time, Pogo used to sing their annual xmas tribute:

djm

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:14 am

Innocent Bystander wrote:I've always associated "O Come, O come Emmanuel" with Christmas.
Not sure how accurate that is, but should be okay as a busking tune.

How about "The Boar's Head Carol"?

And "When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along"?

"Let it Snow" (x3)

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland"

"O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is an Advent hymn (the season immediately preceding Christmas), which is most likely why you have that association.

I haven't had a chance to work on many whistle Christmas tunes this year, but on the harp I'm working on:

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Blessed Be That Maid Mary
The First Nowell
Away In A Manger (the American tune)
Silent Night
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
The Christ Child's Lullaby
What Child is This

I'm also working on accompaniment for Joy To The World, Coventry Carol, and a different setting of What Child is This

Redwolf

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 11:56 am

djm wrote:Every year at this time, Pogo used to sing their annual xmas tribute:

djm

I was singing "Boston Charlie" to myself just the other day.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:17 pm

Redwolf wrote:Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

One of my favorite hymns!

I just found the french carol "Patapan" is very playable on a whistle.
Another nice Chants de Noël commonly heard in America is
"Il est né le divin enfant". Here's a few that my Ren Faire group has
sung of late:

Gloustershire Wassail
Coventry Carol
Masters in This Hall

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:42 pm

Hark the Herald Angels Sing is the best by a long chalk. The more soaring and elaborate the descant in the last verse the more I like it. The worst one is Adeste Fidelis (born a Catholic, remember!

) which is about as tedious as can be. We need a Papal edict condemning anyone who sings more than the first two verses to 40 lashes and 12 days inside (it's Christmas!). I've always regarded these as hymns rather than carols. I'd call The Holly and the Ivy a typical carol, but I won't argue. I hate the Coventry Carol to bits. A very trite tune if you ask me (so don't!)

Why am I posting to this thread??

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:50 pm

s1m0n wrote:
djm wrote:Every year at this time, Pogo used to sing their annual xmas tribute:

djm
I was singing "Boston Charlie" to myself just the other day.

Me too. And I have the book containing that strip in my bookcase! Most Yurpines haven't a notion who Pogo the Possum is.

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:53 pm

SteveShaw wrote:Why am I posting to this thread??

To be nasty. Love it!

djm

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:54 pm

"Nora's Freezing on the trolley,
Swaller Dollar,
Alley-garooo."

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:03 pm

Yes, Hark the herald angels sing is just perfect.

Thanks for these, everybody.
Seasons Greetings!

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:07 pm

There an alternate (European) version of Away in a Manger that make a nice set with the American one.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:13 pm

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:20 pm

SteveShaw wrote:Hark the Herald Angels Sing is the best by a long chalk.

Both of the usual tunes for God Rest, Ye merry.. are good, but this one's the best of the carol melodies

X: 1
T:God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
M:4/4
L:1/4
F:http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/dtra ... ODREST.abc 2007-12-05 19:17:37 UT
K:G
E| E B B A| G F E D| E F G A| B3| E| E B B A| G- F E D| E F G A| B2 z|\
B| c A B c| d e B A| G E F G| A2| G- A| B2 c B| B- A G F| E2 G/2F/2 E|\
A2| G- A| B- c d e| B- A G F| E3||

The original Polish (iirc) melody that got turned into Good King Wenceslas is a smashing tune, too.

CHasR · Post by **CHasR** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 1:23 pm

I’m an admitted Carol snob.

My choices for this year are:(in no particular order)

*Angelus Ad Virginem (the 3-part setting fron the 14th c. Dublin Troper)

*Hail, Mary ful of grace (3 part, from the 15th c Trinity Roll)

*Nowel: out of your slepe aryse ( 3 part, 15th c Selden MS)

*Von Himmel Hoch, da Komm ich Herr (Luther, pub 1535)

and

*Birjina gaztettobat zegoen (a.k.a. 'the angel Gabriel from heaven came') Basque trad.