I recorded the song & made the video last December when it was originally posted on this blog. The arrangement (not original, but by Doug Sparling, with some minor variations by yours truly) is for guitar in the DADGAD tuning—so called because those are the notes of the open strings, as opposed to EADGBE in standard tuning. The DADGAD tuning is particularly used by fingerstyle guitarists exploring British Isles folk music—the open strings taken as a whole are a “suspended chord”—one that is neither major nor minor, but hovering somewhere in between. It’s a lovely tuning, & one that loves to have open strings ringing. I played it on my well-loved old Washburn, which is a sweet fingerstyle instrument.
Hope the holiday season has been good to you, & that you enjoy the music. There’ll be one more holiday tune—from the Alice in Wonder Band archives—on Friday!
Lovely.
ReplyDeletePerfect song to accompany your slideshow, John. Merry Christmas to you and E! xx
ReplyDeleteHi Jacqueline & Tess: So glad you both liked it, & a very merry Christmas to you both!
ReplyDeleteGood old DADGAD. A lovely treatment, John, fittingly low key. It's my favourite carol, words and music.
ReplyDeleteGood work, John! The tuning fits this one very well indeed. BTW, I just posted Loreena McKennitt's instrumental version of this on Monday.
ReplyDeleteHi Dick & Roy
ReplyDeleteDick: It's a lovely piece of music & Rosetti's poem is inspired. She seems to me an undervalued poet.
Roy: Thanks! I'm woefully behind on blog visits, but hope to amend that within the next two days--will look forward to hearing McKennitt's version!
Lovely and peaceful - I liked listening to it as I worked. Very calming (and given all the things I need to get done by tomorrow, calming is essential!)
ReplyDeleteHi HKatz: Glad you enjoyed it, & best luck with your projects!
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