Music for the Holidays, Vol. 1

Listen

“Still, Still, Still” performed by Alyssa Reit, harp and Krystof Witek, violin

“Noel Provençal” (MIDI generated audio)

Notes from the Arranger

These pieces represent a variety of backgrounds: “Patapan” and “Noel Provençal” originated in France, “A Babe is Born,” “I Saw Three Ships,” and “What Child is This?” hail from England, “Rise Up Shepherd” is an American Spiritual, “Tu Scendi Alla Stelle” (You Came Down From the Stars) comes from Naples, “Still, Still, Still” and “Ihr Kinderlein Kommet” are unmistakably German, and the two Hanukkah Songs are, of course, from the Jewish tradition. All these beautiful melodies, which have have been passed along for centuries, share anonymous origins, penned by some unknown person to whom we owe our appreciation and thanks. The arrangements themselves are freely done, with the addition of harmonic variation and counter melodies, but with the intent of keeping the spirit of the originals.