Happy Easter! Yes, it’s late. But here is a popular hymn played on lyre and alto recorder, “Near the Cross.” The lyrics were written by Fanny Crosby, and the melody by William Howard Doane.
Enjoy, and I hope you had a wonderful Easter!
Category Archives: Mp3
“The Irish” Mazurka #Music
Download “The Irish” Mazurka Mp3
Here’s another light and lively mazurka, a dance tune. This one is often played in a set with
Francie’s Mazurka
and others.
I hope you enjoy listening to this delightful tune on zither!
“Lament for Kilcash” #Music
Download “Lament for Kilcash” Mp3
This is a beautiful Irish air, written in the early 1700’s. My arrangement is played on ukulele, Oriole (soprano) recorder, alto recorder, and ends as a recorder trio with the soprano part, 2 alto parts, and continued ukulele accompaniment.
I hope you enjoy it!
“The Red Bridge” #Music
This is a piece I wrote for one of Sue Vincent’s #Writephoto prompts
last May. I didn’t sing it at the time, but posted a meditation
version on lyre. You can listen to or download that
here.
This version has vocals, accompanied by ukulele. There’s also a viola
part, melody on alto recorder, and an alto recorder duet.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement!
“Madrid” #Music
The Spanish traditional melody, “Madrid,” has also been published as
“Seville.” It is the musical setting for the hymn, “Come, Christians,
Join to Sing.” Christian henry Bateman wrote the lyrics in the 1800’s.
However, they are a rewritten version of a hymn by William Edward
Hickson, “Join Now in Praise, and Sing,” also written in the 1800’s.
Both hymns are in the public domain in the United States. Although we
no longer need to be concerned with copyright issues, we should still
give credit where credit is due.
My arrangement of “Madrid” is played on lyre, alto recorder, and
viola. I hope you enjoy it, and wish you a happy, peaceful, and safe
Palm Sunday!
“Chaverim Tovim” #Music
Since Passover begins this evening, here is a medley of two Hebrew
songs. Well, one original called “Erev Tov,” (Good Evening), and a
traditional Hebrew folksong called “Shalom Chaverim,” variously
translated as “Hello Friends,” “Good-bye Friends,” and “Peace to You,
My Friends.”
These are played on zither and Oriole (soprano) recorder, and “Shalom
Chaverim” is a 2-part round. I’ve named this medley “Chaverim Tovim,”
which means “Good Friends.”
I hope you enjoy these two pieces!
“Bridget Cruise” #Music
Here’s another beautiful tune by Turlough O’Carolan. Played on viola,
alto recorder, and lyre, I hope you enjoy “Bridget Cruise!”
“Mantle So Green” #Music
Download “Mantle So Green” Mp3
You may be familiar with this 19th-century Irish tune, “Mantle So Green.” Perhaps you’ve heard Sinead O’Connor’s recording. It’s a song about a woman remaining faithful to her beloved, who went off to fight in a British war.
This is a popular Celtic harp tune, and today I’m playing lyre (mine sounds like a harp), with alto recorder and viola rounding out the session, as it were.
I hope you enjoy this arrangement!
“Peace like a River” #Music
Download “I’ve Got Peace like a River” Mp3
“(I’ve Got) Peace like a River” is a much loved African-American spiritual. It compares peace to a river, joy to a fountain, and love to an ocean. With its simple, repetitive lyrics and catchy melody, it’s an easy sing-along song. In fact, I remember doing just that as a child, singing around many campfires. I even played ukulele more than once to accompany the group!
I hope you enjoy “Peace like a River” on ukulele, viola, alto recorder, and lyre!
“Captain O’Kane” #Music
Here’s another Turlough O’Carolan tune, or part of one, called “Captain O’Kane.” This tune has 3 sections that I know of, but I’ve chosen the most common, “A” section, to play on Oriole (soprano) recorder and zither. I hope you enjoy it!
Mystical Strings 
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