musica festum

An album of traditional Christmas instrumental music arranged and performed in medieval, renaissance, chamber, and baroque styles. You may listen to the tracks from a variety of services, collected here (or search for “skip via” on any streaming service):

Several more of my music collections and singles, including collaborations with Carter Minor and Don Sparrow, may be found here.

songs

Here is a list of each track’s origin and instrumental arrangement. (all songs arranged and performed by skip via)

  • The First Nowell (Trad., England; c. 1500) – Church bells, Orff bells.
  • The Holly and the Ivy (Trad., England; c. 1700) Bassoon, bodhran, finger cymbals, Baroque organ, French horns, trombones, coronet, trumpet, tuba.
  • What Child is This? (Trad., England; c. 1500) – Recorder, finger cymbals, autoharp, cello, glockenspiel, harpsichord.
  • Sussex Carol (Trad., England/Ireland; c. 1600) – Bassoon, French horn, tuba, flugelhorn, harp, finger cymbals.
  • Patapan (de La Monnoye, France; c. 1720) – Tin whistle, tambourine, bodhran, finger cymbals, handclaps, guitar, harp, cello.
  • Joseph Lieber, Joseph Mein (Trad., Germany; c. 1300) – Autoharp, glockenspiel, guitar, strings, cello.
  • Riu Riu Chiu (Trad., Spain; c. 1400) – Bells, handclaps, bodhran, glockenspiel, choral voices.
  • Wexford Carol (Trad., Ireland; c. 1200 – 1500) – Recorder, flute, harp, voices, bass, bodhran, finger cymbals.
  • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Trad., England; c. 1400) – Bodhran, recorders, bowed zither, handclaps, tambourine, finger cymbals.
  • Coventry Carol (Trad., England; c. 1500) – Harp, oboe, cello.
  • Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day (Trad., England; c. 1400 – 1500) – Recorder, harp, guitar.
  • Fum Fum Fum (Trad., Catalan; c. 1500 – 1600) – Bassoons, recorder, harp, bodhran, finger cymbals, handclaps.
  • O Come O Come Emmanuel (Trad., France; c. 1400) – Harp, bells, cello, choral voices.
  • Un Flambeau Jeanette Isabella (Trad.; France; c. 1600) – Baroque organ.
  • Shchedryk (Leontovych; Ukraine; 1916) – Glockenspiel, cello.
  • Adeste Fideles (Trad., Portugal; c. 1200) – Guitar, Baroque organ, cello.
  • Tempus Adest Floridum (Trad., Finnland; c. 1200) – Church bells, French horns, tubas, flugelhorn.
  • Wassail Song (Trad. England; c. 1700) – Tin whistle, finger cymbals, French horns, flugelhorns, tuba.
  • We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Trad., England; c. 1500) – French horn, tuba, trumpet, trombones, bodhran, tambourine, finger cymbals.