Hey, I know it's a bit early but does anyone know any Irish (Or Celitc) Traditional Christmas orientated tunes. I know Christmas Eve reel but does anyone know any others because I'm playing at the communion of the Christmas Eve mass and I need some tunes. Thanks!
As I am Christian no I haven't anything better to do because Christmas, the most important time for me. Instead of trying to provoke innocent people I would have preferred a proper answer. Thanks but No thanks. :(
But titles don’t really matter – the tunes are rarely about their titles. Sure, a few like The Foxhunter’s Reel are programmatic, echoing the sounds of the hunt etc. But most of the titles are purely random. “Christmas Eve”, for example, was neither inspired by or intended to evoke Christmas. It could have as easily been entitled “First Broadcast December 24th.”
Almost any Carolan tune sounds Christmas-y to the casual listener I think. Try Carolan’s Draught, and The Princess Royale.
If you insist on having a Chrtistmas-y title, go to the tunes section (tab at right) and search “Christmas.” You’ll get 5 pages of tune names. Many duplicates, though.
Here are a few others with Christmas themes in the title:
The Holly Bush
The Morning Star
The Man Who Died and Rose Again (more of an Easter tune, perhaps)
Nollaig Casey’s 8-P
Someone else just did a thread about this. My own favorites are the above mentioned Christmas Day in da Morning, the Shetland tune. Christmas Eve reel. The Wexford Carol. That Night in Bethlehem is a lovely minor carol. And I am currently learning, with the group I play in, the old Bing Crosby song, Christmas in Killarney, just for the fun of it!
Mark, where I live xmas seems to start in Sept and is nothing more than a consumerist exercise in fleecing the public. It's a cynical exploitation of human frailty and is very successful at it. No offense meant in my earlier post but the mention of xmas is off limits for me in early Nov.
The Bransle de l'officiel - I think that's what it's called. This is the old tune that became "Ding Dong Merrily on High" but can be really nice on the flute.
Not sure it's strictly Celtic but certainly Celt-ish.
...oh, and the Bransle I mentioned is a servants' dance from the 1540s. Like a lot of secular music it got appropriated for use in the church with the words added in the 1900s or so.
I anyone can aim me at a decent set of spots for Wexford Carol, I would be most appreciative. Not that I need spots....I just work with a bunch of mainstream musicians who break out in hives if you tell them to listen to something once through and pick up the tune without a sheet with dots in front of them.
You never know there might even be flute and 'violin' parts that will really make my colleagues warm and fuzzy!
For as popular a tune, I have not been able to locate reliable spots for it.
Here are some tunes
Christmas in Kinsale
A Merry Christmas
Christmas Polka
Christmas Rum
Christmastime Will Soon be Over
Christmas Comes but Once a Year
The Piper Through t he Meadow Straying
New Christmas
You may also want to check out the CDs in the 'Celtic Celebration' series by the Night Heron Consort. notwithstanding the comercial use of the term 'Celtic' in the title, the collection includes some very nice traditional selections and is very well done.
theres a lovely CD out by Eugene O'Donnell and James McCafferty called 'the Foggy Dew', and as far as I remember there are a few 'christmassy' feeling tunes on it.
Last year I played a wedding at christmas time and we did christmas carols in our own 'celtic' way (use of irish instruments and that) - the accordian worked lovely on Oh Holy Night - just a suggestion
Christmas?
Christmas?
Hey, I know it's a bit early but does anyone know any Irish (Or Celitc) Traditional Christmas orientated tunes. I know Christmas Eve reel but does anyone know any others because I'm playing at the communion of the Christmas Eve mass and I need some tunes. Thanks!
# Posted on November 7th 2010 by Markmoloney
Re: Christmas?
Got it in one, it's too early. In fact, it's never a good time to mention xmas. Have you nothing better to do at the end of Dec?
# Posted on November 7th 2010 by strayaway
Re: Christmas?
As I am Christian no I haven't anything better to do because Christmas, the most important time for me. Instead of trying to provoke innocent people I would have preferred a proper answer. Thanks but No thanks.
:(
# Posted on November 7th 2010 by Markmoloney
Re: Christmas?
Have you tried searching previous threads? - there seems to be enough stuff in there to last you till Easter!
# Posted on November 7th 2010 by ormepipes
Re: Christmas?
"Instead of trying to provoke innocent people I would have preferred a proper answer."
Is that a Christian response ?
# Posted on November 7th 2010 by ormepipes
Re: Christmas?
Christmas Day in da Morning is a great tune. Time to learn it again.
# Posted on November 7th 2010 by minijackpot
Re: Christmas?
No, Ormepipes that's not a 'Christian response' its is a non-discriminatory response!
# Posted on November 7th 2010 by Markmoloney
Re: Christmas?
But titles don’t really matter – the tunes are rarely about their titles. Sure, a few like The Foxhunter’s Reel are programmatic, echoing the sounds of the hunt etc. But most of the titles are purely random. “Christmas Eve”, for example, was neither inspired by or intended to evoke Christmas. It could have as easily been entitled “First Broadcast December 24th.”
Almost any Carolan tune sounds Christmas-y to the casual listener I think. Try Carolan’s Draught, and The Princess Royale.
If you insist on having a Chrtistmas-y title, go to the tunes section (tab at right) and search “Christmas.” You’ll get 5 pages of tune names. Many duplicates, though.
Here are a few others with Christmas themes in the title:
The Holly Bush
The Morning Star
The Man Who Died and Rose Again (more of an Easter tune, perhaps)
Nollaig Casey’s 8-P
Good luck!
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by fidkid
Re: Christmas?
Someone else just did a thread about this. My own favorites are the above mentioned Christmas Day in da Morning, the Shetland tune. Christmas Eve reel. The Wexford Carol. That Night in Bethlehem is a lovely minor carol. And I am currently learning, with the group I play in, the old Bing Crosby song, Christmas in Killarney, just for the fun of it!
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: Christmas?
Mark, where I live xmas seems to start in Sept and is nothing more than a consumerist exercise in fleecing the public. It's a cynical exploitation of human frailty and is very successful at it. No offense meant in my earlier post but the mention of xmas is off limits for me in early Nov.
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by strayaway
Re: Christmas?
I just figured Mark wanted to start learning now so as to have it down cold in time for his p-pp-p-per-performance.
Wexford Carol - good call.
Christmas in Killarney! Awesome.
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by fidkid
Re: Christmas?
Welcome Chjristmas Morning, a lovely waltz written and played by Jimmy Shand.
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by Free Reed
Re: Christmas?
The Bransle de l'officiel - I think that's what it's called. This is the old tune that became "Ding Dong Merrily on High" but can be really nice on the flute.
Not sure it's strictly Celtic but certainly Celt-ish.
I'd second Wexford Carol - excellent piece.
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by Mark Harmer
Re: Christmas?
...oh, and the Bransle I mentioned is a servants' dance from the 1540s. Like a lot of secular music it got appropriated for use in the church with the words added in the 1900s or so.
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by Mark Harmer
Re: Christmas?
I anyone can aim me at a decent set of spots for Wexford Carol, I would be most appreciative. Not that I need spots....I just work with a bunch of mainstream musicians who break out in hives if you tell them to listen to something once through and pick up the tune without a sheet with dots in front of them.
You never know there might even be flute and 'violin' parts that will really make my colleagues warm and fuzzy!
For as popular a tune, I have not been able to locate reliable spots for it.
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by zippydw
Re: Christmas?
Eerghfhgh
Can anyone aim me at........
Sorry
# Posted on November 8th 2010 by zippydw
Re: Christmas?
Here are some tunes
Christmas in Kinsale
A Merry Christmas
Christmas Polka
Christmas Rum
Christmastime Will Soon be Over
Christmas Comes but Once a Year
The Piper Through t he Meadow Straying
New Christmas
# Posted on November 9th 2010 by Nfg
Re: Christmas?
Check out
http://www.goess.org/mason/xmas-abc/
and
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/
For a fairly large selection some of which are Celtic.
If you like Christmas in Killarney you might want a look at Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake, but seriously I doubt either is very much church stuff.
If you want to go just a little bit afield there is the slip jog mentioned in A Christmas Carol. Probably English. The name has escaped me.
# Posted on November 9th 2010 by cboody
Re: Christmas?
Probably "Sir Roger de Coverley" (without getting the book out)?
# Posted on November 9th 2010 by Ebor_fiddler
Re: Christmas?
You may also want to check out the CDs in the 'Celtic Celebration' series by the Night Heron Consort. notwithstanding the comercial use of the term 'Celtic' in the title, the collection includes some very nice traditional selections and is very well done.
# Posted on November 9th 2010 by zippydw
Re: Christmas?
theres a lovely CD out by Eugene O'Donnell and James McCafferty called 'the Foggy Dew', and as far as I remember there are a few 'christmassy' feeling tunes on it.
Last year I played a wedding at christmas time and we did christmas carols in our own 'celtic' way (use of irish instruments and that) - the accordian worked lovely on Oh Holy Night - just a suggestion
# Posted on November 9th 2010 by banjo'd
Re: Christmas?
Sir Roger de Coverley it is, though I suspect I'm the only one that ever called it a "slip jog." :(
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by cboody
Re: Christmas?
I guess this won't make the cut?
Irish Rovers - "Christmas in Killarney"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elOfpRJ_Jak
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Christmas?
Not as good as Der Bingle's version, Ben, but it captures the essence of the song!
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by AlBrown