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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This is a German folk song, urging children to “Get up!” (Auf) on Christmas morning and celebrate the Christ Child. I couldn’t find more information about it, except the lyrics, which I couldn’t remember well enough to sing. However, this is a beautiful melody, and I hope you enjoy hearing it on zither, viola, and alto recorder!
This is an instrumental version of a Metaphysical Christmas song
I wrote in 2010 and posted here in 2012. It affirms the birth of Light, or Christ Consciousness that can occur within, and for, each one of us, at any time. Christ Consciousness is simply the awareness of oneness, connectedness, positivity, peace, healing, and love that is innately ours. Living in a stressful world, we tend to lose awareness of the Christ Mind, but It is still there, within us and available to us at all times.
I hope you enjoy both versions of “Light,” the one with lyrics linked above, and this one with ukulele, Oriole soprano recorder, and viola! And no matter what you choose to call it, I hope you recognize the Light within yourself, now and always!
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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!
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This song needs no introduction. 🙂 But, for the sake of completeness, here is a little background. The author of this traditional English carol is unknown. It’s been sung by carolers, wassailers, and mummers since the 19th century, and perhaps earlier. The organist and composer Arthur Warrell popularized this carol. He arranged it for the University of Bristol Madrigal Singers as a very elaborate four-part harmony arrangement, which they performed in 1935. The song remains popular today, both in the United Kingdom and the United States.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement, played on zither, viola, and alto recorder! And I wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
“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” 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!
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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!
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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!
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Mystical Strings 
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