Shush Now Be Quiet

So I sat down to play the piano a week or two ago and ended up writing a Christmas carol. I was a bit surprised as it wasn't what I was thinking of doing lol, but I figure, don't fight it.

So along with my Christmas Carol debut, this track is also my first vocal track for this blog. I've tried to make it sound more like I was singing into a mic and have added a few effects to the supporting vocals, but other than that the vocals are all me. I've recorded it all in one take and I haven't bothered to go back through and correct some of the notes I didn't quite hit because I ran out of time on the weekend and I want to post it now :) I'm not generally brave enough to sing in front of people so please be kind! I wanted to share this song and without words it's just not the same. Here goes!

Lyrics:

Shush Now Be Quiet

Shush now be quiet, Santa's on his way

To visit you tonight

If you've been good he'll be upon his sleigh

Before the morning light

Shush now be quiet, hop into your bed

You must go to sleep

A busy night for the big man in red

So hush now not a peep!

Shush now be good 'cause Rudolph's coming near

Across the moonlit sky

He's got a bright red nose and fluffy ears

He's Santa's special guide

Shush now be good because they're nearly here

You must go to sleep

They're bringing toys and games and Christmas cheer

So hush now not a peep!

A Little Jig

This is just a short one, I'm not sure what it sounds like but to play it's quite fun and there are lots of notes to think about it. I wanted to write something where the left hand was as interesting as the right hand. This meant it took a bit more practice to get sounding like music than when you have a more predictable base line. This in turn means there are a few little bloopers in this take but I just wanted to get it up on the blog rather then spend a lot of time recording it in stages.

Enjoy!

The Lullaby Collection

This is what I call 'The Lullaby Collection'.

Track 1 and 2 are songs I arranged for the piano, Tracks 3 and 4 are my own compositions.

1. Ned of the Hill
2. If I Had Words
3. Lullaby
4. Fine

Ps for those wondering 'Ned of the Hill' is an Irish folksong and its name is a mystery to me also!

pps The lyrics to 'If I Had Words' sort of go with the picture I chose and are very pretty:

If I had words to make a day for you,
I'd sing a morning golden & true
I would make this day last for all time
then fill the night deep with moonshine
If I could make a day for you
I'd give you a morning golden & true
I would make this day last for all time..
then fill the night deep with moonshine

Vivace

Here is another one.

I wanted to write something that was fun to play and gave my fingers a good workout on the scales.

Study in C

Hello Everyone,

I decided that once uni was over this year I would set my mind to composing five pieces for the piano, record them and then give the cds to anyone who might like them.

I wrote the five pieces....and then some more! I began having some trouble choosing which ones I wanted on the CD.

Then this evening it occurred to me - hey, why don't I make a blog that I can upload my compositions to whenever I like! So here is one I wrote about a week ago.

I have used Garage Band (a mac program) to help it sound more like a nice piano and less like the electric piano in my laundry it was recorded on but other than that it's just me playing.

Enjoy and watch this space!

fff