Colonial American Christmas and American Christmas

Colonial American Christmas and American Christmas

 2018

 

Early American holiday favorites featuring Fiddle, Hammered Dulcimer, Whistles, Guitar, Mandolin, and Accordion. Craig Duncan's talents on violin, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, guitar, bass, and viola can be heard on numerous Nashville recordings. 

A graduate of Appalachian State University and Tennessee State University, Craig is a member of the North American Fiddler's Hall of Fame and Who's Who in Music and Musicians. He's written 30+ music instruction publications for Mel Bay Public.  

Label: Green Hill Productions

Early American vocal and instrumental music, which features Shaker hymns, Colonial anthems, country dances, shape-note hymns from The Southern Harmony and The Original Sacred Harp, and a variety of 19th-century spiritual songs. While we do not consider this exclusively a holiday recording, there are a number of selections appropriate for winter and Christmastide, including a beautiful new choral setting of Christ the Apple-tree by John Bitterman.

1. Harps of Welcome Anonymous, Shaker Music (1875) 2:31
2. Give Good Gifts Anonymous, Original Shaker Music (1893) 1:43
3. Jordan’s Shore White, The Southern Harmony (1854) 4:13
4. Pretty Home Sister Patsy Williamson (1849) 1:58
5. Cold Frosty Morning Traditional 4:07
6. Still Water Hastings, A Selection of Spiritual Songs (1878) 2:51
7. Sherburne Daniel Read (1757-1836) 1:47
8. Wayfaring Stranger Anonymous, The Original Sacred Harp (1936) 4:36
9. Improvisation Mark Dietrich (b. 1967) 2:20
10. Bozrah Anonymous, The Southern Harmony (1854) 4:09
11. The Babe of Bethlehem William Walker (1809-1875) 3:49
12. The Babe of Bethlehem (instr.) William Walker, arr. Rose Ensemble :43
13. Herald Angels Dr. Arnold, The Village Harmony (ca. 1812) 2:27
14. Judea William Billings (1746-1800) 2:05
15. Peace and Joy Anonymous, Original Shaker Music (1893) 2:21
16. Drive the Cold Winter Away John Playford (1623-1686) 3:01
17. Shiloh William Billings (1746-1800) 1:59
18. John Come Kiss Me Now Anonymous, The Division Violin (1684) 3:13
19. The Old Angels Hymn / St. Luke’s Tune / Kimbolton Tune William Tans’ur (1700-1783) 2:28
20. Scotch Cap / Juice of Barley John Playford (1623-1686) 3:43
21. Morning Dawn Anonymous, Shaker Music (1875) 2:53
22. Star in the East Anonymous, The Southern Harmony (1854) 4:16
23. Jesus the Light of the World Trad. American melody, arr. Geo. D. Elderkin 3:18
24. Christ the Apple-tree John Bitterman (b. 1960) 3:27

Gourd Music is proud to release Colonial Christmas, by Barry Phillips.

On this exciting new work Barry has arranged three distinct types of music:

American choral pieces by William Billings and other early American composers, dance tunes from John Playford s The English Dancing Master, and folk tunes of the period and earlier. Selections include "The Merry Wassail," "Christ Child Lullaby," "Drive the Cold Winter Away," "Nos Galan (Deck the Hall)," "Judea," and twelve additional selections.

Barry is joined by a wealth of musicians: Swedish nyckelharpa master Olov Johansson, Scottish fiddler Sarah-Jane Summers, Celtic harpist Jesse Autumn, Welsh violinist Robert Evans, oboe and English horn player Shelley Phillips, harpsichordist Linda Burman-Hall, mountain dulcimer player Neal Hellman Hammered dulcimer player Robin Petrie, fiddler Deby Benton Grosjean, flautist Lars Johannesson and others.
Colonial Christmas is a reflection from today, a look back at a variety of music that might well have been played at a Christmas party in colonial America.

Gourd Music

1982

1 Exultation
2 The Angel and the Shepherds Go, Tell It on the Mountain
3 Iglulik Eskimo Poem
4 The Huron Indian Carol
5 The Babe of Bethlehem
6 Star Silver
7 The Cherry Tree Carol
8 New Hosanna
9 Glory to the Mountain
10 Children, Go
11 The Kentucky Wassail Carol
12 The Christmas Tree
13 Chicken Foot
14 Mountain Christmas Carolling
15 Wondrous Love
16 I Wil Bow and Be Simple
17 Shall I Tell You?
18 Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head
19 The Young Convert
20 Boston Brigade March
21 Shall We Gather at the River?

1978

1 Nowel, Owt Of Your Sleep 2 Ad Cantus Leticie 3 Angelus Ad Virginem 4 Synge We To This Merry Cumpane 5 Reading, And The Aungel Gabriel Was Sent Fro God; Gabriel From Evene King 6 Nova, Nova; Aue Fitt Ex Eva 7 Mervele Nought, Josep 8 Exultemus Et Letemus 9 The Midnight Cry 10 Sunny Bank 11 All Sons Of Adam 12 Greensleeves 13 Reading, Lesu Swete Sone Dere 14 Lullay, Thou Tiny Little Child/The Coventry Carol 15 While Shepherds Watched/Sherburne 16 Fullfillment 17 My Little Sweet Darling 18 Reading, Make We Mere As We May 19 Gloucestershire Wassail 2010 Anonymous 4 brings US the Christmas story as told in medieval English carols and Anglo-American spiritual songs in a program inspired by the 15th-century miracle ballad the Cherry Tree Carol, which flourishes both in the British Isles and in America. 1 Prophetarum Presignata - Irish, 14th Century 2 Nowel Syng We Bothe Al and Som - English, 15th C 3 Alma Redemptoris Mater - English, 15th C 4 The Shepherd's Star - American, Southern Harmony 1835 5 Newell - Tydings Trew - English, 15th C 6 Mervele Noght Iosep - English, 15th C 7 Synge We to This Mery Cumpane - English, 15th C 8 Qui Creavit Celum - English, 15th C 9 A Virgin Unspotted - William Knapp 10 Now May We Syngyn - English, 15th C 11 Lullay My Child - This Ender Nigthgt - English, 15th C 12 Star in the East - American, Southern Harmony 1835 13 Veni Redemptor Gencium - English, 15th C 14 The Cherry Tree Carol - English, 15th C.; This Version Kentucky, 1917 15 Salve Mater Misericordie - Irish, 14th C 16 Hail Mary Ful of Grace - English, 15th C 17 Bethlehem - William Billings 1 Prophetarum Presignata - Irish, 14th Century 2 Nowel Syng We Bothe Al and Som - English, 15th C