Christmas Tunes

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  1. Brent Hutto
    Brent Hutto
    Welcome to Song-A-Week, Lou!
  2. GKWilson
    GKWilson
    Ditto. Welcome Lou. You picked one of my favorites for your first.
    Gary
  3. Lou Giordano
    Lou Giordano
    Thanks Brent and GK. It is one of my favorites too.
  4. Brent Hutto
    Brent Hutto
    Every instrument I've played Greensleeves/What Child Is This has been one of the first tunes I figure out how to play. It's my wife's favorite tune and also tends to sound good on every instrument.
  5. mculliton123
    mculliton123
  6. Brent Hutto
    Brent Hutto
    Nice hat, m!
  7. Chris Ferreira
    Chris Ferreira
    Just finished recording some traditional music with fellow Cafe Member, Steve Prochnow. The tunes include mandolin, guitar, bass with the occasional mandola for good measure.http://soundcloud.com/cwyattf/sets/b...oots-christmas Sorry there's no accompanying video - Happy Holidays!
  8. Marcelyn
    Marcelyn
    Those tracks are great. I especially like We Three Kings.
  9. Lou Giordano
    Lou Giordano
    Hey Chris those tracks are beautiful, thanks. I'm glad I posted "What Child is this" before you did or I would not have had the nerve to put mine up. First post or not.

    I have a couple of newbie questions for you. Those few notes you play to go from one part to another, are they improvised or or written?

    Would you have the tab for your version of What Child is this?

    Thanks

    Lou
  10. Chris Ferreira
    Chris Ferreira
    Thanks! I love Christmas music and have been wanting to record these for a while.

    Lou, I'm sorry but I don't have a tab for the counter melody in What Child Is This...I was just improvising and going for a kind of "renaissance" feeling. Actually, I was pretty much playing these tunes from memory since they've been ingrained in me for 56 years. If I get real courageous I may break out the flute for the 2012 versions!
  11. GKWilson
    GKWilson
    FINALLY. I'm in the Christmas spirit. Thanks Chris.
  12. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    This is a clip I recorded almost a year ago, but that I don't think I've posted before. This is "Patapan" (or "Pat-A-Pan"), an 18th century French Christmas carol written by Bernard de La Monnoye (1641--1728) and published in 1720. Orginally in Burgundian dialect, later adapted into English. A very simple tune, but nice to play.

    Played on my Troubadour Lionheart long-neck bouzouki, tuned GDAE.



    Martin
  13. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Here is another Christmas carol: "Remember O Thou Man", written in 1611 by Thomas Ravenscroft. The original 17th century sheet music was sub-titled "A Christmas Carroll", and the song appears in quite a few CDs of choral Christmas music. Much additional info at hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com.

    I have made a multitracked audio with Audacity, using this arrangement from the Icking Archive: Page 1 (music), Page 2 (lyrics).

    I've played the top two voices on my Mid-Missouri M-0W, the tenor voice on tenor guitar (tuned GDAE) and the bass voice on bouzouki. Works pretty well, I think! I'll put it on Youtube once I've put a few suitable pictures to go with it, but in the meantime, here is the MP3: Link.

    Martin
  14. Rosemary Philips
    Rosemary Philips
    Here's Carol of the Bells and Cold Frosty Morning (and, yes, I know now that Cold Frosty isn't a Christmas tune, even though it sounds like it could be...)

  15. Mike O'Connell
    Mike O'Connell
    Very enjoyable, Ro56. Nice transition back into Carol of the Bells. Solid playing, both mandolin and guitar. Very easy on the ears. Thanks for sharing.
  16. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    I wrote yesterday:

    Here is another Christmas carol: "Remember O Thou Man", written in 1611 by Thomas Ravenscroft. The original 17th century sheet music was sub-titled "A Christmas Carroll", and the song appears in quite a few CDs of choral Christmas music. Much additional info at hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com.

    I have made a multitracked audio with Audacity, using this arrangement from the Icking Archive: Page 1 (music), Page 2 (lyrics).

    I've played the top two voices on my Mid-Missouri M-0W, the tenor voice on tenor guitar (tuned GDAE) and the bass voice on bouzouki. Works pretty well, I think! I'll put it on Youtube once I've put a few suitable pictures to go with it, but in the meantime, here is the MP3: Link.


    As promised, here is the Youtube video:



    Martin
  17. GKWilson
    GKWilson
    Beautiful Martin. I can picture Christmas in a little English Abbey. Thanks.
    Ro56 you two rock. Do you have a gig this Sunday. I could hook you up at my
    brothers place. Not much money, but lots of food and maybe some spirits involved.
    They're a great family except for the weird uncle. [Oh, that's me.]
    Gary
  18. Martin Whitehead
    Martin Whitehead
    This was a bit more of a challenge than I expected. Leroy Anderson's 1947 orchestral classic, "Sleigh Ride."



    It's on the Session Tunes and here's the abc.

    X: 1
    T: Sleigh Ride
    M: 2/4
    L: 1/8
    R: polka
    K: Cmaj
    .g .g.g | ga g/e/c | de d/c/A | G4- | GA Bd |
    g>a g/e/d/c/ | d>e d/c/A | c4- | c.g .g.g |
    ga g/e/c | dd/e/ d/c/A | G4- | GG/A/ B/c/d/e/ |
    g>a g/e/d/c/ | d>e d/c/A | c4- | c3 ||
    K: Dmaj
    F/G/ | dF/G/ dF/G/ | de c2- | cd c/A/F | B4- |
    Bc B/G/E/G/ | Bd ce | A4- | A3 ||
    K: Cmaj
    E/F/ | cE/F/ cE/F/ | cd B2- | Bc B/G/E | A4- |
    Ad A/G/D | GA/d/ A/G/D | GA/d/ gd | G |]
  19. GKWilson
    GKWilson
    Very festive Martin. I had never thought of this song in mandolin terms.
    Some of the sections do sound very challenging. But, you pulled them
    off very nicely. Merry Christmas. Gary
  20. Marcelyn
    Marcelyn
    Nice, Martin, now if you could just figure out a way to get the mandolin to do that trumpet trick of sounding like a horse at the end, you'd have it nailed.
    Rosemary, that's an absolutely beautiful medly. Wonderful playing.
  21. Martin Whitehead
    Martin Whitehead
    Thanks folks. That tune is third-finger intensive. I could only practice at it for a bit at a time before my finger started aching.
  22. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    Martin, the mandolin is just ideal to catch that ding ding ding of the sleigh bells!
  23. neil argonaut
    neil argonaut
    Yous have finally got me into the christmas spirit, so I might as well join in:


    Using one of my favourite christmas songs to practice double stop tremolo in the key of F.

    Apologies for the lack of christmas decorations / santa hat etc.
  24. SMH
    SMH
    I have been lurking here since I started playing in March. Thought I would make my first submission something dead simple. Joy to the World on my octave.

    Sean

  25. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    Now you've got yourself a band there Neill
    I expect you'll all celebrate Christmas together?

    Welcome SHM, and well played, though as a mirror image (looks like what iMovie does if you don't watch it like a hawk). What instrument is your OM?

    I have skipped doing a Christmas video this year - I'm afraid the stress of cam fright and repetitive takes could otherwise contribute to current statistics.
  26. Michael Pastucha
    Michael Pastucha
    Here's a solo mandolin version of "Veni, Veni Emmanuel" or "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". I've used my 1911 Gibson F2 mandolin to play this really old song. I've arranged it with some really medieval harmony on one of the breaks. Season greetings!

  27. Chris Ferreira
    Chris Ferreira
    Very nice. The harmony part was excellent and the instrument lends a great voicing to the tune. Couldn't help noticing the festive headstock!
  28. David Hansen
    David Hansen
    Michael that was really nice playing, I am always in awe when someone can play solo mandolin and make it sound full, I am in awe.
  29. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    No words can do this justice, Michael. The most powerful understatement in music I have heard so far. Who needs an orchestra.
  30. Eddie Sheehy
    Superb, Michael.
  31. Brent Hutto
    Brent Hutto
    Michael,

    A new high point among your contributions to Song-A-Week. Really nice work, thanks for posting.
  32. Lou Giordano
    Lou Giordano
    Beautiful, nice work Michael , Thanks. Great tone on that mandolin too.
  33. Marcelyn
    Marcelyn
    How beautiful, Michael...one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs.
    Welcome Sean. That was a wonderful rendition of Joy to the World.
    And Neil, your Silver Bells is amazing. It's funny how your mandolin really does remind me of bells just at the end.
  34. Eddie Sheehy
    Christmas Bump
  35. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    Thank you for the bump, this is great! Here's one I made last year. With another year's practice under my belt, I feel like recording a new one soon.
  36. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    This is an English country dance tune from the first edition of The English Dancing Master published by John Playford in 1651. The tune is widely played as a Christmas carol, with words collected in the Roxburgh collection of ballads, which appear to date from before the Playford publication. Alternative titles are "In Praise of Christmas" and "All Hail to The Days".

    I'm playing this on my Ozark tenor guitar, with three overdubbed voices, plus rhythm guitar, in an arrangement from the SCA dance web site of Steve Hendricks:

    Link to PDF

    I had originally overdubbed a mandolin lead over the second verse, but in the end decided it sounded nicer with just the tenor guitar, so left the mandolin off.

    The original broadsides of this song have 12 verses, of which these four are most frequently sung:

    All hail to the days that merit more praise
    Than all the rest of the year,
    And welcome the nights that double delights
    As well for the poor as the peer!
    Good fortune attend each merry man's friend,
    That doth but the best that he may;
    Forgetting old wrongs, with carols and songs,
    To drive the cold winter away.

    The court in all state now opens her gate
    And gives a free welcome to most;
    The city likewise, tho' somewhat precise,
    Doth willingly part with her roast:
    But yet by report from city and court
    The country will e'er gain the day;
    More liquor is spent and with better content
    To drive the cold winter away.

    Thus none will allow of solitude now
    But merrily greets the time,
    To make it appear of all the whole year
    That this is accounted the prime:
    December is seen apparel's in green,
    And January fresh as May
    Comes dancing along with a cup and a song
    To drive the cold winter away.

    This time of the year is spent in good cheer,
    And neighbours together do meet
    To sit by the fire, with friendly desire,
    Each other in love to greet;
    Old grudges forgot are put in the pot,
    All sorrows aside they lay;
    The old and the young doth carol this song
    To drive the cold winter away.



    Martin
  37. Jim Baker
    Jim Baker
    Very well done Martin. Your harmonies are intoxicating.

    David, your production is professional is usual. You are truly a one man band.
  38. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Don't miss David Hansen's First Noel just above, it really is a great one - nicely played and a brilliant arrangement.
  39. stevenmando
    stevenmando
    Love all the vidios everyone was great now to get my christmas on and see if i can add a vidio to
  40. stevenmando
    stevenmando
    Played along with David Hansen good king wenceslas sounded real good , it was nice to play along with someone as where i am there are no mando players that i know of and i'm not a blue grassy person but just love music now i have to learn the other pieces to play along with them .
  41. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    OldSausage wrote: "Don't miss David Hansen's First Noel just above, it really is a great one - nicely played and a brilliant arrangement."

    Indeed -- I didn't see David's video until after I had posted mine, or I would have commented on it first. Lovely arrangement, and great tone, as usual!

    Jim: Many thanks for the kind words. I've been fond of this tune since first hearing it as the title track of my favourite Christmas album, Horslips' 1975 acoustic album called (of course) "Drive The Cold Winter Away". Lots of mandolin content, too.

    Martin
  42. Marcelyn
    Marcelyn
    What great songs to kick off this year's Christmas offerings. I love that version of First Noel--so simple and elegant. And Martin, your tenor sounds really nice in that arrangement. That's a new tune to me.
  43. sgarrity
    sgarrity
    I figured it was time I recorded a Christmas tune

  44. Marcelyn
    Marcelyn
    Beautiful! What a cool style for that song.
  45. mikeyes
    mikeyes
    Merry Christmas Everyone!

  46. sgarrity
    sgarrity
    Sounding good!!
  47. Colin Braithwaite
    Colin Braithwaite
    Here's a couple of videos posted with me and Richard White. Richard's Christmas music parties have been a mainstay of the season for many years in my neighbourhood. Merry Christmas, everyone!

    The Christmas Song



    and O Little Town of Bethlehem

  48. Hendrik Luurtsema
    Hendrik Luurtsema
    Very Nice, I enjoyed it very much!
  49. cwboal
    cwboal
    I know it isn't really a christmas tune, but I've always associated Lord Inchiquin with the holidays; it just has that sound to me. I haven't participated in SAW for a while due to work demands, but thought that, though far less than perfect, I'd contribute with it. Played on my Herb Taylor OM.

  50. Jim Baker
    Jim Baker
    Well done sir. Nice sounding instrument as well.
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