UPDATED 11/10 - I've decided to narrow down to more traditional songs with the most original and best-sounding arrangements. I'm still waiting on clearances from composers/sequencers. Here are the songs which will be included FOR SURE:
- "All Through the Night" - a traditional Welsh carol recorded in 1784 by Edward Jones. Sequenced by Harry "Gitpicker" Todd and released through his family. http://gitpicker5.tripod.com/
"Away in a Manger" - an American song, lyrics published by James R. Murray, and the music is credited to J.E. Clark's "St. Kilda" in 1885, but samples several other songs that came before it. Sequenced by Harry "Gitpicker" Todd and released through his family. http://gitpicker5.tripod.com/
Jolly Old St. Nicholas - an American short poem credited to Benjamin R. Hamby sometime in the 1860s. The song is traditionally sung to an up-tempo arrangement of the first wave of Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D. Major", 1680. I am selecting the entire "Canon in D Major" due to it's slower and more melodic arrangement. Sequenced by "Perfessor" Bill Edwards. http://perfessorbill.com/
"Jingle Bells" - an English song originally published by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 as "On a One-Horse Open Sleigh", and also originally composed to a portion of Pachalbel's "Canon in D Minor". This arrangement is an original composition sequenced by Bob Barnes. http://www.ajsmidi.com/barnes/barnes_1.html
"Auld Lange Syne" - a Scots song written by Robert Burns in 1788, the original music may be from any one of traditinal Scots folk songs. This arrangement is an original composition sequenced by Bob Barnes. http://www.ajsmidi.com/barnes/barnes_1.html
"The Huron Carol" - a Canadian carol written by Jean de Brébeuf in 1643. The song was written by de Brébeuf, a Jesuit priest, to teach the native Canadian Huron peoples about the meaning of Christ and His birth. It is recognized as Canada's oldest Christmas carol. The music is based on the French folk song "Une Jeune Pucelle", which itself is based on other works traced back to the Italian ballad "La Monica" from 1465. Sequenced by Barry Taylor, "The Great Canadian Tunebook", http://members.shaw.ca/tunebook/
"Good King Wencelas" - an English hymn written in 1853 by John Mason Neale, translated from a poem written by Czech poet Václav Alois Svoboda. The music is set to the 13th century Finnish tune "Tempus Adest Floridum". Sequenced by Melvin Webb and released through his family. http://kmelmidimusic.com/
Songs that I am still waiting for clearance from their composers or sequencers:
- Boar's Head Carol
- Carol of the Bells
- The Gloucestershire Wassail
- The Holly and Ivy
- Joy to the World
- Parade of the Wooden Soldiers
- Still, Still, Still
- O Tannebaum
- Toyland
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Up on the Housetop
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas