Oh, Come, Little Children

“Oh, Come, Little Children” is a German Christmas carol. The lyrics were written by Catholic priest and writer Christoph von Schmid in 1798. The music to the poem as it is known today was written by the composer Johann Abraham Peter Schulz in 1790.

A la nanita nana

“A la nanita nana” is a traditional Christmas carol that has become a popular lullaby in the Hispanic world. The composer was José Ramón Gomis, born in 1856 in Novelda, Alicante, Spain; the lyrics were written by Juan Francisco Muñoz y Pabón. The carol was published in 1904.

There’s a Song in the Air

“There’s a Song in the Air” is a Christmas carol and United Methodist Church hymn. The music, by Karl P. Harrington, dates from 1904. The words are the work of American poet and novelist Josiah Holland, who wrote them in 1874.

As Each Happy Christmas/Christ was born on Christmas Day

This is my arrangement of two short Christmas songs, “As Each Happy Christmas” and “Christ was born on Christmas Day”, into a medley,  Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck (1770-1846) composed the music to “As Each Happy Christmas”, originally a German carol. The tune for “Christ was born on Christmas Day” dates from the 14th century.

 

The Friendly Beasts

“The Friendly Beasts” is a traditional Christmas song about the gifts that a donkey, cow, sheep, camel, and dove give to Jesus at the Nativity. The song seems to have originated in 12th-century France.

I have given the carol a guitar instrumental setting in the style of the early 1960s.

 

Silent Night

“Silent Night” is probably the single most popular Christmas carol ever. The song has been recorded by a huge number of artists from every possible music genre. The 1935 version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all-time.

The story of the carol is pretty well-known:

The song was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf,  Austria. A young priest, Father Joseph Mohr, had written the lyrics of the song “Stille Nacht” in 1816. Before Christmas Eve, Mohr brought the words to Franz Gruber and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment for the Christmas Eve mass, as the church’s organ was not functioning.

My instrumental arrangement is in the style of the Shadows.

Silent Night

This is my first new arrangement of the 2017 holiday season. The Allman Brothers Band never made a Christmas album. Here is an arrangement of “Silent Night” in Southern Rock style.