A Christmas Songbook: Three Log Night

Click here for "In the Bleak Midwinter"

I want to extend much-past-due appreciation to you, the Solstice Assembly, Band of Ages etc. for this song and the rest of the lovely music that has long enhanced my winter holiday season. "Three Log Night" has been my favorite December car tape since I found it in a Pennsylvania music store something like 18 years ago. Seeing my enthusiasm, a few years ago a friend of mine looked you up and got me the CD and songbook, wonderful additions to our household music library. Bright blessings to you, and may you long enjoy the music and art you create! -- JoyfulYes

Click here for "The Very First Blessing Mary Had"

Click here for "Let Memory Keep Us All"

Click here for "The Gloucester Wassail"

Click here for "The Sussex Mummers Carol"

Hi there. Some friends have been gathering over the last few months to sing music that we love, and somebody handed around the MP3 of "Let Memory Keep Us All". I was blown away by the words and music, and would like to work it up to perform at a larger gathering of singers next month. A few of our friends have lost loved ones recently, and the words of this song move me almost too much to sing. Do you have the words and/or music in a form that you might be willing to share? I've worked out the two low parts pretty well, but the high parts are harder for me to pick out. I'd also like to be able to give full credit to the writer. Thank you, -- Mayhew

Click here to visit or buy the New Three Log Night Songbook at Createspace ($10.90 plus shipping). Createspace ships very quickly! This Christmas carol and Hannukah songbook is 70 pages of fun!

This was originally recorded in 1988 - the songs on this lens are directly from the remastered cd with a couple of added songs. You can buy it right here:

Buy the Three Log Night CD:
Only $11 - no shipping/handling charge!
Click here (and wait a moment, Paypal can be a bit slow)

Blessed be that Maid Marie

Also known as "Staines Morris," it's a very old English Christmas Carol.

Cookham

A shape note Christmas hymn from the Sacred Harp songbook.

Fulfillment

Another shape-note hymn.

Gaudete

An ancient English christmas song, sung in Latin, made famous by Steeleye Span

Gedeonis Area

An early English song learned from the singing of Joel Cohen's Boston Camerata

Gloucester Wassail

From the Oxford Book of Carols, our arrangement

Hanerot Halalu

One of the best Hannukah songs

For decades I've been arranging folkmusic for singers, and issuing cds (once upon a time, even cassettes, if you can remember back that far!) of beautiful, unusual music. Please take a minute and have a look: Skylark Productions - there are free mp3 samples to listen to. I thank you for your time.

In the Bleak Midwinter

From the Oxford Book of Carols, as arranged and sung by "The Buds" - Joe Newberry, Carl Jones, and Andy Cohen

Let Memory Keep Us All

I wrote the words to this song with my ex-husband and set it to "The Death of Admiral Nelson" - for the full story see Let Memory Keep Us All: the Solstice Assembly Songbook.

Ma-Oz Tsur

This is an Italian melody for the famous Chanukah song; I arranged it and added a second verse in English.

May Waltz/Woodcutter's Song

Bob Vasile of the Pratie Heads, who is half Finnish, found the May Waltz, a Finnish tune, as well as the Woodcutter's Song, which is a traditional English text adapted by Robin Williams of the Incredible String Band.

Now is Come Our Joyful Feast

This song wasn't in the first edition of the Three Log Night Songbook; I added it to the book and the album later. It's performed by Mappamundi and combines an Elizabethan text with a Sacred Harp tune, turned into an old-timey Christmas song.

Pastime with Good Company

Supposedly Henry V wrote this.

Rock the Cradle, Joe

An old-time fiddle tune brought to us by Joe Newberry who played along with the Band of Ages

S'vivon Sov Sov Sov

A rousing song for Hanukah!

Sainte Nicholaes

This was a favorite women-only arrangement of the medieval song learned from Sequentia

Sherburne

One of the best shape-note Christmas hymns.

Simu Shemen

Another of the best Hannukah songs.

Sussex Mummers' Carol

This is one of my own personal favorite Christmas songs from the Oxford Book of Carols.

Tappster Dryngker!

Mark Biggers brought us this medieval drinking song.

The Boar's Head Carol

From the Oxford Book of Carols. I have one of the paper-mache "boar's heads" I made for the show hanging on my wall!

The Holly and the Ivy

I really like the way John Roberts and Tony Barrand did this song...

The Holly Bears a Berry

We gave this one a Latin feel...

The King

Strange to say, I first sang this song with the women's Balkan ensemble Laduvane back in the 1970s, but it comes from the singing of Steeleye Span.

The Lord at First did Adam Make

Our soloist in this song was Carol Boren Owens; she was only 33 years old when we recorded the song, but she died suddenly before she ever got a chance to hear the rough mixes. See Let Memory Keep Us All: the Solstice Assembly Songbook.

The Very First Blessing

Joe Newberry and Candace Carraway sang this duet, which Joe brought to us.

Time to Remember the Poor

Joe Newberry brought us this Mormon hymn, which he performed with Carl Jones and Andy Cohen.

Y'vanim

Bob Vasile and I (the Pratie Heads, performed this Hannukah song which I arranged and to which I added a second verse.

• Choral directors - adult choirs or high school choruses. Younger kids could sing some of these arrangements, too.
  
  
• Christmas Carolers - the oldest songs from the English caroling tradition are in this book!
  
  
• Schools that want to promote trans-cultural winter celebrations might appreciate the mix of Christian, Jewish, and non-specific winter songs;
  
  
• Do you sing for shut-ins or at hospitals or old-age homes and senior centers? These songs would be welcome there.
  
  
• Do you have a folksinging circle? Folk clubs and singing groups of all sizes could use these songs.

The TJC Hanukah Songbook More information


The Triangle Jewish Chorale Songbook More information


The Three Log Night Songbook: uncommon music for the holiday season (Christmas and Hanukkah) More information


Let Memory Keep Us All (the Solstice Assembly songbook) More information


The Laduvane Songbook (women's slavic a cappella (Balkan) music More information


Songs Anyone Can Sing More information