AUTOHARP ARRANGEMENTS OF CHRISTMAS SONGS

VOLUME I, 2nd Edition

2011 Will Smith Music

http://autoharp-music.com

AUTOHARP ARRANGEMENTS OF CHRISTMAS SONGS

Title Away in a Manger The Bells of St. Marys Coventry Carol The First Noel God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen Good King Wenceslas The Holly and the Ivy Joy to the World O Little Town of Bethlehem O Sanctissima Prayer of Thanksgiving Silent Night Auld Lang Syne Addenda Chord Charts Transposition Chart TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 20

VOLUME I, 2nd Edition

YOU CAN ALSO USE THE BOOKMARKS TAB TO NAVIGATE

Note: These songs are available as interactive .mscz files, which will play the melody, transpose, etc. using the freeware MuseScore program FILES: http://www.autoharp-music.com/songs/XmasSongbookV1Ed2.zip SOFTWARE: http://musescore.org/en/download
autoharp arrangements 2011 Will Smith Music (ASCAP)

AWAY IN THE MANGER

(James R. Murray)

C7

43
F /
C7 F
in a

/ C7 F

Dm Am Bb

Gm C

way

man ger no

crib for a

bed

the

lit

tle Lord

Je sus lay

Gm

/
head

/
The

/
stars

C7 F
in the

/
sky

C7

Dm Am Bb
down where He

F
lay

/
the

down His sweet

~ looked

C7
14

Gm

C7

C7
lit

C7

F
Je

C
sus

F
a

Gm
sleep

/
on

C7
the

F
hay

tle Lord

autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music

THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S

(Emmet/Furber)

F
Autoharp

C7

true love, to

14

4
F / / C7 F /
/ Bb / C7 Bb /
/
The bells of Saint Ma ry's I
hear they are

cal ling the young love, the

C7

Dm

C7

F / /
Bb /

Dm

G7

C7

/ C7

F /

Bb

C7

come from the sea

And now my be lov ed when red leaves are

fal ling the

G7

C7

Bb

F
ring

Bb

F
for

G7
you

C7
and

F
me

love bells shall

out ring out

autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music (ASCAP)

COVENTRY CAROL
English Traditional

Gm

Gm

Cm

Gm

43
Gm / D
Lul lay thou

Gm
lit

/ F
Gm
ny

Gm D Gm

Cm D7
ly

Gm
lay

Bb

tle

ti

child

Bye bye lul

lul

Lul

Cm

Gm

Cm D

F
lay

Bb
thou

F
lit

Bb
tle

F
ti

Cm
ny

D
child

Gm D Eb
Bye bye lul

Cm
ly

D
lul

G
lay

autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music (ASCAP)

THE FIRST NOEL

43
C G
The ~

C
first

G C F
~ No ~

G
el

F G
the ~

C
say

F G
was to

an gel did

cer tain poor

C
7

C
F G
in

G7
they

C
lay

/ G
In ~ fields

C F

G
they

F G
lay ~

shep herds

fields as

~ where ~

F
12

F G F
C
sheep

F G
on a

/ G7

C
deep

/ G
No

keep ing their

cold win ter's

night ~ that

was ~ so

G
18

Am

C
el

G Am F G
~ No
el

Am G

C
el

Am Em F
born is the

C F G
King ~ of

C / G7
Is
ra

C
el

/ G
No

No el No

G
26

Am

C
el

G Am F G
~ No el

Am G F
No el

/
No

C
el

Am Em F
born is the

C F G
King ~ of

C / G7
Is
ra

C
el

autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music (ASCAP)

GOD REST YE MERRY, GENTLEMEN

Dm

A7

Dm

A7

4
Dm
God

A7

Dm Am Bb

Dm Am Dm C
no thing you dis

A7
may

Dm
Re

rest ye mer ry,

gen tle men let

Dm
6

A7

Dm

A7

/
mem

A7

Dm Am Bb
Sav ior

F
was

Dm
born

Am
on

Dm

A7
day

D7
to

ber Christ our

Christ mas

Gm
10

Dm

Gm C F Gm
F
Dm / A7 Dm G7
C G7
C
stray

Dm C
O ~

F
tid

Bb F
ings of

save us all from

Sat an's pow'r when

we were gone a

Gm
15

Dm

Gm

A7

Dm Gm Dm A7
com fort and

Dm
joy

/ A7 G
com fort and

C
joy

Dm C
O ~

F Bb F Bb
tid ings of

Dm Gm Dm A7
com fort and

Dm
20

Dm
joy
autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music (ASCAP)

GOOD KING WENCESLAS

F B F

11

4
F / Dm C
F Bb
C Bb F Bb C7
F /
/ / Dm C
Good King Wen ces
las looked out on the feast of
Ste phen

When the snow lay

F Bb C

Bb

Bb

C7

F
e

Bb

C Dm

'round a bout

deep and crisp and

ven

Bright ly shone the

moon that night

Dm

Bb

Bb

C7

F
cru

/
el

Bb C7

Dm /

Bb

though the frost was

when a poor man

came in sight

gath' ring win ter

B
16

Dm Bb F
fu ~ el

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY

G C G C D

10

15

43
G / / /
C G
i

Bm Am
Of ~

The

hol ly and

the

vy

when they are both

full

grown

Bm Am Em

G C G

all the trees

that are

in the wood,

the ~

hol ly bears

the

crown

The

/ / /

Bm Am
the ~

Bm Am Em

ris ing of

the

sun

and the

run ning of

the

deer

play ing of

the

C
mer

/
ry

G
or

G
sing

C
ing

G
in

D
the

G
choir

gan sweet

autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music (ASCAP)

JOY TO THE WORLD

G F Handel
autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music (ASCAP)

A7

42
D A G D Em
the

/
let

A7
is

G
earth

/
re

A
ceive

/
her

Joy

to the world

Lord

come

/ A G D /
room

D
King
12

/
Let

/ A G D
ev 'ry ~

/
heart

GD

GD

~ ~ pre

pare ~ Him ~

~ ~ and

A7

16

/ /
/ / G D
A7 D A7 /
/ / D A7
heav'n and
na ture ~ sing
and ~ heav'n and
na ture ~ sing and ~

D A7

A7

D
hea

/
ven

A7
and

D
hea

G D
ven

Em
and

D
na

A7
ture

D
sing

Substitutions: * = G#07 ** = D#07

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music

Gm

C7

4
Melody
Lyric

F
O

/ 1

/ E7* F
2 3
4

F
1

Gm
2

/ 3

/ 4

F
1

C7 F C7
2 + 3

/
4

F
lie

/
A

lit tle town of

Beth le hem how

still we

see thee

Beat

(23) 4

D7
6

Gm

C7

/ 1 / 2 D7 3 / 4
/ Gm 2 / 3
/
the

F
si

C7 F
lent

/
stars

C7
go

F
by

/
Yet

bove thy deep and

dream less sleep

2 + 3

1(2

3)

Gm
10

A7

Dm

Gm

A7

/
in

/ 2

Gm F* 3 4

A7
shi

/ 3

/ 4

Dm A7 F Gm
ev

A7
light

/
the

F 1

/ 2

E7* F 3 4

thy dark streets

neth the

er last ing

hopes and fears of

1(2)

1(2

3) 4

Gm
15

C7

F**
all

Gm
the

/
years

/*
are

F
met

Bb
in

F
thee

C7
to

F
night

(4)

1(234)

O SANCTISSIMA
Sicilian Folk Tune

C F

G7

G7

Am

13

4
C F G
G7 C G7
li ness ~

Am
glo

G7 C G7
pi ness ~

E7 Am
ri ous

Day of

ho

peace and

hap

joy ful

D7

G7

C
glo

D7

C G C

G7

/ /

G7 C G7

F C
ry

Christ mas

day

an

gels tell the

sto

ry

of

this day of

Am

Am

Dm

G7

C
day

Am
Praise

G
~

F
Christ

C
our

Am
Sav

Dm
ior

C
born

Dm
this

C
Christ

G7
mas

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
(We Gather Together)
Netherlands melody in A Valerius's Collection (1626)

G7

43
C /
F C /
F C G7
C G7 C / /
G
We
gath
er to
geth er to
ask
the Lord's
bless ing He chast

F G

ens and

Am

D7

G7

Am
hast

G /
ens His

D7
will

G D7
to make

G
known

/
The

G7
wick

Dm G7
ed op

press ing cease

G7
12

G7

17

G7 Dm G7 /
C / /
F G7 F / C
F C F G7
them from dis
tress ing Sing
prais es to His name
He for gets not

His

/
own

autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music (ASCAP)

SILENT NIGHT
(Mohr/Gruber)

15

43
C
F C / /
F C /
G / G7 C
Si lent night
Ho ly night
All is calm

/
is

/
bright

All

/
in

G7 F

F C

G7 /
fant so

'Round

yon

vir

gin

mo

ther and

child

ho

ly

G7

Am

/
sleep

C
ten

F C
der and

/
mild

G
Sleep

/
in

G7
heav

/ /
en ly

Am
peace

C
~

/ /
~ in

G7
22

G
heav

C
peace

G7
en

/
ly

Note: Can be played on diatonic 'harps, just use F for F7 and partial A7 (no third)

AULD LANG SYNE

autoharp arrangement 2011 Will Smith Music

C7

F7

4
C7 F C
F /
C F C7
F /
/ / F7
Should auld
ac quaint ance
be
for got and
nev er brought to

C7

A7

Dm

Gm C7

Bb

F C7 A7

Dm

/ Gm C7

mind?

Should

auld

ac quaint ance

be

for got and

days

of Auld Lang

C7

F7

F
Syne

Bb
For

F
Auld

C
Syne

F C7 Bb
my dear for

F
Auld

/ F7

Bb
Syne

Gm
We'll

~ Lang ~

~ Lang ~

F
14

C7

A7

Dm

Gm C7

F
take

/ /
a cup

/
o'

C
kind

F C7
ness dear

A7 /
for ~

Dm
Auld

/ Gm
~ Lang

C7
~

F
Syne

CHORD CHARTS
Grouped 4 measures (either 3 beat or 4 beat) per line. For instance, chords accompany lyrics in first song thus:

F
A- way in a

Bb

man- ger no crib for a bed

When a bar is split, either divide equally 2/2 or with a beat designated: ~ Gm ~ / C7 F So the last two measures of the first song go: sleep on the hay

Away in a Manger 3 / 4 F F Bb F C7 C7 F F F F Bb F C7 F Gm~/C7 F Auld Lang Syne 4 / 4 F C F C7~ ~/A7 F C7 F C7~ ~/A7

F / F7 Dm~/Gm/C7 F / F7 Dm~/Gm/C7

Bb F~ ~/C7 Bb F~ ~/C7

The Bells of St Marys 4 / 4 F F Bb F C7 Dm F F Bb F/C/Bb/F F/C/Bb/F G7 /C7 Coventry Carol 3/4 * Gm Gm F D Gm Cm Gm Gm F F Cm D Gm Cm~/D G G

Bb C7 Bb F

*Coventry Carol

3 / 4 in Dm

If you do not have chords used above, you may have these, since they are found on a standard OS 15 bar.

[Gm transposed to Dm] Dm Dm C A7 Dm Gm Dm Dm C C Gm A7 Dm Gm~/C D D

Note: these chord chart arrangements do not necessarily correspond EXACTLY to accompaniment chords in the standard notation, but either of the versions will work.

The First Noel 3 / 4 C G F F C C C G F F C C C G F Am C C C G F Am C C

C C C C C C C C

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 4 / 4 Dm/A7 Dm Bb A7 Dm/A7 Dm Bb A7 Gm F Dm C F Gm Dm C F Gm Dm Dm Good King Wenceslas 4 / 4 F F Bb F F F Bb F F F Bb F F Dm F Bb F

The Holly and the Ivy 3 / 4 G~/C G G~/C D C /G ~ G~/ D G~/C G G~/C D C /G ~ G~/D

D G D G

Joy to the World 2 / 4 D D D / A7 G A D D D D D A7 A7 D D / A7 D

D D D D

O Little Town of Bethlehem 4 / 4 F Gm F/C7 F F/D7 Gm F/C7 F F/Gm A7 Dm/Gm A7 F Gm F/C7 F

O Sanctissima 4 / 4 C/F G7 C/F C Am G/D7 G G7 C Am/F Am/Dm C/G7

G7 G C C

Prayer of Thanksgiving 3 / 4 C C G7 C G Am D7 G G7 C G7 C F C F/G7 ~ C

Silent Night 3 / 4 C C C G G C F F C F F C G G7 Am C G7 C

C C C C C C

TRANSPOSITION CHART KEY:

I IIm II7 IIIm III7 IV V V7 VIm* VI7 VII *relative minor

Bb
Bb Cm C7 Dm D7 Eb F F7 Gm G7 A

F
F Gm G7 Am A7 Bb C C7 Dm D7 E

C
C Dm D7 Em E7 F G G7 Am A7 B

G
G Am A7 Bm B7 C D D7 Em E7 F#

D
D Em E7 F#m F#7 G A A7 Bm B7 C#

You can change (transpose) a song to a different key by substituting the corresponding chord of a color block. Of course, the MIDI accompaniments are in the key of the transcription. Note that God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen is in Dm, the relative minor key of F. Coventry Carol is in Gm, relative minor of Bb. If you do not see any notes altered with a sharp, flat, or natural sign in a given notation, the melody can be played on a diatonic autoharp, although you may need partial II7, III7, and/or VI7 chords.