Category Archives: Lynda Lyre

“I Saw Three Ships” #Christmas #Music

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Merry Christmas, everyone!

Thank you for following, reading, listening, for your likes and kind comments, and for sharing in my
Holiday Blogging Party!
I’ve really enjoyed it and will do it again next year, maybe before that for another occasion–or no occasion at all! 🙂

My Christmas music offerings are not over just yet! “I Sas Three Ships (Come Sailing In)” is a popular carol and traditional English folk song. The earliest printing was in the 17th century. William Sandys also published it in 1833. It was especially popular in Cornwall and remains popular today, in the United Kingdom and United States alike.

I hope you enjoy “I Saw Three Ships” on lyre! And I wish you a blessed Christmas, hope, love, and peace in the days ahead!

“Angels We Have Heard on High” #Christmas #Music

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“Angels We Have Heard on High” was originally written in French, though its author is unknown. The English translation was written by James Chadwick in 1862. The hymn is based on Luke 2:8-15, which read:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
–King James Version (KJV)

I hope you enjoy this arrangement on lyre, viola, and melody and harmony on alto recorder!

“See, Amid the Winter’s Snow” #Christmas #Music

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This is an English carol, also known as “The Hymn for Christmas.” I learned it from
Derwent Harps
just a few weeks ago.

The lyrics are a poem written by Edward Caswall and first published in 1858. Sir John Goss composed “Humility,” a hymn tune for this carol, in 1871. This is a lovely carol, not commonly heard in the United States.

My arrangement contains lyre, viola, and alto recorder. I hope you enjoy it!

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“What Child Is This?” Bonus DSE #Christmas #Music

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William Chatterton Dix wrote the lyrics to this well-known Christmas carol in 1865, after undergoing both a severe illness and a spiritual renewal. His lyrics were later set to the traditional English folk song, “Greensleeves,” the melody we still sing today–but typically with some accidentals added. “What Child Is This?” is more popular in the United States than in Great Britain today.

Here is the traditional tune, without the accidentals, played on lyre and zither simultaneously. This is another
Double Strung Experiment
that is especially beautiful at this time of year.

I hope you enjoy this arrangement!

There’s still time to participate in my
Holiday Blogging Party!
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“Tu Scendi dalle Stelle” #Italian #Christmas #Music

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“Tu Scendi dalle Stelle” (“From Starry Skies Thou Comest”) is an Italian Christmas carol written in 1732. You can find the lyrics, one English translation, and other historical information on the
Wikipedia page
for this song.

I learned this carol from my Italian professor, Signora de Santis, when I was 16. Here I play it on lyre and Oriole soprano recorder, and sing the Italian lyrics. I hope you enjoy this beautiful carol!

“The Friendly Beasts” #Christmas #Music

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“The Friendly Beasts” is a traditional Christmas song. Though some sources say it’s an english carol, the melody is actually French. It’s the 12th-century melody of the Latin song, “”Orientis Partibus”. Robert Davis wrote the current English lyrics in the 1920’s.

In my arrangement, the donkey is represented by zither. Viola represents the cow. The doves are represented by melody and harmony on alto recorder, and the sheep is represented by lyre. In addition, verses 3 and 4 (cow and doves) are accompanied by ukulele.

I hope you enjoy this touching Christmas song!

There’s still time to participate in my
Holiday Blogging Party!
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“The Holly and the Ivy” Bonus DSE #Christmas #Music

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“The Holly and the Ivy” is a traditional British folk Christmas carol. However, it is more popular in the United States than in England. Though the song can only be traced as far as the early 19th century, the association of holly with Christmas dates back as far as Medieval times, if not earlier. The carol varied throughout traditional communities, and the standardized version we know today was first published in 1909, in a folk song collection by Cecil Sharp.

This is another double strung experiment, where I play lyre and zither at the same time. I.e. the instruments are not mixed, but are played together in real-time. In my last
double strung experiment post,
I said the next time you heard something with 2 rows of strings, it would be a real double strung harp. However, the harp won’t arrive until sometime next year (hopefully), and I really wanted to play something for Christmas. Ever since the first time I heard a double strung harp, with its ringing sound, I thought it would be especially beautiful at Christmastime.

I hope you enjoy “The Holly and the Ivy” on lyre and zither! I know I’ve enjoyed playing it!

There’s still time to participate in my
Holiday Blogging Party!
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“O Come, Little Children” #Advent #Music

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“Ihr Kinderlein, Kommet” is a traditional German Christmas carol, published in 1811. Christoph von Schmid wrote the German lyrics in 1798, and they were set to Johann Abraham Peter Schulz’s 1794 melody. You can find one English translation
here.

I hope you enjoy this carol played on lyre, viola, and Oriole soprano recorder with melody and harmony!

This post is part of my Holiday Blogging Party. You’re also invited to participate!
Click here to learn how!

“Come, Ye Shepherds” #Advent #Music

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“Kommet, Ihr Hirten” (“Come, Ye Shepherds”) is a traditional German Christmas carol. However, it is based on an earlier Czech carol, entitled “Nesem vám noviny.” The melody is Bohemian, author unknown. Carl Riedel wrote the German lyrics, and the carol was first published in 1870.

The lyrics urge “Shepherds, men and women” to come to the Nativity scene and see the “lovely child.” They describe the angel’s visit, the shepherds’ walk to the manger, and their adoration of the Lord who has brought “peace on earth, goodwill to all mankind.”

I hope you enjoy this arrangement featuring melody and harmony on Oriole (soprano) and alto recorder respectively, lyre accompaniment, and the German lyrics I learned from a record album about 20 years ago!

This post is part of my Holiday Blogging Party. Want to participate?
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“Once in Royal David’s City” #Advent #Music

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This beautiful Christmas carol began as a poem written by Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848. The poem is based on Luke 2:4-7, which read:

“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

In 1849, English organist Henry John Gauntlett discovered the poem and set it to his melody entitled “Irby,” which is the tune we still sing today.

I first heard this carol on a CD of English (as in from England) carols someone gave me for Christmas when I was about 15. It was a choral arrangement that began with a soprano soloist. For some reason the melody and
lyrics
were unforgetable to me, and I learned to play the carol by ear on piano to accompany my singing.

Here is “Once in Royal David’s City” on ukulele, viola, alto recorder, and lyre. I hope you enjoy it!

This post is part of my Holiday Blogging party. And you’re invited!
Click here to learn how to participate!