On Christmas night all Christians sing to hear the news the angels bring.
On Christmas night all Christians sing to hear the news the angels bring.
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King's birth!

This joyous Christmas song was first published by Luke Wadding, an Irish bishop, in a 17th century collection called Small Garland of Godly and Pious Songs. It became known as ?Sussex Carol? in the early 20th century upon being collected by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who heard it being sung by a folk singer in Sussex, England. He later included it in his choral settings, Eight Traditional English Carols and Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

This lever harp arrangement is in the key of G (with a short section in D mixolydian for variety, from measures 56 to 65). There are no lever changes. It is suited for harps with at least 34 strings.

The right hand has the melody most of the time, with the left hand accompanying; but the left hand gets to take center stage from measures 33 through 47; again from measures 86 through 89; and again at the end, from measures 100 through 106.

This arrangement is great for all Christmas events, from church services to concerts to parties.
The YouTube video shows the pedal harp arrangement, which is exactly the same as the lever harp arrangement except that it is in the key of G flat instead of G; and it has ONE extra very low note at the very end.

For more harp arrangements by Stephanie Bennett, please subscribe to HarpworldMusicCo on Youtube, and visit www.harpworld.com/sheetmusic.html.
I hope you enjoy sharing this cheerful song with your listeners, during many happy holidays! - Stephanie Bennett

The Children's Album is dedicated to Tchaikovsky's favorite nephew, Vladimir Davydov. On 12/24 December 1878, Tchaikovsky wrote to Lev Davydov: "Tell Bobik that the music has been printed with pictures, that the music was composed by Uncle Petya, and that on it is written Dedicated to Volodya Davydov. The silly little fellow will not understand what dedicated means... Even so, Bobik is an inimitably delightful figure when he's playing, and he might look at the notes, and think that a whole symphony is dedicated to him?.

In a letter of 30 April/12 May 1878 to Nadezhda von Meck, the composer wrote: "A while ago I thought that it would not be a bad idea to make a small contribution to the stock of children's musical literature, which is very modest. I want to create a series of little individual pieces just for children, and with an attractive title, like Schumann`s.

Some months before this letter was written, while staying in Florence on 14/26 February, Tchaikovsky told Pyotr Jurgenson that he wanted "to write a number of easy pieces, like Kinderstück?. Evidently, the idea of creating a collection of pieces for young people had not been abandoned by the composer, and after his return to Kamenka in April he decided to begin composition. In the aforementioned letter to Nadezhda von Meck, he informed her: "Tomorrow I shall start working on my collection of miniatures for children".

On 1/13 May the composer wrote to Anatoly Tchaikovsky: "I'm working well and have done rather a lot". On 4/16 May the sketches for all 24 pieces were ready. Shortly afterwards, Tchaikovsky accepted an invitation from Nadezhda von Meck to stay at her Brailov estate until the end of May/beginning of June, before spending a few days in Moscow; from there he went to spend five days with his friend Nikolay Kondratyev at Nizy, and in mid/late June he called at Kiev, before returning to Verbovka. In the days following his arrival, he began to put the finishing touches to all the pieces written in April and May. The fair copy of the Children's Album was begun, it seems, on 13/25 July.

By 20 July/1 August the copying out was completed, and on 21 July/2 August the composer told Nadezhda von Meck that he was working on the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom.

On 29 July/10 August the manuscript of the Children's Album, along with a number of other compositions, was sent to Pyotr Jurgenson in Moscow. In October, after the proofs had been corrected, the album was published.



P.S.- Other than a modest suggestion for an interpretation, this arrangements remain absolute faithful to the original composition.

The first version is in the original key of g minor, the second is transposed to ?a minor?, the third one is intended for a little lap harp and transposed to d minor. It sounds better in the original key of g minor. I used a lot the d minor version and performed it with my little harp very often, always experiencing a very deep musical feedback.

A little nuance was added to the arrangements, thus obliged by its minimal use on the original manuscripts.

I included the original long and expressive leggato bows and left out the staccatos for the left hand between the bars 17 and 20. I felt somehow awkward when applying this technic on the harp myself.

May be the staccatos suites you best, and you should try it.

The score was written on Finale.

The sound file was produced with samplers from Garritan,

intended as an audio support for the presentation of the score.

A reproduction of Tchaikovsky`s original manuscript is added to the file as a reference to the original sources of this composition, it is an extra bonus intentionally didactic and obviously not included in the price of the arrangement itself.

Thank you very much for taking your time to read this text and to listen to the file.

I hope you enjoy the music.

Volume 2 in this series of standard Christmas melodies with lovely harmonies. Click on the samples to get an idea of how these arrangements flow. As in the first volume, the arrangements are in key order so that the entire collection can be played as a continuous suite, if desired. Lever and pedal changes are well-planned and well-marked. Keys of F, C, G, and D major (or relative minors). Table of Contents: What Shall I Give/What Is This Fragrance?, The Sussex Carol/I Saw Three Ships, Away in A Manger, Noel Nouvelet/Pat a Pan, The Huron Carol/I Wonder As I Wander, Christ Child's Lullaby, Personent Hodie, Oxen and Sheep/Let All Mortal Flesh, Angels and Shepherds/Polish Lullaby, In the Bleak Midwinter/Baloo Lammy.

A wonderful collection of music, containing elegant arrangements of melodies suitable for the Christmas season, and arranged in key order so that the entire collection can be played as a continuous suite, if desired. Lever and pedal changes are well-planned and well-marked. Keys of F, C, G, and D major (or relative minors). Written in a nice harpistic style, and are very enjoyable to play. Pastoral Symphony (both a pedal harp and lever harp version), Carol of the Bells, Silent Night, Coventry Carol, Bring A Torch, While By My Sheep. Dancing Day, Infant Holy, Still Still Still, Gesu Bambino (both a pedal harp and lever harp version).