If you’re new to this blog, “Uketide” Tunes is in its third year of existence. We officially have a tradition of Christmas on the ukulele! Sometimes it’s solo chord melody and other times it’s hum and strum as my daughter and I ham it up. Kazoos and sleigh bells may be involved. Ugly sweaters, too. I’m still working up a schedule, so check back regularly this month.

Let’s get things rolling by starting on a serious note with one of my favorite Advent hymns, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. The song has a long history dating back centuries with text originally written in Latin. While it has been performed in both the sacred and secular worlds, I’ve enjoyed hearing it most sung a cappella or with light instrumentation. It’s hauntingly beautiful.

In my performance I play three verses. The first is a simple melody with single notes, followed by chord melody for the second, then single notes played high on the fretboard with chord melody for the final verse:

Next up, a Brenda Lee song recorded in the late 1950s that is a holiday standard.