Ding Dong Merrily On High – Jazz Shuffle – Beginner (Grade 2)

Description

Get those Christmas bells a-ringin' and a-swingin' with this groovy arrangement of Ding Dong Merrily On High, perfect for established beginners at about the Grade 2 standard (ABRSM).

The opening of this well-known melody features swung eighth note quavers in the right hand against a lightly staccato boogie-woogie style left hand accompaniment. There is a little syncopation between the hands in bar 8, otherwise the syncopated 'hits' to end each section are played by both hands in unison.

Notice how the staccatos and slurs work together in this piece and have fun with the change of dynamic from forte to piano crescendo on the repeat in the smoother 'Glor_____ia' section.

The melody for this Christmas carol first appeared as a secular dance tune titled Branle de l'Official in Orchésographie, a dance book written by Jehan Tabourot (1519–1593). The English composer George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848–1934) wrote the lyrics, and the carol was first published in 1924 in his book The Cambridge Carol-Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons.

Fancy a sing-along of Ding Dong Merrily On High in your Christmas recital? If so, then you're all set as the lyrics for two verses are included. You might also like to play-along with the MP3 backing track which comes with this sheet music to add an exciting dimension to your performance.