Victorian Christmas Carols for concertina

[yankeeclipper]

I've been asked to play Christmas music in December at a 19th century home. Any suggestions for authentic Victorian-era tunes? I'm looking forward to a Frosty-and-Rudolph-free holiday gig!

[Leo]

I've been asked to play Christmas music in December at a 19th century home. Any suggestions for authentic Victorian-era tunes? I'm looking forward to a Frosty-and-Rudolph-free holiday gig!

There should be one or two you can use here:

http://www.christmas-carol-music.org/index.html

 

Thanks

Leo

[Hereward]

Very useful Leo and thanks.

 

Ian

[JimLucas]

I've been asked to play Christmas music in December at a 19th century home. Any suggestions for authentic Victorian-era tunes? I'm looking forward to a Frosty-and-Rudolph-free holiday gig!

Do include Jingle Bells, though. It's American, and the copyright was 1859.

 

And given the origin of your concertina.net name, you will of course be doing While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks and the like, yes?

 

Are you just playing tunes, or will you also be singing? There are many songs -- e.g., English carols and things from the Sacred Harp and other shape-note hymnals -- that I think would go over well as songs, but their tunes alone wouldn't be recognized as "Christmasy" by most Americans.

 

The tune to Greensleeves, on the other hand, is also known (at least in America) as the carol What Child Is This?.