Twelve Carols for the Tin Whistle
Medieval Christmas Songs Perfect for Penny Whistle or Irish Flute
Oct 31, 2008
Including well-known carols and some obscure holiday treasures, here are twelve tunes any tin whistle or Irish flute player in the Christmas spirit will want to practice.
Don’t wait for the twelve days of Christmas to start brushing up on these traditional carols. Tin whistle and Irish flute players can start early to get a jump on the holiday season. Sound files can be heard by clicking on the links. For lyrics or musical notation, google the title of the song.
English and Irish Carols for the Tin Whistle and Irish Flute
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman -- The lyrics to this traditional English carol are thought to date back to the 15th century. On a D whistle or flute, this song sounds good in the key of E minor. To help you get started, the first two notes are on E. Then jump up to B for two notes and head right back down the scale. This song, like most of the others here, will need a C natural. To finger this note, whistle players can use a technique called half holing to partially cover only the top hole with their left pointer finger. An easier alternative is cross fingering. For a C natural, all holes should be covered except the second from the bottom and the sixth.
- The Holly and the Ivy -- This traditional carol could well be over 1000 years old. On the D whistle or Irish flute, the song works out in the key of G and starts on that note as well.
- I Saw Three Ships -- The earliest printed version of this traditional English carol dates from the 17th century. On a D whistle or flute, play the song in the key of G starting on the low D.
- The Wexford Carol -- The Wexford Carol, or Loch Garman, is a traditional Irish Christmas carol from County Wexford in 12th century Ireland. This carol works out in the key of G on a D whistle or flute and starts on a low D. There are several F natural accidentals that give this song its minor flavor. To finger the note, leave the lowest hole uncovered as if fingering an E, and leave the second hole only halfway uncovered. The fingering will produce an F natural in the upper register as well.
- Then Let us be Merry -- This Christmas carol dates from 1661. On a D whistle or flute, play this song in the key of G starting on a G as well.
- Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day -- This traditional English Christmas carol sounds good in the key of G on a D whistle or flute. The song’s first note will be a low D.
- Gloucestershire Wassail -- This lively tune is an eighteenth-century folk carol from the Gloucestershire region of England. On a D whistle or flute, the song sounds good in the key of G starting on a low D.
- Sussex Carol -- This relatively new Christmas carol, published in 1919, is popular in Britain. On a D whistle or flute, the song sounds good in the key of G starting on a high D.
French and German Carols for the Tin Whistle and Irish Flute
- Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella -- This traditional carol comes from 16th century France. On a D whistle or flute, it sounds good in the Key of G. The first note is a D in the upper register.
- Pat-a Pan -- Another traditional French carol is Pat-a Pan. On a D whistle or flute, this song sounds good in the key of E minor starting on a low E.
- Masters in This Hall -- This old French tune was given English Christmas lyrics in 1860. It is another that sounds good in the key of E minor starting on a low E. Several high D sharp accidentals give the song it’s medieval flavor. To finger this note on a tin whistle, a player can finger a D in the upper register but cover only half of the lowest hole.
- Good Christian Men Rejoice -- The music for this popular carol was composed in Germany during the 14th century. On a D whistle, this tune can be played in the key of D. Start out on a D in the upper register.
These twelve traditional carols barely scratch the surface when it comes to music of the season. Once these festive tunes are mastered, there are countless others. But this sampling will allow players of the tin whistle or Irish flute to enhance their repertoire while reveling in a tradition of celebration centuries old.
Christmas Carols (2004). Retreived from http://www.carols.org.uk on October 29, 2008.
The copyright of the article Twelve Carols for the Tin Whistle in Musical Instruments is owned by Marcy Paulson. Permission to republish Twelve Carols for the Tin Whistle in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
