“Uketide” Tunes is back for the holly jolly season! Aria and I are talking about songs to do together, but I’m also performing a few solo pieces. I’m not sure about a release schedule so check back regularly throughout December. Ugly sweaters are promised at some point.

Let’s get started! A favorite Christmas hymn of mine is the 19th century Irish carol, The Snow Lay on the Ground, which paints the scene of the Christ Child’s birth in a Bethlehem manger. Why there is snow on the ground in a Mediterranean climate I don’t know, but the snow is only mentioned once. It is the repeating Latin chorus that is most notable: Venite adoremus Dominum. Translated: Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. This is also the refrain in O Come, All Ye Faithful.

The melody line for The Snow Lay on the Ground  is uncomplicated, and while I start playing simply, there are embellishments and chord additions throughout the song that make it more interesting. The carol has four verses, but I play it slightly differently through two:

An American song, with Aria, is next!