Christmas carols for lute

These Christmas carols are very popular in Finland. I have learned them already in an early age, and all my arrangements are based on the Finnish versions, although all these pieces have models in common European songs. Some might have been modified more or less, when adapted to Finnish.

These arrangements are made to the 10-course lute. Of course also an archlute works well, and some can easily be adapted also to a lute with lesser number courses.

• Maa on niin kaunis (the melody related to "Schönster Herr Jesu") the music (pdf), video in YouTube, video in Vimeo.
  The melody is an old Silesian song. In 1677 it was published with text "Schönster Herr Jesu". In the 19th century Danish poet B. S. Ingemann wrote new words to the song. And those words - connected to Christmas - were later translated to Finnish. The text is very beautiful telling how beautiful the Earth is, how clear is the sky.

• Heinillä härkien kaukalon (related to "Entre le boeuf et l'âne gris") the music (pdf), video in YouTube, video in Vimeo
  Originally a French folk song known already at least in the 17th century. In 2006 I made version for 7-course lute. It works well also by a 6-course lute.

• Kuului laulu enkelten (related to "Gloria in excelsis deo") the music (pdf), video in YouTube, video in Vimeo
  When I was practising "Gloria in excelsis deo", our dogs came to look and listen, too eagerly perhaps; see video in YouTube, video in Vimeo

• Tuo armon valkokyyhky (related to "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen") the music (pdf), video in YouTube, video in Vimeo
  The melody was first time printed in the Speyer Hymnal, Cologne 1599. In 1609 Michael Praetorius published his version of the song.

• Enkeli taivaan (related to "Vom Himmel hoch") the music (pdf), video in YouTube, video in Vimeo
  The melody was selected or composed by Martin Luther, and published first time in 1539 by Valentin Schumann in his Geistliche Lieder. The first Finnish version was published already in 1602 by Hemminki Maskulainen.

See also my pages French theorbo music / 10-course lute music / Archlute music / Chitarrone music / Chitarrino music.
There are also some other arrangements, intabulations, etc. in my Contributions page.