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Hope you guys don't mind a Christmas question in October :rolleyes: but I could use your help! Has anyone seen/know of an intermediate/advanced piano solo version of "The Huron Carol"? (sometimes listed by the first line, " 'twas in the moon of wintertime") It could well be that the simplicity of the tune just doesn't lend itself to much of an arrangement. I've looked through lots of Christmas books, and can only find very simple versions. If anyone has seen something interesting with this piece, would you let me know?
Thanks in advance,

Susan

Susan,

I don't know whether you've tried the following site. http://www.freesheetmusicguide.com/christmas.htm

Enter 'The Huron Carol' in the search box and select item 'Song'. Then a no. of sheet music or books with this song will return. However, I don't know whether these are simplified version or not. Nevertheless, you can start from there.

Good luck.

Romeo

Susan,

I forgot to mention you can put 'The Huron Carol' in the search box of your browser (IE or Netscape ect.). A no. of web sites will return and some of them you can listen to the midi file. Some sites have email address that you can ask them for details. I listened to some, they vary from guitar, piano, and keyboard. It's a nice song and I learned about the history too.

Hope this may help.

Romeo

Thanks, Romeo, for your help. I have tried the site you mentioned, and other searches on IE....just haven't found what I wanted yet (great sounding version by Canadian Brass for a brass quintet but that's not really what I was looking for!) Like you, I've at least learnt a lot about the history of the piece!

Susan

Well, I made an interesting discovery...the tune to this carol is actually from (or is) a 17th century French carol called "Une Jeune Pucelle". So maybe I'll have more luck looking in Baroque/Renaissance music sites!

Susan

There is an arrangement of "Twas in the Moon of Wintertime" in a book called A Christmas Tapestry by Joseph Martin. He takes the eirie melody and adds lots of dissonant harmonies to it- then runs some arpeggiated chords in the right hand over the left hand melody, etc. Basically he takes full license as "arranger" for 5 pages worth. And its no beginner's piece- guaranteed. I know you can find it here: http://www.pinelakemusic.com/script...ry&catalog=Christmas&x=8&y=6

but that's the only place I looked. It's probably available other places too.

I have a wonderful arrangement of that piece, it really is lovely, and not too easy. It is in a book called: "More Carols for Piano" by John Carter. He has written a couple of other books "Carols for Piano", and "An Olde English Christmas" that I also highly recommend. They are not songs with words to sing along with, they are nice arrangements to play - our teacher used to play background music at a fancy restaurant around the holidays, and she would play from these books. I ordered mine from Patti Music www.pattimusic.com Jodi

go to this page: Patti Music Catalogue
and scroll down to Christmas solo books on the left, click, then scroll down to John Carter on the right.

Thank you Beth and Jodi! Those are the kind of pieces I was looking for, I'll put in an order today. In fact, I think I'll get a couple of those John Carter books....I love the idea of some old English carols this Christmas.
Thanks again; it was getting frustrating because a lot of catalogues don't list the contents of their books!

Susan

Susan - here are the songs in each of the three John Carter books I own:

Carols for Piano:
Go, Tell it on the Mountain
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
He is Born!
Joy to the World (very fun)
Lo, How a Rose E'r Blooming
Of the Father's Love Begotten
The First Noel (quite pretty)

More Carols for Piano:
Away in a Manger
Carol of the Birds
Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
I Saw Three Ships
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
It Came upon a Midnight Clear
O Come, All Ye Faithful
'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (Huron Carol)

An Olde English Christmas:
Here We Come A-Wassailing
Good King Wenceslas
The Holly and the Ivy
I Saw Three Ships
What Child is This?
We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Jodi

Thanks Jodi! Looks like I'll have to have all three

Susan