As part of The Christmas Alliance, today’s offering is “Ding Dong Merrily on High”. This Christmas carol has been one of my favs since I first heard it played by The Canadian Brass. Before, I had always heard it sung way, way too slowly and its joyous nature had been buried in the inappropriate tempos. Do note that the Jon Schmidt (yes, him again :-)) rendition streamed below is NOT suitable as accompaniment for singing. For one thing, quite apart from changes in rhythms that would make singing along impractical, the actual tempo of the melody is still too slow, but the pulsing rhythms Schmidt has added move the piece as a whole ahead at a joyous pace. His treatment is similar in that regard to the John Darnell treatment of “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” I cited earlier this Advent season.
Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav’n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with angel singing.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!E’en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And “Io, io, io!”
By priest and people sungen.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.
Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!
Again, if you liked the performance, please visit Jon Schmidt’s site and purchase a copy to take along with you “Over the river and through the woods… ”
And be sure to check the special lil present beyond the jump…