Christmas Carols And Songs

Christmas is an annual celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and is celebrated by many people around the world with a holiday on the 25th December.

There are many traditions associated with Christmas and one of them is the singing and playing of Christmas Carols and Songs.

So what is a Christmas Carol?

Firstly the word “carol” is defined as a “joyful song” or “dance in a ring”. It is usually a religious song expressing joy and simple faith and is linked to a particular religious feast.

It is said that the first carols were sung by angels, who announced the birth of Jesus Christ.  And a great number of carols were written to show the great joy and happiness the singers felt when they thought about Jesus and the Christian religion.

The carol as a Christmas song developed in England during the 14th and 15th centuries.  Most carols nowadays are sung at Christmas Time so they are called Christmas Carols.

Many carols have lilting cheerful tunes, which would be easy to dance to. Many are tender and gentle, like lullabies to the Infant Jesus, whilst others are solemn like ordinary hymns.

People enjoyed singing carols door to door, in church services, Carols by Candlelight or to hear them in concert.

The form of most traditional carols consists of a number of verses with a chorus or refrain repeated between each verse.

Here is a list of some Traditional Christmas Carols and Songs sung at Christmas Time.

Angels of the Realms of Glory:

This was written by James Montgomery and sung to a variety of tunes. It was first printed 24 December 1816 and sung in churches after a reprint in 1825. Listen to a version to the music by Henry Smart.

Away in a Manger:

This is a newer Carol written by James R. Murray, published in 1895 with the music composed in the 1895  by William J. Kirkpatrick in 1895.

Hark The Herald Angels Sing:

Charles Wesley wrote this song in the 1730’s. Later it was set to the music of Mendelssohn and was finally published in 1856

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen:

This was was first published in 1833. The author of the lyrics is unknown but it is thought they date back to the 15th Century.

O Come All Ye Faithful:

This was composed by the Englisman John Reading in the early 1700s.

O Little Town Of Bethlehem:

This is a newer Carol composed in 1868 by Rector Phillips Brooks of Philadelphia following a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The music was composed by Lewis Redner his church organist.

Silent Night:

This was composed in 1818 in Austria by Franz Xaver Gruber. The lyrics were written by Joseph Mohr. The simple words could be sung to the accompaniment of a guitar because mice had gnawed into the bellows of the organ making it unplayable. Many arrangements have been formed all around the world since.

The First Nowel or The First Noel:

This is a traditional English Carol with the origin unknown. It was published in 1833.

The word Noel is French and means Christmas. The English spelling of the word is Nowell and so the title can be either spelling.

It Came Upon The Midnight Clear:

This carol was written by Edmund Hamilton Sears in 1849 and composed by American musician Richard Storrs Willis in 1859.

Jingle Bells:

This song is the most popular secular Christmas Song.

This song was originally published in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) using the title “The One Horse Open Sleigh” and it used as a winter song and for Thanksgiving. In 1859 it the name changed to Jingle Bells for publishing.

It was so popular that it was sung at Christmas time as well and has become one of the best known and commonly sung American Christmas songs in the world. However it took many years to become popular. It started to become popular for Christmas with phonograph records and later on radio and the recordings of well known artists such as Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters. There is no mention of Christmas but it is now associated with the Christmas and holiday season.

I would like to point out that the simplicity of the tune makes it an easier tune for beginner instrumentalists to learn and hence becomes the first introduction to playing Christmas Music to learner musicians.

Deck the Halls:

This is a Welsh traditional Christmas carol from the 16th century but is sung the most in America The first publication of the English lyrics were in the late 19th century.

O Christmas Tree:

This is a traditional German Christmas Carol with composer and author of lyrics unknown. It tells of bringing a tree in side and decorating it with candy, baubles and bells which started in the 19th century.

The Holly and the Ivy:

The author and composer of of this traditional British Christmas Carol is unknown.

I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day:

This carol is based on the poem called “Christmas Bells” by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in 1863.

Good King Wenceslas:

This popular modern carol tells a story of a miracle performed by that King “on the Feast of Stephen” 26th December. The words were written by Reverend John Manson Neale in 1853 and is set to the tune of an old spring carol composed in the 1500’s. It does not mention Christmas.

Joy To The World:

This popular American Christmas Carol was written in 1719 by Isaac Watts with the music believed to have been composed by George Frederick Handel.

We Three Kings of Orient Are:

This popular American carol was written by Rev. John Henry Hopkins and published in 1857. It is one of the most frequently sung Christmas Carols today.

Ding Dong Merrily on High:

This is a joyful carol written by English composer George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848–1934), and first published in 1924. The text was originally in Latin and the composer is unknown.

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night:

This carol was written by written by Nahum Tate in the early 1700’s and is commonly sung to 2 tunes. This carol tells a story of how the angels came to the shepherds on the hillside.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas:

This is a popular 16th century English carol with the author and composer unknown.

If you like the idea of singing or playing Christmas Songs like the ones mentioned then you can click on the image to the right of this blog and further up to look at some Sheet Music.

Maybe you would like to to listen to the youtube Christmas song examples in this blog and whilst Shopping For Some Christmas Theme Products by clicking on the top image…all from the comfort of your couch!!

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The Background Behind The Name “SONATINA”

An example of a Sonatina for flute. Click Picture for Flute Information

People have their own names and then give themselves a “pen” name or another name depending on what it is for eg writers often give themselves another name for their books. I have given myself an internet name called “Sonatina”. This blog is about the background behind the name “Sonatina”.

 Firstly, what is a Sonatina?

 Secondly, why choose this name?

 What Is A Sonatina? 

A Sonatina simply means a shorter sonata usually lighter and easier but not always.

A Sonata is an instrumental composition for a solo instrument or solo instrument with piano accompaniment, in three or four movements in related keys and varying speeds and moods.

Why Choose The Name Sonatina?

 1.  I like names ending in “a”. The name “Sonatina” ends in “a”. 

 2. I play and teach several musical instruments and thought I would like a name in music  for my “internet” name.

 3. People learn and do things, whether it is work, a hobby, daily task or something else at different rates and each thing provides an individual a mood or emotion which can vary. I liken this to a sonata or sonatina where each movement has a different speed and mood attached to it.  

When you learn things it is more effective to focus on one point ( or movement ) at a time.

Eg if you are learning a musical instrument, focus on the sound and fingering of one or two notes first. You can add notes of different time lengths one at a time next, then more notes and so on.

Eg if you are mastering “marketing your own business” then pick one platform first like blogging, facebook, instagram, you tube and learn it. Then move onto the others one at a time. Also break each main topic down and learn in bite sized pieces one step at a time. It is easier to think of bite sized pieces or points as each movement of a Sonatina.

Below is an example of a Sonatina, which I played on the flute.

This sonatina has two movements of different speeds and time signature. The first movement is Moderato and is in 4/4 time. The second movement is Romanze and is in 6/8 time. The feel and mood of the two movements are different with the Romance being faster and more dancelike.

So now, when you are learning a point or two on any given topic, think of it as a Sonatina. When you have learnt all the points (movements) of a topic ( piece(s) ) you may have learnt a sonatina or lots of related Sonatinas linked together.

Click Picture To Learn How To Play A Sonatina On The Piano

I truly believe in learning one step at a time on any particular topic so that one can Blossom and Grow and Reach Up High For The Stars 

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Musical Terminology Involved In Learning And Playing Ode To Joy On The Piano

Ode To Joy is the theme from the final movement of Ludwig Van Beethoven's ( 1770-1827) 9th symphony. It is a common tune for students of any instrument to play in their early years of learning an instrument.

I would just like to point out that a symphony is a musical composition for full orchestra, usually in four movements. So take a look at this “orchestral version” below.

To be able to read and play it and other tunes like it on an instrument you nead to have an understanding of the musical terminology involved. 

This blog goes over all the musical notation, terms and sighs you need to know  in order to learn and play Ode To Joy on the piano.  I have numbered each musical term on the sheet music. So just look at the corresponding number with meanings underneath.

Stave or Staff

A staff or stave is represented by the 5 lines and 4 spaces and it is where music is written. On piano music you see two sets of lines.

1. Treble Stave:  The treble stave is the upper set of lines on piano sheet music and is also used for some single line instruments such as the violin, flute and trumpet.

2. Bass Stave: The bass stave is the lower set of lines on piano sheet music and is also used for some single lined instrument such as the bassoon, double bass and cello. 

A single line refers to one row of music.

A double line refers to two rows of music.

3. Grand Staff

This is when the treble staff and bass staff are joined together with vertical bow-shaped bracket called a brace, at the start of each line.

4. Treble Clef

This is a sign which goes at the beginning of the treble or top stave in the grand staff to indicate playing notes with the right hand or high pitched musical instruments.

5. Bass Clef

This is the sign which goes at the beginning of the bass or lower stave in the grand staff to indicate playing notes with the left hand or lower pitched musical instruments.

6. Bar Lines

These are the vertical lines you see at regular intervals on sheet music for the ease of counting and flow of the music.

7. Bar or Measure 

This is the piece of music or notes seen between 2 bar lines.

8. Double Bar Line

This is a thin and thick bar line seen at the end of a piece to signify the end.

9. Time Signature

A time signature is represented by the two numbers seen at the beginning of a piece.  It indicates how many beats or counts there are in a bar.

The top number indicates the number of beats/counts in a bar

The lower number indicates the type of beat there are ‘x’ of.

For example:

3 indicates there are three crotchet or quarter beats / counts in a bar

4

In Ode To Joy the time signature is 4, so there are 4 crotchet beats in each bar.
                                                                    4

10. Bar Numbers

In some sheet music you you can see numbers above some bars. This represents the number of the bar in the piece. For example the 9 above the first bar of the third line represents bar 9. These numbers are particularly useful in a group setting if the group is to repeat a certain section of the piece. The conductor or equivalent can just say ” Lets practice from bar 9 to bar 30 or whatever “.

11. Key Signature

A key signature is represented by the number of sharps or flats written on the stave before the time signature. And this tells a musician what key the piece is in. Sometimes there are no sharps or flats written before the time signature.This means the piece is in C major or A minor. You get to know the keys and key signatures in your process of learning your musical instrument.

The arrangement of Ode To Joy above has a key signature of 1 sharp and is in the key of G major.

12. Slur or Phrase Mark

A slur or phrase mark is the curved line written above a set of notes. A slur tells a musician to play the notes underneath  it as  smoothly as possible. A phrase mark is is a long slur and at the end of the curve you can break the sound of the note before playing the next note for example pianists lift their fingers off the keys and wind players stop blowing through their instruments.

13. Moderato

Words above the stave and written notes like Moderato in Ode To Joy, indicate a speed to play the piece. These are usually Italian words. Moderato means 108 – 120 beats per minute between andante and allegro. You can measure the timing or beats per minute with a metronome.

Dynamic Markings

These are written below a stave or in the middle of the grand stave to indicate how loud or soft to play the notes. In this Ode To Joy example there are three examples.There are of course more dynamic markings in music.

14. f  is forte and means loud.

15. mp is mezzo piano and means moderately soft.

16. The 2 lines which start off at a point and get bigger is a sign to tell the musician to get gradually louder.

Another way to indicate getting gradually louder is with the Italian words cresc. or written in full crescendo.

17. Accidentals

These are indicated by sharp, flat or natural signs written just before the note within the piece of music.

There are three accidentals in the given Ode To Joy as indicated in bars 11 and 12. There is D sharp, D natural and C sharp.

These signs and terms are a lot to take in when you are first learning to read piano sheets so they are there to keep referring to. Sometimes they are  found at the beginning of tutor books or throughout tutor books as you are learning them for the first time.

As you play lots of exercises and pieces on the piano you will find that you will know them well and can then concentrate on learning the piece at hand such as Ode To Joy on the piano.

Below is the piano playing of the sheet music represented near the top of the blog. 

Are you keen to know more.

Then This and This will help.

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