Christmas for Two: 8 Duets on Traditional Carols and Folk Songs

Christmas fiddlers can draw on a rich and varied repertoire. This collection spans seven centuries, from the boisterous medieval Song of the Ass to contemporary tunes like Sleigh ride, taking in such traditional carols as Away in a manger and O little town of Bethlehem along the way. There is music in The Christmas Fiddler from England, Wales, France, Germany and North America.Of course Christmas time is not only a religious festival. Much of the music here - the Welsh carol Deck the hall, the 'fireside' movement from The Four Seaons, the modern classic Chestnuts roasting on an open fire - is as much a celebration of the ancient secular festival of the Winter Solstice.The arrangements in this collection can be performed as solos or duets, or by larger ensembles. The keyboard accompaniments are there for a multitude of purposes, from concert performances to playing at home- and the violin accompaniments will be invaluable for those Christmas busking sessions.The full range of traditional fiddle repertoire is now at your fingertips! Using these generous collections, you can create your own ceilidh, barn dance, jazz club, Sarajevo street-café or Gypsy gathering. Some of this music is familiar, some more exotic, but all of it is absolutely authentic, faithfully arranged and, above all, hugely enjoyable. Each title in the series is available in two formats: the violin edition (with an optional easy violin part and guitar chord)- or the complete edition, which also includes both keyboard and violin accompaniments. Either format is hugely flexible, which means the music can be played as solos, duets or trios as well as with larger ensembles. Edward Huws Jones has travelled extensively researching fiddle-playing traditions. In each book he explains the background of the particular musical style, giving his own suggestions for a lively performance. And to help recreate the spirit of the music, every book in the series is beautifully illustrated. / Violon Et Guitare

Duets For Two Acoustic Guitars-The Christmas season has always been special to me. It is a season that has crystallized the hopes aspirations and faith of millions of people through the centuries. The amount of music written for Christmas is monumental.This book contains 14 scores from my Christmas Guitar Portraits recording. I selected various genres dear to me.First there are selections from the early American sacred song tradition. The Babe of Bethlehem Cherry Tree Carol A Star in the East The Shepherd's Star A Virgin Unspotted and I Wonder As I Wander all are from this rich heritage.I also picked a number of carols from theOld English genre. Away In The Manger Green Grow'th the Holly and What Child is This are included.Then there are the Christmas favourites. In the Bleak Mid-winter and a medley ofBaloo Lammy; The First Noel and Silent Night make any Christmas complete. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence is one of my favourite Advent hymns. Gaudete Christus est natus is arousing carol dating back many centuries.Finally I included two originals. Lullay My Liking is an ancient carol text. Many composers over the centuries have written melodies to these lyrics most notably GustavHolst. I could not resist the temptation so the melody here is original. Finally Christmas Prayer is a new composition. I have always wanted to compose and arrange music designed to bring the Plectrum or Flatpick Guitarto the concert stage. These arrangements were written with that in mind.