Time to start practicing for those end of the year concerts? Why not try this lovely old carol: «To Drive The Cold Winter Away», also known as «All Hail To The Days» or
«In Praise Of Christmas». This Elizabethan carol is a praise of all the
comfort there is to be had in the darkest time of the year:
«This time of the year is spent in good cheer,And neighbours together do meet,To sit by the fire, with friendly desire,Each other in love do greet;Old grudges forgot, are put in the pot,All sorrows aside they lay,The old and the young doth carol his song,To drive the cold winter away.»This
pleasant theme of midwinter comforts makes this piece a good choice for
winter events such as school parties and New Year festivities as well as
for Christmas concerts.
In this arrangement for string orchestra
with piano, all the parts have significant and interesting roles to
play (although it's possible to do without the piano, if you skip the intro). The difficulty level is fairly easy, but the players must of
course be able to play in the D minor/F major key.
Separate parts available at
Sheet Music Plus.
